Taney Drifting Trick

[Phil Lilley]

Figured out a little trick to getting to the bottom quickly and staying there longer.

Drop your line straight down in the water off the boat and give it a bunch of slack- about 15 feet's worth. Your weight will make contact with the bottom pretty quickly and stay there longer.

If you throw it out, the current and swirling motion of the current tends to hold the line up and doesn't let your weight stay in contact with the bottom UNLESS you use a TON of weight.

Once your rig drifts upstream a ways and you start losing contact with the bottom, reel it in and drop it down again.

It worked for me the other day and it would work for you too.

[FishinCricket]

Welcome to the underappreciated world of physics...

I wonder, you think this works on other bodies of water too? :silly_wink:

[Rolan Duffield]

If you cast the lure slightly downstream in heavy current, it will go to the bottom quickly. This technique doesn't require a lot of weight to get it down. Note: You're fishing a tight line (no float) watching the bow in the line for a strike.

If you balance the weight correctly to the speed of the current, the lure should remain slightly downstream and travel somewhat near the speed of the boat, keeping the lure below the weight and the leader.

I agree that short casts are more effective than long casts as the line isn't as affected by drag of the current and it's easier to detect a strike.

Rolan

[fish]

Rookies.

Been doing this since in the '70's. I usually make a short cast about 45 degrees to the side of the boat and let her sink till I'm making contact w/ the bottom and then 1 or 2 cranks up till I'm just ticking the bottom up or down as needed. Works for me.

[Gatorjet]

I also keep my boat parallel to the flow with the bow up stream. I use the trolling motor to slow the boat slightly in order to maintain my rig, or jig on the bottom. Works great by myself, or with one other fisherman in the boat. We each can work off opposite sides of the boat. You can vary your speed with the changes in the lake depth to keep your baits on the bottom. I just have to keep the boat in the areas that produce fish.