waso Posted April 24, 2012 Report Share Posted April 24, 2012 Hi All, New to the site and looking forward to learning from everyone and hopefully returning the favour! I have a new boat on order with a 150 mercury 4 stroke. I like to troll for all kinds of species however at this time can't afford a kicker, so my next best option to slow down will be trolling bags/drift socks. Can anybody in a similar situation let me know what size and make of bags they have had success with? I am thinking 2 x 30" off the bow cleats. Cheers, Rich Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kickingfrog Posted April 24, 2012 Report Share Posted April 24, 2012 Yep 2 off the bow is how a lot of people do it. Some use big buckets. It has been discussed here before, a quick search turn this up. http://ontariofishingcommunity.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=60930&hl=drift%20soxes,%20drift%20socks&st=0 There should be others as well. Good luck and welcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roy Posted April 24, 2012 Report Share Posted April 24, 2012 And welcome aboard! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waso Posted April 24, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 24, 2012 And welcome aboard! Thanks Guys! A little more about myself............Home base for fishing is the Honey harbour area of Gbay, rent a cottage seasonally there, musky and pike being my favorite species to target. But happily will go after anything! Currently fish out of a 16ft starcraft with a 90 suzuki, but should be in a 18.5ft superfisherman with a 150 merc in a couple weeks, if the deal doesn't get botched by dealer, almost did once(long story for another time). Also fish lake O as i live close by. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyb Posted April 24, 2012 Report Share Posted April 24, 2012 Thanks Guys! A little more about myself............Home base for fishing is the Honey harbour area of Gbay, rent a cottage seasonally there, musky and pike being my favorite species to target. But happily will go after anything! Currently fish out of a 16ft starcraft with a 90 suzuki, but should be in a 18.5ft superfisherman with a 150 merc in a couple weeks, if the deal doesn't get botched by dealer, almost did once(long story for another time). Also fish lake O as i live close by. Cheers Welcome, and I would suggest going the next size up than you think you need, it helps in gusty situations. These are the only brand I'd consider, very high quality and better priced than the top name brand. I own 2 http://www.cabelas.com/product/Boating/Boating-Accessories/Drift-Socks-Marker-Buoys%7C/pc/104794380/c/104706180/sc/104308380/Cabelas-Advanced-Angler-Pro-Series-Drift-Socks/700074.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse.cmd%3FN%3D1100596%26WTz_l%3DSBC%253BBRprd738047&WTz_l=SBC%3BBRprd738047%3Bcat104308380 Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kickingfrog Posted April 24, 2012 Report Share Posted April 24, 2012 Came across this while browsing walleye articles. http://www.in-fisherman.com/2011/05/31/walleys-in-the-bag/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wormdunker Posted April 24, 2012 Report Share Posted April 24, 2012 Welcome to the board. I tie two 5 gal pails off the stern to slow us down. Works great & cheap! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waso Posted April 25, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 25, 2012 Came across this while browsing walleye articles. http://www.in-fisher...eys-in-the-bag/ Looks like we read the same web articles! I found a great one on Lindy,s about tying two bags under your boat, attaching to the bow cleats. I going to try that coupled with 2 x38" bags from cabela's. Unless of course something better comes up. Here is the article if anyone is interested: http://www.lindyfishingtackle.com/fishingresources/articles/fishingbaitandtackle/putasockinit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waso Posted April 25, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 25, 2012 Welcome to the board. I tie two 5 gal pails off the stern to slow us down. Works great & cheap! what size engine you are slowing down with that technique? Is it hard to pull them back in? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pigeontroller Posted April 25, 2012 Report Share Posted April 25, 2012 No need to go slow for Muskie, in fact just about everybody trolls to slow for them! I find two of those reuseable grocery bags work fine...$2 investment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waso Posted April 25, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 25, 2012 No need to go slow for Muskie, in fact just about everybody trolls to slow for them! I find two of those reuseable grocery bags work fine...$2 investment. Oh ya, I rip fast for musky! Thinking more for pickerel, lakers etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike rousseau Posted April 25, 2012 Report Share Posted April 25, 2012 Oh ya, I rip fast for musky! Thinking more for pickerel, lakers etc. i rip fast for pickerel... musky is a drag race... did you consider a trolling plate on your motor instead... it sucks pulling up drift socks in cold temps... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DRIFTER_016 Posted April 25, 2012 Report Share Posted April 25, 2012 Oh ya, I rip fast for musky! Thinking more for pickerel, lakers etc. I troll the same speed for lakers as I do for salmon. 2-2.5 mph When I trolled Lake Erie eyes they wanted 2.5-3.5 mph. Most eye trolling I did with my electric though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wormdunker Posted April 25, 2012 Report Share Posted April 25, 2012 RichD We're in a 16' fibreglass, 50 HP Suzuki. Put motor in neutral, easy to pull the pails in. Drifter We fish Erie for Walleye found 1.5 to 2 mph is what they want. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aplumma Posted April 25, 2012 Report Share Posted April 25, 2012 First off welcome aboard.... If you go with he drift sock you will find a tab at the base of the bag just tie a line to it along with the connection line. When you are want to retrieve the sock lift from the tail line and it will come in as easy as pie. Art Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waso Posted April 25, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 25, 2012 i rip fast for pickerel... musky is a drag race... did you consider a trolling plate on your motor instead... it sucks pulling up drift socks in cold temps... So how fast for pickerel? I am moving 4.5-6mph for muskies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waso Posted April 25, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 25, 2012 I troll the same speed for lakers as I do for salmon. 