Question for those more expierienced trollers. If you are going to (forward) troll and you plan to use a drift sock to slow your main motor down (no kicker) do you attach it at the front and let the boat run over it? Or do you have to run it in the back of the boat?
I have two smaller socks I run off the front. I have cleats that are part way back on each side of the boat. First, it slows me way down. Second, with the socks up front you can turn on a dime! You can follow a break as well as you can back trolling, it’s really pretty cool.
Rootski
Run it on the front. With the motor and fishing lines going out the back you have plenty back there all ready.
You can also try dropping the front trolling motor to create drag. Ill even turn my on and run it against the main motor. You can really fine tune speed this way. Using the bow mount lets me have better boat control when turning than a bag would.
James and I also filmed a TV show on trolling with drift socks that has some great info. / tips in it.
You can view it here:
I use a single 36″ sock with the float line removed so it’s very short. Then clip it right to the bow eye. Works going forward or back trolling.
I have a couple of socks rigged up using this method. Works pretty good.
http://www.lindyfishingtackle.com/tips.aspx?id=wavetamerdriftsocks
I use to use a drift sock wile trolling but now I added a trolling plate and that thing really slowed me down.
Turning is a bit harder to do as I cannot turn quite as sharp but it sure slowed me down.
Might be another option for you.
Don’t forget about the homemade remedies. In the past I’ve made socks out of five gallon buckets, rope, and a swivel and drag it off the back of the boat. It’s not pretty, but it will slow you down the .5 mph….sometimes that’s all you need.
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I have a couple of socks rigged up using this method. Works pretty good.
http://www.lindyfishingtackle.com/tips.aspx?id=wavetamerdriftsocks
+1 on the 2 bag rig. I’ve used it backtrolling .5mph as well on days on Mille Lacs when only a main motor in back could be used to control a boat. Works phenomenal going forward as well. Slightly more work, but well worth the efforts on certain days.
Thanks guys, I might do a little trolling this weekend and if there is any wind my bow mount is just about useless so I bought the sock about 2 months ago to try that with the main motor and haven’t been out much since then to try it. With any luck there will be a 24v power drive or terrova on the bow next year (cable driven motor up there now) so I’ll try out the trolling motor in reverse idea also then. (As my fishing partner is usually my wife I don’t think I’d be able to get her to try and ‘steer’ the trolling motor while I drive, or vice versa, making that idea a bit harder with the current trolling motor)
Trimming the motor isn’t a very good option right now as I don’t have Power trim and the assist cylinder has seen better days so I try to ‘lock’ it as little as possible (it likes to seaze up wherever I lock it-replacing the cable didn’t help either). I’m hoping to find a deal on a bigger motor with power trim in the future (or just a bigger boat but my wife isn’t keen on that idea 
) so I’m trying to make due while throwing as little money at this motor as possible in the event anything I buy (like a trolling plate) isn’t compatible with any other motor I might buy.
If your boat is a tiller and you can’t lock the motor straight, you can use a ratchet strap to lock the tiller handle. Then steer with your bow mount. The wife won’t have to do a thing.
I ran a sock this week on Mille Lac’s. My 115 H.O. E-TEC would only get me down to 2mph, with the sock I could get down to 1.4mph. I ran it on the front left cleat. The only thing I had to worry about was the dump cord which I had to tie shorter to avoid the prop.
My question is….Can I get my E-TEC RPM’s adjusted to run slower with out a sock?? My buddy’s 40 E-TEC has a little button right on it to control RPM’s, why didn’t they put that on the bigger motors?? 
Couple comments on the double trolling bag rig and thats what I use. Get it all set up in the garage on the trailer and then its as easy as looping it on one cleat and walking it around the bow and tying off to the other when on the water. No big deal.
You’ll find with a single bigger bag under the boat that your steering will go to crap. The boat basically pivots on top of the bag and it happens quick.
There are other ways to slow you down as well but I like to slow my boat slower than I need to go, so I can still kick it in and out of gear to adjust speed. You get a bit quicker stall this way.
Check out Amish Outfitters for trolling bags.
For my boat running against the trolling motor the trolling motor is usually set somewhere between 2 and 4. In my case it doesnt take a lot of push to slow the boat down just a few tenths of a mile per hour. Keep in mind that if you kick the main motor out of gear to fight fish you may want to hit the trolling motor to so you dont end up getting pushed backwards.
While trolling this way I do not steer with the bow mount either. It is just pushing straight back towards the main motor all the time. This is on a Minnkota power drive. Have had one guy tell me he wasnt able to do this with a cable drive due to the motor wanting to turn all the time.
Anyone ever get their bags in the prop yet? Had it happen a couple of times in my boat. My dad was trying to help out the one time and thought the rope for the bag was hung up so he loosed it up to get the rest of the line out. Cant remember how it happened the other time. Both where night trolling on mille lacs. Not the best place to be trying to pull a bag out of your prop.
I know this is an old post.
You can add a drift sock to the boat cleats without any worry of stressing or damaging the cleats?
I would says it depends on the boat and how the cleats are anchored. My Alumacraft has the wide gunnels where the cleats are thru bolted. I’ve had no issues running the Amish trolling bags on each side.
I use my cleats on a newer Lund for drift sock, took off with it still in the water and the cleat is still there.
I use 1 or 2 buckets tied off the front cleats, works very well, when not in use, good for storing things, pee bucket, dogs water dish. Cheap, I use the smaller 3.5 gallon gallon size
I have an Alumacraft too and it has bolts that go all the way through.
For my boat running against the trolling motor the trolling motor is usually set somewhere between 2 and 4. In my case it doesnt take a lot of push to slow the boat down just a few tenths of a mile per hour. Keep in mind that if you kick the main motor out of gear to fight fish you may want to hit the trolling motor to so you dont end up getting pushed backwards.
While trolling this way I do not steer with the bow mount either. It is just pushing straight back towards the main motor all the time. This is on a Minnkota power drive. Have had one guy tell me he wasnt able to do this with a cable drive due to the motor wanting to turn all the time.
Anyone ever get their bags in the prop yet? Had it happen a couple of times in my boat. My dad was trying to help out the one time and thought the rope for the bag was hung up so he loosed it up to get the rest of the line out. Cant remember how it happened the other time. Both where night trolling on mille lacs. Not the best place to be trying to pull a bag out of your prop.
Did your bag or outboard get damaged?
I use 1 or 2 buckets tied off the front cleats, works very well, when not in use, good for storing things, pee bucket, dogs water dish. Cheap, I use the smaller 3.5 gallon gallon size
Do you tie to the handle and they don’t break off or do you cut holes and put the rope thru?
semper Fi, remove handle, drill 2 holes, make a yoke of sorts, then your longer rope,
http://www.idofishing.com/forum/showflat.php/Number/668537/fpart/1/trolling-with-a-drift-sock
Semper Fi, too you too.
I can’t remove my cleats, need them to tie to the dock.
semper Fi, remove handle, drill 2 holes, make a yoke of sorts, then your longer rope,
I meant do you tie right to the handle of the bucket or do you dril a hole and run the rope through the hole in the bucket?
How many MPH do you think you can slow your boat down with the buckets?
usmarine0352 from my read of shefland’s comment he removes the bucket handle and makes a rope harness to tie thru two new holes in the bucket to the cleat on the boat. I haven’t used a bucket before so I cant comment on its effectiveness and I am sure it depends on boat and motor combination. I first use my bow mount and then I use a small drift sock and have never had to look for other options.
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