Memories

[bassjnkie]

When I was ten I started fishing with my uncle in his 12' alum boat for walleye on Scougog. I remeber it like yesterday. tie on a harness, fix the worm on. Cast it out there and let the wind drifed the boat, no trolling with a motor. When I purcased my first boat I started to troll and never every tries the drifting method again. We would hammer the walleye left and right just by letting the wind drift us across the honey hole, then motor back and drift again.

 

Now my question: Is the difting method still used, or is it a lost art with the introduction of the trolling motor?

 

Daniel

[jwl]

I do it for a variety of fish, as also a few others I fish with still do this as well, it's one of my favorite ways to cover alot of water, and also helps me find fish for example when I am in my smaller boat with no fish finder on it...I let drifting my bait be my fish finder if I find a high percentage area to work over, I just make myslef 3-4 way-points on shore for refference, and X marks the spot

[Leecher]

Drifting in my book is one way to cover a lot of water and locate fish when the bite is tuff, especially on a windy day when there's a nice chop.

 

When everything else has been tried.....I do not hesitate in trying this method and don't think it's a lost art with the introduction of trolling motors.

 

Leechman

[bigugli]

Drifting is still my prefered means of searching out fish on new water or in tough conditions. I use the trolling motor for position control. When there are more than 2 in the boat, it also allows everyone an equal shot at fishing without snagging one another casting. Lots of people still drift fish. I must make 1000 harnesses a year for people (of course, 50 are just for me)

[Beans]

Still one of my favorite ways to fish...love to see a good pickerel chop on the lake when I get down there...

 

I always keep an orange marker to throw out to mark a "catch"...along with my fishfinder to mark mid-lake humps...run back upwind and try to drift past the "marker"...

 

Motv8tr and I drift fished for our fish up at Lakair...

Edited September 14, 2008 by Beans

[bassjnkie]

Cool, it's great to hear drifting is not dead. 1000 harnesses, your a busy person.

[danbo]

The JuneBug spinner is killer in weeds, since it pushes them away from the hook.

[bigugli]

Cool, it's great to hear drifting is not dead. 1000 harnesses, your a busy person.

Its a great way to spend long nights. Its that or get cuddly with the Mrs. ( good thing she doesn't scan this site

[wallyboss]

The trolling motor is the best thing that ever happened to drifting. Now it's called controlled drifting.

[GbayGiant]

Yeah drifting is still awesome, but a nice trolling motor makes it a lot easier when the wind pushes you off course just get back into position with the motor and your good, just makes it that much better.

[fishdawg]

love drifting - pay attention to wind direction & use it to your advantage with other aids like drift socks & the trolling motor

[Scott S]

Still the best way to catch walleye. Set up with a bottom bouncer and favorite worm harness, there is no other way in my book!

Scooter

[b2kptbo]

Also a great way to ...

Edited September 15, 2008 by b2kptbo

[ChrisK]

Good tecniques never die. I still fish with the drift when I pull lindy rigs for walleye providing the wind is pushin in the right direction. Go back to that spot and do as you did when you were a youngster and you'll probably suprise yourself.....

 

Cheers !!

[OhioFisherman]

Hard to get a quieter approach than a drift, electric trolling motors just made drift easier to control?

[fishindevil]

Drifting a big weed flat,and ripping a black/green bucktail 1/4oz jig !!!!!. ..a deadly way to put walleyes in the livewell.....drifting is alive & well man....cheers

[Sherriff]

We fish Callendar every opener and kill the walleye drifting. Love the tranquin, easy goin way of fishing....

 

Sadly, this is the only time I drift. Maybe I need to do this more ofter.

 

Sherriff

[bassjnkie]

Thanks to everyone that replied. I can really see it's not a lost art. I will give it a try again next time out.

 

Thanks

Daniel

[anders]

I dont drift at all with them....i troll with them. I dont have a trolling motor either, just troll back in forth and do really well even when the bite is tough. If i do drift its bouncing bottom with a jig head.

[Ramble]

I have only drifted worm harnessess a handful of times. Usually harnesses get trolled when i have seen them being used. HOWEVER i love drifting. Better then having the motor puttering in your ear. Even in the canoe we do a drift ...of a sort.

 

Drifting is far from lost.

 

-R-

[LeXXington]

Still my best prefer method.. Like the others said., Electric is only for control when your drifting too close to others or the wind is just not strong enough to spin the blades I crank up to the lowest setting and away I go.

[gdelongchamp]

Drifting and jigging are the best way to catch walleye. Pick your shoreline, and when you get that jig down to the bottom and work it along the floor of the lake bouncing over rocks, etc. your mind then becomes at one with your rod, jig, and Larry somewhere down there sitting near bottom. And gullets sure work nice.