Drift socks

I’m looking into buying a drift sock….just wondering who has used them and if they work as well as advertised? What conditions have you used them under and in high winds like last Saturday would they of helped control drift to a managble speed for casting jigs etc…..? Do they work well with a trolling motor if drifting a bank and want to go with the wind and use the bow mount just for control? What types are worth buying?
Thanks in advance!

Definitely a must on many bigger lakes and reservoirs when a good walleye “chop” is on.
I run a 1750 Crestliner with a 115Yammy, 8hp kicker and the works. I got a med sized sock from Cabelas and it works great. I used it alot last season on LBDN (Green Bay).
Some guys also carry a small/med extra for real windy conditions, or to drift even slower.

They really aren’t what you want to use on a river……

But for lake fishing, lindy rigging on a reef with good winds………….can’t be beat!!!!

I would recommend buying one size up from the recommended size. Example, if your boat is an 18′, buy a sock for a 20′. You can never have “too much”.

Even if you are only running a light 16′ boat………..The drift sock will slow you down.

It is also great for trolling cranks or bottom bouncers/spinners, as you can really control your speed.

Drift socks work incredibly well. I fished on Lake Sakakawea and Lake Oahe for 15 years and they were critical on those wind blown waters. I have spent hundred and hundreds of hours using one. I’ve fished with them in 30 MPH winds in 6 foot swells.

The kind I have was made by a small company and I don’t know who they are anymore. I doubt if they would be available out of the Missouri River area anyway.

I used them to drift huge flats miles long while fishing with spinners. If you fish shoreline structure you keep the electric down to make minor correction with the bow pointed toward open water.

My recomendation is to get one sized for the size of the boat you own. A good one will cost a few bucks. You’ll need enough rope so that the bag just misses your big motor when you stretch it out under the boat. You don’t want it catching in the prop should you need extra power to get of a jam. You attach the bag to the front most cleat (not the boweye) and you’ll get the drift that keeps the boat the most perpendicular to the shore.

If you are casting I would imagine that you’d keep the bow toward the shore but you will need to back with the electric and that can be fun. It takes power and skill.

Like any form of boat control to fully appreciate their usage one needs to practice with them.

If I had to state a brand I go with Drift Control. They are made of blue nylon fabric.

I use mine in the river all the time.
I have a 75 tiller, when I handline or 3-way I use a drift sock. It works great, I can go any speed it lets me do anything with a 75hp.

I have 2 Wave Tamers in my boat at all times. I’ve tried a bunch, but like them the best as they deploy the easiest.

I’ll let ya in on a little tip. If you buy a drift sock that doesn’t have a float or bouy in it, I would HIGHLY recomend putting one on. This comes from watching my buddie lose 2 of mine in one day on Mille Lacs , which is No fun in 4 footers. Trust me, all of mine now have floats for easy retrieval.

I have two in my boat and use them often. Besides using them along with the trolling motor to control a drift, I use one to slow down when running the kicker. The Drift Control models do a fine job.

I would also have to reccomend the Drift Control Brand they are very durable and very good priced and also already have the buoy on the rope.
hope this helps

I would suggest using two small socks. You can run them inline from one cleat on your boat to the other. This keeps the socks under the boat so they are out of the way and also gives you excellent control.

Gator Hunter

Gator…Would tube socks work?

Ouch!!! I hurt myself when I fell of my chair laughing.

Drift Controll is the way to go. Great products.
Thanks, Bill

Quote:

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Gator…Would tube socks work?

Ouch!!! I hurt myself when I fell of my chair laughing.

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That one also hurt me when I read it. LOL

Gator Hunter

I’ve used the Drift Control as well as Wave Tamer with my 18 ft Lund out on Little Bay de Noc. Rather than drift with 2 socks I want to use just one especially if 3 are in the boat. with 3 guys with 2 lines = 6 lines. Boat control is a must! The DC sock was a medium size and didn’t slow the boat down enough. I bought the large Wave Tamer( 55″ or 60″ ) to use out on LBDN. It has a large float rim along the top, that allows it to open up every time with never any issue. I like fishing with just the one attached to the center, for ease of boat control and quick pick-ups on relative short drift runs. With one large one, I use the front trolling motor to adjust the drift and the boat. I personally like the Wave Tamer, primarily because it’s the larger of the 2 I own, the large float rim on the top edge and besides it almost looks like Jaws coming through the water. Coffee

I assume a drift sock is the same thing as a sea anchor. A big funnel-shaped cloth thing that hangs in the water with a small hole at the back. I’ve used them for years on the Laguna Madre for drift fishing. If I ever forgot my sea anchors I’d use a couple of buckets – didn’t work as well, but it helped. One tip – tie a smaller rope to the back of the funnel and tie the other end of the smaller rope to the loop where you tie the sea anchor onto the main rope. That way you can lift the thing from the back end. You’d think that you could lift the durn thing and all the water would run out the little hole at the back, but that is a whale of a lot harder than it sounds. Hard to explain, but you’ll see what I mean immediately when you try to get the thing out of the water.

Drift Control Sea Anchor