New Outriggers for Drifting up some Channels

[SteveD]

Somebody do something about that ice on the St Croix. All this new snow is making winter hang on too long. I've got my early season game plan for the St Croix figured out, I just need this darn weather to melt the icepack so I can start fishing.

I picked up two portable outriggers at Cabela's last sunday. They are designed to fit in a rod holder and extend out 15 feet with a line release on the end. With an outrigger on each side of the boat I'll get an extra 30 feet of drift path. With two rods each allowed on the St Croix all I need is a few other guys and we can drift about a 40 - 50 foot swath. We'll be able to cover a lot of water and should be able to find fish as they start to move to pre-spawn locations.

Ralph Wiggum, you out there? I may need you to do some of your Jedi Knight catfish mind tricks again drifting for some channel cats. I've got about a half dozen drifting spots lined up that I think should produce some early season cats.

[Ralph Wiggum]

 Originally Posted By: SteveD

Ralph Wiggum, you out there? I may need you to do some of your Jedi Knight catfish mind tricks again drifting for some channel cats. I've got about a half dozen drifting spots lined up that I think should produce some early season cats.

Ready and willing! Let me know when you're ready to go

[Barbelboy]

OK you two. I've never drifted for channels before but i'm going to start this year. I've got 4-5 lakes up here that are part of a river system. I've caught channels out of 'em before, but i'm going to specifically target them this year. How do you usually go about it? Any specific struture you look for? Any hint would be awesome.

[Quetico]

I'm not a huge cat man but I'm always willing to help a guy try an idea like this. If you need an extra guy in the boat Steve, I'm ready to go.

[DTro]

You know my number Steve

Hopefully you can find time to venture this way sometime this year.

[Shack]

I am sure if you search you-tube, for drifting channels or Bill Dance fishing blues, you will see what the boys down south use.

[SteveD]

 Originally Posted By: Barbelboy

OK you two. I've never drifted for channels before but i'm going to start this year. I've got 4-5 lakes up here that are part of a river system. I've caught channels out of 'em before, but i'm going to specifically target them this year. How do you usually go about it? Any specific struture you look for? Any hint would be awesome.

This may end up being a long post but it should give you the information you asked about. We have been drifting for channels on the St Croix and the Mississippi River for the last couple of years with good success. We developed our techniques from an In-Fisherman article in the 2003 June – July issue. Their approach is used in many of the southern reservoirs for blue cats and channel cats. The article gave us some proven techniques on rigging and finding and marking fish. We found those techniques that worked on southern reservoirs worked equally as well on Lake St Croix and Pool 8 of the Mississippi.

If you are a St Croix cat fisherman, one of the most difficult pieces of water to fish is the Lake St Croix expanse south of Stillwater and Hudson. This stretch of water is more like a reservoir than a traditional river and you will find the large expanses of open water a significant challenge to find cats in. We know that there are nice cats there but finding them in those long featureless expanses of open water is frustrating.

The techniques we use are a pretty simple approach to catching cats. You will not find a cheaper or simpler rig than our standard drifting rig: Tie a size 1/0 or so snap swivel on your main line. Tie a 1/0 to 5/0 circle hook on about an 18” to 24” leader and then tie about a size 1/0 barrel swivel to the end of the leader. Hook that barrel swivel on the snap swivel and you are ready to fish. We normally use fresh cut sucker for bait. That is it! Pretty simple. The weight of the cut bait and the two swivels is about all you will need to get your bait in the strike zone. Most people think they need to have a weight or some kind of sinker on their line to get it down to the bottom but before you add weight to your rig give this set up a fair chance – it will surprise you how effective it is.

For bait we like to use fresh cut sucker, it seems to leave a good scent trail. We like to fillet large or medium suckers into strips about 1 ½” to 2” wide and about 4” long. Cast that bait out behind the drifting boat feeding line until you will feel your bait ticking along the bottom. I place my rods in rod holders and watch my rod tips – you will see the rod tips jump as the bait ticks along the bottom.

This is where the circle hooks come into play. Most of the time the channel cats will hammer the bait and your rod will double over in the rod holder. With circle hooks the fish will hook themselves and all you need to do is lift your rod out of the rod holder and start reeling.

We try to fish the flats along the main channel targeting that first break into deeper water. That is where the shad schools seem to be congregate. Another location we have found is main channel humps with water in the 15 to 20 foot range and shad schools in the vicinity. Find the shad and you will find the catfish. When the shad are present and you can find them on your electronics, they will key you to catfish.

We try to maintain a drift speed in the .5 mph to .75 mph range. The slower the better is usually a good rule. When I am drifting with the wind I will sometimes use a drift sock to control my speed and direction. Sometimes we will just use the electric trolling motor to run into the wind or use the electric if there is no wind at all. The trolling motor allows you to very accurately control your direction and speed – you are actually trolling more than drifting with this technique.

I use my GPS to mark each fish caught so that I can return to another drift close to that same location. I find the GPS invaluable because you can analyze each drift. I try not to spend any time on empty water already fished plus the GPS allows me to find and repeat the good drift lines.

[Shack]

Pretty much how the boys down South do it.

Thanks for sharing Steve

[SteveD]

I pulled up the Lake Zumbro map from the DNR HSOforum. From the topographic depictions of the lake it would be a perfect lake to drift for channels. The same techniques we are using on the St Croix would work on Lake Zumbro. When you guys hit a slow day anchored on your normal spots you should try to cover some water drifting - I'm willing to bet you would have some good success especially for those early season channels that you are catching right now.

[Tyler Holm]

 Originally Posted By: SteveD

I pulled up the Lake Zumbro map from the DNR HSOforum. From the topographic depictions of the lake it would be a perfect lake to drift for channels. The same techniques we are using on the St Croix would work on Lake Zumbro. When you guys hit a slow day anchored on your normal spots you should try to cover some water drifting - I'm willing to bet you would have some good success especially for those early season channels that you are catching right now.

AWESOME. I've been itchin to give that a try. I followed you and Bret's success all season last year. It's always hard to talk yourself into trying something new, but this is one thing I will try. I agree that the Zumbro is about perfect of this. Thanks Steve.

[SteveD]

Tyler - Once the St Croix starts producing I will give you a shout and we'll get together and see if we can drift up some channels. Once you see how simple it is you will be a convert and I know you can make it work on your home waters.