Setting a drift

[Mark Hanes]

Any tips or tricks on how to do this?  Yeah I know its basic but I am a newb at loc fishing and  I know a lot of us on here are as well. 

The only stupid questions are the ones that are not asked.

[Dejon Hamann]

Not always.  That's a pretty stupid question. jk jk

I think you need to elaborate on your query?  You talking about use of a drogue?  Working wind lanes?  Rigging? 

[Mark Hanes]

I started broad for a reason. I am clueless!  LOL

[Mike Norton]

Good question......I know what he's saying..Mark I'll be clueless with you ......I had some issues in roscoe with it...So how do you set the drift to get the most out of it?

[Kurt Finlayson]

I read an English book about fishing reservoirs and it stated that to be good on reservoirs you needed to be a good boatman and a good fisherman. Very true.

What is the target of your drift? Is it a windlane, a bank, or are you trying to hit a submerged island or point? Have you seen fish moving? Birds moving? Any local info to decide where to start? From there its a lot of experimenting to see how your boat and drogue act in the wind. My suggestion would be to get out and set a drift in a likely looking area. Then based on how things go adjust for the next drift. Then repeat

[Loren Williams]

Or just tie on a Trude and say screw it!

[Aaron Laing]

It's easier said than done.

Piloting a boat is one of my weaknesses--to the point that I didn't once run the motor at the Nationals. This was both good and bad--my boat mates and I got more time fishing because I didn't have to screw with the motor, but I lost some control of the boat even when I was nominally the Captain. I won't be doing this again.

From my limited experience two things come into play when setting a drift: wind and currents. In a perfect world they both go in the same direction and at the same speed, but if Manitoba was anything to judge by it certainly isn't always the case. Add to this questions about the type of boat (flat bottom, modified V, deep hull, etc.) and the type/size of your drogue and you're really just making educated guesses up to your first drift. Once you've gone through your first pass you pay attention and modify your drift and/or your anchor point for the drogue. After the second time it's just tweaking to find the perfect orientation.

Easy, right? Well... we set up in the lee of an island on Patterson Lake in the Canadian Nationals looking for a drift to take us along the edge of one of two submerged weed banks and hopefully over some waiting fish. After orienting the boat and throwing out the drogue we started our "drift" which meant swinging in circles for the first 5 minute and then getting spit out in random directions. In future I'm going to be avoiding the "toilet bowl" effect and concentrate where there's some guaranteed directionality to the drift. Live and learn.

Aaron

[Todd Oishi]

That's very interesting Aaron. For me it was the exact opposite, as I took complete control of the motor and drogue for the entire three hours of all five sessions (all five of my boat partners gladly passed along this duty to me).

I personally prefer to take control of the boat, but still value and respect the opinions and thoughts of my boat partner. I suppose that it has more to do with the fact that I am confident that I can set up the best possible drift - for both of our sakes.

I suppose that it comes down to having confidence in your game plan, reconnaissance and an ability to locate and find fish, but in Manitoba, it also had a lot to do with picking the best drift - given the high winds and the potential and high probability of low battery reserves...

I try to set my drift to provide both of us with an equal and fair chance to target the fish and any potentially fish-holding areas. The rest is quite straightforward, as I try to set my drift so the wind will carry us over the best waters with a contant drift speed (no need to mess around changing lines).

Keep in mind that sitting still or an ultra-slow drift can severely handicap both of you and your boat partner at times, as you aren't covering a greater area of water... and fish, compared to a properly drifting boat!

[Ronnie Christie]

Hi Guys,

Fishing from a drifting boat is something I do know about, having done it weekly for the last 20yrs.  All the points made are valid, however the boats and indifferent drogues made fishing at the nationals different. Most Comp anglers want the engine as it gives you the initial control of the boat and lets you to go to your preferred hotspot.  If somebody is taking you to an area that you haven’t been too, the first thing is to check out their set up.  By the time you get to that drift you want to know everything you can about how your opponent is going to be fishing.

I always pick a marker on the shore where I start my drift and as you progress and catch a fish look for a marker so that you can redrift the hotspot. Don’t take it as a disadvantage fishing the point you can actually fish must longer than you partner if you are both right handed.  You can fish over the nose of the boat and hang you flies further and longer sometimes crucial.

Ronnie

[Chris Puchniak]

Slightly off topic, but when you guys are l-s drifting and then re-establishing position again to start a new drift, are you typically using an outboard, electric, or oars?  Or does it vary from competition to competition?

I'm gatheriong from Ronnie's post an outboard is fairly routine?

[Kurt Finlayson]

Depends on the country! Here in the states most comps have oars for boat power. Internationally,there are more gas and electric motors used.