• An empty, washed milk jug is a great jug to use for jug fishing.Container of milk. Plastic milk bottle image by L. Shat from Fotolia.com
  
  Jug fishing is a technique that requires the fisher to do little to nothing except set up the jug rig. The jug rig uses a few simple ingredients that even the most basic fisher should be able to gather without making a trip to a bait shop or store. Make sure to check fishing regulations in your area, because jug fishing is illegal in many places.
  
  

The Jug

• The titular ingredient can be found lying around the house. You can use a plastic one-gallon milk jug or even a two-liter soda bottle. Any large plastic container that is sealed and will not take on water will work. If you plan on using a laundry detergent or bleach jug, be sure to wash out all chemicals thoroughly before using. Chemicals from these and other household products can be extremely hazardous for water environments and wildlife. Smaller bottles like 20-ounce soda bottles are not buoyant enough to use for jug fishing. You can also use a swimming pool "noodle" as an alternative for the jug if it is buoyant enough to hold up the rig.
  
  

Fishing Line

• The fishing line can be whatever weight you desire. It should be long enough to tie to the jug firmly and provide enough length to suspend your bait at whatever depth you desire. Make sure that you have enough line at the end of your measured depth to tie the bait on. Jug fishing is often used for catfish, which can grow to be very large, so a heavier line weight will be needed. It is also a good idea to use fishing line that looks natural, if not invisible, in the body of water you are fishing in.
  
  

The Hook

• Any hook can be used. The size of the hook will also depend on the species of fish you are trying to catch. Be sure to recognize laws in the area you plan on fishing in as barbed hooks and treble hooks may be illegal.
  
  

The Sinker

• Sinkers are necessary in jug fishing to hold the bait at the desired depth. Some jug fishing rigs require the sinker to be able to sit at the bottom, while others keep the bait suspended at the proper depth. Many sinkers work for this; split shots can be used as well as pencil and bottom sinkers. Make sure the sinker is heavy enough to keep the bait in its proper place. Sinkers should be made of lead or tungsten to be heavy enough, but tungsten sinkers are more expensive than lead sinkers.
  
  

The Bait

• Many different kinds of bait can be used. You want to choose your bait in accordance with the species of fish you plan on targeting. Live bait is suggested because artificial lures may not move as naturally or provide enough scent to attract the fish. Minnows, worms, and stink bait are all common baits used when jug fishing.
  
  

Optional: Three-way Swivel

• A three-way swivel can be used to suspend the bait horizontally in the water. Any size or material will do because these factors make little to no difference in fishing success. To use a swivel on the rig, you need to tie the line to the swivel at the depth where you want your bait suspended. After this, you will tie two to three feet of line to the swivel and tie your hook to the other end of this line. You will then need to tie a length of line from the swivel to the depth you want to set your sinker.