I searched the subject of jug line fishing. It was recommended that fresh cut shad heads was one of the best baits. Also small live perch...and fresh cut filets of crappie (which I would guess is illegal in Texas) but this made me wonder if anyone has tried fresh cut filets of white/sand bass? I think I'll get a throw net if they're not too expensive. I'm new at jug line fishing, but I'm gonna put some catfish in my belly and would appreciate any thoughts on baits.

Using white bass for bait is a major no no, its illegal.

You can't use anything classified as gamefish - so sand bass, crappie, largemouth, trout, etc are off limits.

Shad are best - anyone will tell you that. Fresh shad, not frozen. I put jugs out yesterday on Ray Hubbard, got five nice catfish in about an hour, two went close to 10 lbs.

You can use just about anything, and for the most part you'll catch some fish. However, use BIG, FRESH cut shad and you'll get bigger blue catfish - every time.

And I'd also recommend you go to the TWPD website and read up on the rules.

Along with any bass species, whites, stripers, yellow, all black bass species or ANY gamefish species is illegal to use as bait and any portion of them.

Beef liver, chicken hearts, gizzards, beef heart & kidney, chicken skin are all good ones. If you can get shad, using them whole (small ones), cut up, filleted large ones as long as they are fresh.

shad is all i mostly use and i do really good so i would go with fresh shad.

Just stick with old reliables SHAD,PERCH AND CUT CARP & BUFFALO

if youre having trouble getting fresh shad run to fiesta or some ghetto grocery store and pick up some buffalo. it works great.

I know some guys that use old venison that was freezer burnt, catch lots of channels on it.

Shad/Perch

We have been having a lot of luck with danny king's original stinkbait set at about 4-6ft

PERCH!!!!!!!!!!

I have a cast net coming...hope I can catch a few perch with it and a bunch of shad. Really glad someone put me on that video on how to throw a cast net....I know I can do that!

How do you plan to fish your jugs? If your going to leave them out for just a few hours at a time shad is the key, if your going to leave them out overnight then you have a lot of options.

I typically put out 12 jugs at a time with 2 hooks per jug. If I am putting them out in the AM and retrieving same day or going to check every couple of hours I go for cut shad or perch.

On the otherhand I usually deploy about sunset and retrieve the next morning, and in that case I use Chicken Gizards almost exclusively now.

What I have found at Ray hubbard is that Shad agets a lot of blues, perch gets a lot of yellows, and Gizzards gets a mix of blues and channels, with the occational yellow that decided to make a channel lunch.

As already said- shad and perch are great. If you are looking for a good backup look into getting some squid.

HEB stores have 3 lb boxes for 7 bucks and it ir really good for blues and channels.

Cut them into thirds and a box will cover about 75 hooks or so.

No offense here, but every time someone remotely brings up the idea of bait Shad gets mentioned....

Saying you "already mentioned shad" is like saying "fish are in the water."

I was offering the alternatives that I personaly use, and when I use them. Kinda hard to catch shad at 3 or 4 in the afternoon in a lot of lakes, and shad caught at daybreak aren't going to be too pleasant to work with at 7pm.

Cannot say I have tried Squid though, makes sense that it would work. The salt should help attract fish to the bait.