Thread: jig drifting

I don't know how many of you guys already do this, but I just thought I would post that we had a lot of success drifting jigs last weekend over at Wabaunsee. I tied up tandem jigs on all the poles, about 12-18" apart. On the bottom was 1/8 oz, and the top was 1/16. I used the trolling motor to slowly pull us across 10-14 FOW. I'm not saying it's the best thing since sliced bread, but it was pretty effective at putting fish in the boat.

Sunday morning I had 7 people fishing out of my 18' boat, and only 1 tangled line all morning. Only my wife and I were experienced fishers, the others were newbies and once-a-year types. Most of them couldn't cast, so they just dropped the jigs straight to the bottom and then engaged the bail. Then the thrust of the trolling motor was enough to lift the rig off the bottom and keep it in the strike zone.

Everybody managed to catch at least three or four crappies in an hour and a half of fishing, and my youngest niece caught one that was pushing 13". I don't think we ever went 5 minutes without somebody putting a fish in the boat. Grandma and grandpa (inlaws) took about a thousand pictures and said they never knew fishing was so... EASY! I didn't keep a count, but I would guess we C&Red around 50. Most of them were 8" Wabaunsee specials. The kids didn't care one bit, and couldn't wait to brag to their parents when we got back.:D

When we returned to the dock, the older niece, probably 9 years old, asked if she could keep her fishing pole to fish off the dock. Now THERE'S a good kid for you!

Great job. Sounds like a lot of fun!

Down South, those boys call that,,,longline trolling. Good job!!! <*)}}}><

You made out better then I did. Every time I try and take out a few folks that don't get to fish the fish don"t cooperate and Saturday was no different. 3 days prior I was catching 100 + crappie and on Saturday I may have caught 4 in several hours. Bummer

Bummer HV. Saturday was like that for us too. I had found some good biters that had been in the same spot for two days. I even caught them earlier that morning on jigs. I went back to the cabin and rigged up five rods (2 extra so I don't have to re-rig during a HOT bite.) with slip bobbers, weights, and hooks for minnows. I figured I would take the three youngest kids out and get them on fish... So I load up three joyful, excited, little girls and head for the bait shop.... NO MINNOWS!!! I bought a dozen nightcrawlers, figuring you can ALWAYS catch SOMETHING on worms, right??? WRONG!!! Even the bluegills shut us down! Long story short, we were tubing an hour later.

I had to figure out something for Sunday, and I was praying it would work to drift with that many people. I re-rigged all the crappie poles I had figuring I would go for broke... Luckily, it worked like a charm.

I hope the pattern still holds out for me. More of my wife's family is coming this weekend, and they aren't fishers either. They have little kids also, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that everything works out.

Anybody know of other ways to catch 'em when you've got 7 people in a boat with limited casting ability? I would be very interested in knowing in case last weekend's method fails me. Is there a good minnow rig to use if I can actually get 'em? Thanks all.

sounds like chatts way of fishing , and might i add HE CATCHES ALOT OF FISH !! SEEN HIM DO IT AND SCHOOLED ME ON IT TOO !!