2-2.5 mph When I trolled Lake Erie eyes they wanted 2.5-3.5 mph. Most eye trolling I did with my electric though. Yep, those laker and salmon speeds are about what i've run with my 90hp. Not so fast for the walleyes. I just don't know how slow i will be able to get a 150hp, can it get down to 2mph, that's why the bags. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harrison Posted April 25, 2012 Report Share Posted April 25, 2012 (edited) A few guys here have grabbed the Lindy Drift Control socks off me, maybe they can give their opinions on them if they see this thread. I have used them and have no issues. Sold out of the 36" but have one 42" left. More coming this week.. http://www.etackle.ca/drift-socks/ Edited April 25, 2012 by Harrison Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waso Posted April 25, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 25, 2012 A few guys here have grabbed these socks off me, maybe they can give their opinions on them if they see this thread. I have used them and have no issues. Sold out of the 36" but have one 42" left. More coming this week.. http://www.etackle.c...-special-price/ Great thanks. price is good. Would want 2 x 36" so let me know when u have them. Guys any opinions on these particular ones, say vs. cabelas? or are they all the same? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DRIFTER_016 Posted April 25, 2012 Report Share Posted April 25, 2012 Yep, those laker and salmon speeds are about what i've run with my 90hp. Not so fast for the walleyes. I just don't know how slow i will be able to get a 150hp, can it get down to 2mph, that's why the bags. It might be tough to get it down to 2 mph but it depends on the boat really. My boat I can get down to 1.9 with an older 2 stroke 90 Merc. I am going to a 115 4 stroke in the next year or so and think I can still get it down to 2 mph due to the smoothness of the 4 strokes and the fact I will be able to electronically adjust trolling speed through Mercs smartcraft system. Yamahas also have the ability to electronically adjust trolling speeds but I'm not sure if the other manufacturers offer this option. You will probably be better off with a kicker motor if you are running a 150 I would think. If it were me I would try trolling with the 150 and if it won't troll down enough pick up a kicker for it. I plan to add a new kicker when i repower my boat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DRIFTER_016 Posted April 25, 2012 Report Share Posted April 25, 2012 Yep, those laker and salmon speeds are about what i've run with my 90hp. Not so fast for the walleyes. I just don't know how slow i will be able to get a 150hp, can it get down to 2mph, that's why the bags. In land walleyes I usually troll about 1.7-1.9 mph (usually trolling jigs or rigs). Always found that I did better with the faster speeds on Erie (this was trolling stick baits). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyb Posted April 25, 2012 Report Share Posted April 25, 2012 Great thanks. price is good. Would want 2 x 36" so let me know when u have them. Guys any opinions on these particular ones, say vs. cabelas? or are they all the same? No retrieval strap, and no weight and float system on the bag rim that self-rights in the water. On deploy you have to wait for the drift control sock to fill with water and catch properly, and on retrieve you are fighting the bag until you can get it close enough to lean over and grab the loop at the bottom of the bag. The Cabelas version has a weights/floats built in and a strap that allows you to retrieve the bag easily without fighting it. I think the higher-end Drift Control socks have the weight/float feature and perhaps a retrieval strap but the price jumps significantly. I went through the same decision making process a couple years ago when I bought my boat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waso Posted April 25, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 25, 2012 No retrieval strap, and no weight and float system on the bag rim that self-rights in the water. On deploy you have to wait for the drift control sock to fill with water and catch properly, and on retrieve you are fighting the bag until you can get it close enough to lean over and grab the loop at the bottom of the bag. The Cabelas version has a weights/floats built in and a strap that allows you to retrieve the bag easily without fighting it. I think the higher-end Drift Control socks have the weight/float feature and perhaps a retrieval strap but the price jumps significantly. I went through the same decision making process a couple years ago when I bought my boat Thanks, that's the kind of info I would have missed! Sometimes u have to pay a bit more to get the right set up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike rousseau Posted April 25, 2012 Report Share Posted April 25, 2012 (edited) So how fast for pickerel? I am moving 4.5-6mph for muskies. for pickerel...aka walleye... im running minimum 2mph against 2-3mph current... and some spots up to 3-3.5mph if the current is slower... mind you in late fall i slow down a lot... for musky... one of my best "evening" trips last year we boated 3 musky in an hour once we figured out how fast they wanted it...first fish was at 8mph gps speed going with the current... the next was 7mph against the current... then another at 8mph with the current...3 runs..3 musky... ive seen it where i get 3 runs in at a spot while another boat there only gets one... and the numbers of fish are about the same...lol ... Edited April 25, 2012 by Musky Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave524 Posted April 26, 2012 Report Share Posted April 26, 2012 (edited) Drifter We fish Erie for Walleye found 1.5 to 2 mph is what they want. This is one of the great mysteries of Lake Erie Walleyes If you fish out of Port Colborne, Point Abino, basically anywhere east of Port Maitland, worm harnesses and crankbaits at 1.5 to 2 mph is what they want. Move to anywhere west of Long Point and they get them on a spoon bite at 2.5 to 3 mph., the east end this result in washed spoons. My theory is seeing there are lots of bows at the west end and they need to pick up speed to get anything to eat. Rumour has it if you fish worm harnesses at the west end at 1.5 you will fill the boat with sheephead too Edited April 26, 2012 by dave524 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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