You may be under the impression that Drift Control drift socks are tools designed exclusively for the lake angler. If so, you may be surprised to learn that I carry Drift Control drift socks on every trip I make to the Mississippi River. There are two specific river presentations for which Drift Control drift socks are particularly important boat control tools: dragging jigs downstream in the presence of a downstream wind, and anchoring for precision casting in the presence of an upstream wind. Drift Control drift socks will help you manage these two tricky boat control situations, and in doing so, will put more fish in your boat.
Dragging jigs is a particularly effective presentation during times of seasonally low flows. In the summer, this period often begins in late May-early June, and continues on into August. During the cold water period, jig dragging often commences in earnest in late November, and remains effective until the spring thaw causes river flows to increase dramatically. One of the standard jig dragging presentations is the downstream drag, in which the angler points the boat downstream and uses a Minn Kota bowmount trolling motor to pull the boat downstream, just faster than the current speed. In summer, this downstream speed is often 0.9-1.4 mph, while in winter, this speed is normally slower, in the 0.5-0.9 mph range. It is critical that the angler manage boat speed while dragging downstream, in order to keep the dragged jigs in the strike zone, just inches off the bottom. If the boat is moving too fast, the jig will soar over the heads of bottom-relating walleye and sauger; too slow, and the jig bangs into the bottom constantly, and will eventually be lost to a snag. Consider now the common circumstance of dragging downstream in the presence of a downstream wind. Anything more than a gentle downstream breeze will cause the boat to move too fast, lifting the jigs out of the strike zone. This is where Drift Control drift socks can help you regain control of your boat. Rather than orient the bow of the boat directly downstream, turn the boat so it is perpendicular to the current/wind. Now, deploy a pair of Drift Control drift socks on the upstream side of the boat: one near the bow and one near the stern. When the bags open and fill with water, they will act as a “brake” to offset the extra boat speed generated by the wind. This is effectively the same use that Drift Control drift socks see in a live-bait rigging situation on a wind driven lake. It doesn’t matter that the water is moving in a river; the Drift Control drift socks will prevent the wind from pushing you downstream too fast, and will help keep your dragged jigs in the strike zone. It is best to deploy a pair of Drift Control drift socks rather than just one, so that your boat remains perpendicular to the current/wind, rather than spinning around a pivot point that would be provided by a single Drift Control sock.
Dragging jigs is a particularly effective presentation during times of seasonally low flows. In the summer, this period often begins in late May-early June, and continues on into August. During the cold water period, jig dragging often commences in earnest in late November, and remains effective until the spring thaw causes river flows to increase dramatically. One of the standard jig dragging presentations is the downstream drag, in which the angler points the boat downstream and uses a Minn Kota bowmount trolling motor to pull the boat downstream, just faster than the current speed. In summer, this downstream speed is often 0.9-1.4 mph, while in winter, this speed is normally slower, in the 0.5-0.9 mph range. It is critical that the angler manage boat speed while dragging downstream, in order to keep the dragged jigs in the strike zone, just inches off the bottom. If the boat is moving too fast, the jig will soar over the heads of bottom-relating walleye and sauger; too slow, and the jig bangs into the bottom constantly, and will eventually be lost to a snag. Consider now the common circumstance of dragging downstream in the presence of a downstream wind. Anything more than a gentle downstream breeze will cause the boat to move too fast, lifting the jigs out of the strike zone. This is where Drift Control drift socks can help you regain control of your boat. Rather than orient the bow of the boat directly downstream, turn the boat so it is perpendicular to the current/wind. Now, deploy a pair of Drift Control drift socks on the upstream side of the boat: one near the bow and one near the stern. When the bags open and fill with water, they will act as a “brake” to offset the extra boat speed generated by the wind. This is effectively the same use that Drift Control drift socks see in a live-bait rigging situation on a wind driven lake. It doesn’t matter that the water is moving in a river; the Drift Control drift socks will prevent the wind from pushing you downstream too fast, and will help keep your dragged jigs in the strike zone. It is best to deploy a pair of Drift Control drift socks rather than just one, so that your boat remains perpendicular to the current/wind, rather than spinning around a pivot point that would be provided by a single Drift Control sock.
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