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.
Anchoring and precision casting is a highly effective year-round presentation for river walleye and sauger. Whether targeting the edge of a sand flat for pre-spawn piggies, a deep hole in a river bend for sumo sauger, or a wing dam for a summer mixed bag bonanza of walleye, smallmouth, white bass, or whatever else the river will offer, “throwing the hook” is something that all river anglers must be comfortable with in order to maximize their catch rates. Most river anglers will anchor off the bow of their boats, even with or above their casting target.
In a calm day or in the presence of a downstream wind, the boat will normally maintain its position relative to the casting target. However, in an upstream wind, the wind will catch the stern of the boat and cause the boat to pivot around the anchor line, moving the boat away from the casting target. Even a gentle upstream wind will cause the boat to swing side-to-side, changing casting angles, causing snags, and generally making the angler’s bait presentation less effective. This is another situation where a Drift Control drift sock can help you regain control of your boat. When anchoring, the use of the Drift Control drift sock is quite simple: anchor off the bow of the boat as you would normally, and then deploy a single Drift Control drift sock off the stern of the boat. The sock will fill with water moving downstream, and will help to anchor the stern in position even in the face of a stiff upstream breeze. With the boat remaining in position, your casting angles won’t change, you’ll experience fewer snags and tangles, and your presentations will remain as effective as possible. The result: more fish in your boat, because you have regained control of your boat with a Drift Control drift sock.
