Drift Sock Needed?

[Doonbuggy]

Heading to Leech for Opener. Planning on drifting with a jig/minnow perhaps a live bait rig.

Should I invest in a drift sock? And if so what size would be best? I have a 1750 Fishhawk, side console with a 90hp. Thanks in advance.

DB

[LMITOUT]

If you decide to buy one look at getting one size bigger than they call for on the package for your length of boat. They seem to run a little small.

Drift Control Drift Socks

[jwmiller33]

you can try and use the 5 gallon method if your not sure if you want to invest in the drift sock... i have heard from first hand experience that the 5 gallon bucket method works great... just drill a couple holes in the bottom of the bucket and exchange rope for the handle and you have yourself a drift sock for real cheap! it can also double as storage in the boat when not in use... just a thought

[Big Tom]

+1

Bigger is better. If you are running without a kicker or big transom electric on that boat, a big sock will let you slow down the back troll big time.

[BrdHunter01]

Yes bigger is better... FF had them on sale, might have been last week so not sure they still do. Never tried the 5 gallon bucket but sounds like a great idea. might need 2 or 3 buckets for Mille Lacs and Leech....

[jwmiller33]

yes brdhunter, two buckets is the way to go.. at least that is what my buddy does on lake superior... his big motor wont troll down slow enough, and has no kicker, so he throws two 5 gallon buckets out the back and whallah... you would be surprised how much resistance they have... the less holes you drill, the more resistance.. some guys drill one big 2-4 inch hole in the center, while i have heard others drill multiple small holes.

[Burbot]

The Buckets are a great idea but hard to store? I have a 1750 fish hawk and often times on Mille Lacs used two of the large size socks.

[dan z]

I use one wave tamer brand. and it works just fine on a older 17ft lund and I use the front trolling motor to keep nice and paralell(sp) like other have posted bigger is better... good luck

[Fish Head]

Definitely invest in a drift sock if you fish big water. I keep 2 in my boat.

[Back2Dakota]

Cabelas had a deal buy the sock get the harness for $9.99. I bought 2 more.

[Northlander]

I always have 2 in the boat. 1 BIG one and one medium one. I can use the medium to slow my troll down too if needed.

[Morneau132]

Here's an idea for you guys/gals looking to make a harness for your drift socks.... I bought a foam water noodle with a hole in the middle. Cut the noodle so you have a 12" piece or so and slide the noodle onto a piece of good rope. I then used a zip tie to crank it down to the rope near the drift sock to keep it in place. Works great!

[Maverick]

I mainly use my drift sock to slow down my back troll. I have three different sizes to use depending on the wind. Last year someone posted a great idea on how to attach the sock when used for back trolling. This is what I did. You tie a loop in one end of the rope and attach it to one of the front cleats. Put another loop in the rope just long enough to reach the keel as far back as possible. Then bring the rope up to the other cleat and tie another loop. This metnod will serve two purposes. One, it will get the sock closer to the center of the boat, which helps a lot with steering going in reverse and help prevents snagging the bag. Two, when you retrieve the sock you simply remove the rope from one side, work it around the bow and pull it in. This saves you from having to reach over the bow (tough on big boats) and pull it in. It takes a little trial and error to get the knot under the keel near the center line of the boat, but this has been the best idea for me since the sock itself. It also helps to tie an additional piece of rope on the last loop to allow more slack when running the rope around the bow.

This wasn't my idea and thanks to first one that posted it. If I wasn't real clear on this I would be happy to clarify.