side drifting

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This is aimed at header69 but anyone with knowledge please jump in. We don't have big enough water as a rule to do it so I'm going on reading about it. If I am right when side drifting baits are tossed upstream at about 45 degrees and the boat is lowered at the speed of the river or a bit slower. Doesn't this bring the line past the fish with the bait trailing and if so has anyone out there tried running a CP in front of the boat so as to present the bait first? Seems to me it would be a killer and lessen down time due to snags.
If it worked maybe you could become famous.

Look I just noticed I'm a Jack or did you just forget to add the @$$ to it?

[gman2153]

Being a member of Salmon Crazy the a$$ is a given for all of us,, Jack.....LOL

I am interested to see what the drift boaters have to chime in about your comments...

[Steelheader69]

Actually, if you're doing it correctly, the boat speed being pulled a little slower then river speed will keep your bait out in front of the line. Very similar to backbouncing, just on the move (well, some people backbounce on the move as well). It is a VERY deadly technique. Similar to boondogging. You get 4 guys sidedrifting in a driftboat and it's VERY rare to not have a hookup, unless there are no fish at all in the river. And yes, you can do it in small rivers. We fish this way on one of my favorite rivers, and it's pretty small.

But with the technique, you want just enough weight to keep ticking along the bottom, but not so much it's hanging up. Boondogging is mostly is done in a jet boat, or a driftboat under power, and the boat is facing upstream with the anglers facing downstream. The boat is backed down under same circumstances. Under this techinque, the one controlling the boat can even fish (since they only need one hand on the motor). The rower can on sidedrifting, but they'll have to have the rod in a rod holder (or between their knees) alot. Plus with sidedrifting, the driftboat usually is floating sideways, or at an angle towards shore. Just with boondogging, it's extremely light weights, where they barely, if ever, touch the bottom. More of a free drifting situation. The Loomis 1141 is a prefered boondogging stick.

The bait used is up to you. Whatever works. We use Rags alot, and corkie/yarn setups. Then of course small baits of eggs/sandshrimp.

If you guys want a good technique, and river is big enough, do what they call the "Wall of Death" pulling plugs. It's two driftboats side by side with 3-4 plug rods out working a slot. Awesome way to hookup, and great if you have what we in the NW call a "cracker" up front. (cracker isn't a bad term racially up here, it's a term for those who crack off fish left and right and never get a fish on). So you have 6-8 plugs walking down a slot at the same time side by side (have to have all the lines out at same distance). Is a great way if you're fishing with a buddy in his driftboat.

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By too small I meant more that we have to share our water with more people. On the SR I'm sure that the schoolhouse, trestle, steel bridge, and sportsmen's could all be fished that way, but some bankies might "accidently" cross a few lines if a boat spent much time pulling oars to slow down and fish a hole they've been in for hours.

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Oh ya I almost forgot to say thanks for answering my question. I could of just edited the other post but I'm trying to catch Happy.

[Steelheader69]

Oh, gotcha. Yeah, you have to find the slots where it's more remote (if you have any lol). I know it can get pretty crowded. Why we use these stretches on rivers that are a bit more remote (which most of our rivers have at least a few sections that bankies have a hard time getting to).

[gottum]

We've put 4 boats side by each through some of the bigger holes here on the SR- running 5 rods per boat. It will push the fish around for sure. Usually puts a few in the boats as well.
I've done a fair bit of side drifting in the SR- better down through the mid-lower river- less shore anglers to PO.
Bottum fishing and side drifting in the SR is tough-very snaggy.
I've had a few very lucky guys take fish just dangling fly or sac in front of the boat- mostly drop back starving spawned out pigs- swallow it down deep to, by the time we landed them they were bleeding out the gills.
Throwing bobbers ahead of the boat and setting the pace with the boat can work well- better in Fall and Spring when fish are more aggressive due to water temps.
In the winter it pays to fish slower and work the deepest spots for some time.
In April/May chucking spoons or spinners as we drift works-
But plugging is by far the most effective way to produce.

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What I was thinking about was how the pin action might work out on some of the big NW rivers. You know where a days drift might be 7-12 miles and covering water was key. Places where you might drift miles without a bite then drop in on the motherlode. Searching was key when I was out there. When you found them you would pull over set up and pound on them till they quit and I was wondering how the pin would work for the searching.

[Steelheader69]

Hmmmmm, not sure about the pin, depends on what you mean by "searching" with the pin. I know we have quite a few proven techniques we use in different slots. Just depends on the time of year and species being fished. We do use everything from floats, sideplaners, and driftgear from the bank. Pins still haven't caught on in the US NW. They use them alot in BC, but for some reason they just aren't used in OR/WA/ID for steelhead.