BILLY
BLAKELY ON REELFOOT LAKE
Jug Fishing
EDITOR’S NOTE: Blue Bank Resort on Reelfoot Lake
near Tiptonville, Tennessee, is in high gear in the
fall, with anglers catching plenty of crappie, catfish
and bass every day. Billy Blakely is the resort manager/chief
guide and has been guiding on Reelfoot for 23 years.
QUESTION: Have you started jug fishing as well as yo-yo
fishing for catfish?
BLAKELY:
Yes, I have. Strike King has made some jugs with handles
on the end. These jugs are white, which show up well
in water during the day or night. These jugs come with
the lines, hooks and sinkers already attached. These
jugs are not only effective on this lake; they’re
also effective on the Mississippi River. We caught a
lot of big catfish this past summer using the jugs in
the Mississippi River. Jug fishing is a fast, easy way
to catch catfish.
QUESTION: Why did you start putting yo-yos on your
jugs?
BLAKELY:
I don’t have to wrap the line around the jug when
I use the yo-yo. I like to put 2 to 3 feet of 20-pound-test
Mossy Oak Classic Line from the string to the hook.
This way, my bait drifts more naturally, and too, the
catfish aren’t able to see the line. One of the
reasons people lose catfish on jugs is because catfish
can gnaw monofilament in two with their sandpaper-like
teeth. However, Mossy Oak Fishing Line can stand up
to those sandpaper-like mouths. When you get on a big
catfish, it will start pulling line off the yo-yo as
it pulls the jug down. A few days ago, I caught a 35-pound
blue catfish with a Strike King jug that had a yo-yo
on it. We found that the jug pops up quicker than it
will if it’s a line straight from the jug to the
hook. Also, when you pick up the jug to pull in the
catfish, the fish will either jerk the jug out of your
hand, straighten the hook or break the line. But, with
the yo-yo, when the catfish starts to run, the spring
inside the yo-yo gets tight and slows down the charge.
It either turns the catfish around and brings it back
to the boat or gives you a chance to drop the jug and
let the cat continue to fight.
QUESTION: When you’re fishing on the river, how
many catfish do you expect to catch?
BLAKELY:
At any given time I can catch catfish that weigh anywhere
from 25 pounds to 120 pounds. A friend of mine caught
a big blue cat that weighed 115 pounds. On the Mississippi
River near Reelfoot Lake, I catch mostly blue and white
cats. On Reelfoot Lake, I catch mostly channel cats
because there aren’t any blue cats. If you want
to test your fishing line, put it on jugs and go catfishing.
You’ll quickly find out just how tough your line
is. We have proven that Mossy Oak Fishing Line can handle
these tough cats.
You can call – 1-877-Blue Bank or visit www.bluebankresort.com/
to learn more.
TOMORROW: BASSING ON REELFOOT
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