Dragging a chain

[crappiefarmer]

Got some questions about doing this. Do you have to keep readjusting as you have depth changes? Has anyone noticed the chain dragging on the bottom spooking the fish? Do you run the chain farther behind the boat in shallower water say 5' vs 10 or 15'? will the chain hang up in brushpiles? How about damage to brushpiles? In other words, do I need to stay away from my brushpiles doing this? I have an old 86 stratos bass boat and it is fairly heavy. What size chain and how long of a piece do I need to use for a heavier boat? sorry about the load of questions! Need alot of answers. Very interested in trying this. Thanks. CF

[ThrillSeeker]

I've never heard of this technique before. What's the chain for?

[prchjerker]

Dragging a log chain slows the drift of a boat in the wind.Usually you drag from the back of the boat and fish from the front going with the wind.The more rope you let out the more links there are dragging bottom.The reason you use chain instead of an anchor is its harder to get hung up.
This is a old method thats been used down south for awhile.A better form of drift or speed control and its not as messy would be to use a driftsock or to and you can accomplish the same thing.

[Crappie Chatt]

crappiefarmer, I have been using a chain for years and this is what I use. 10ft of 1/2 in chain with 50ft of rope. I store it in a 5gal bucket with rags in the bottom soaked in WD 40. I have a cleat next to the motor as close to center as possible to tie the rope to. Let out enough to slow you down to the speed you want to go with just a little help from the trolling motor. The lenght you let out depends on the depth, wind, and speed. It will hang-up at times but a jerk and it frees its self,,,even in rocks. Piles, it drangs thru easily. I ALWAYS run it behind the boat so I've already fished the areas it has dragged thru. You'll be amazed, as I was, how well this works.. It's pretty cool, trolling with the wind, when others are struggling against the wind. As you use it you'll get better of how much chain to drag. I would, to start out, let out enough to almost stop the boat, then pull some rope in to adjust the speed. Hope this helps ya! <*)}}}><

[stumpbumpers]

edited, cause I double posted

[Mississippi Slab]

If it weren't for chains I couldn't have fished yesterday. The wind was blowing 15+ mph and the few boats out there were struggling hard to go into that cold North wind but I was sippin on coffee and had the wind at my back. I didn't see another boat catch a fish and I caught 12. One guy finally came up to me and asked how I was doing it and I said dragging a chain. I think he thought I was a nut. As far as them messing up your spot. I'm sure you would mess up a brush pile but in open water like I was in yesterday I would get to a spot turn around motor up to where I started and start again never taking the chain out of the water. Thats why they couldn't understand how I was doing it. The advice given is dead on!

[stumpbumpers]

We have used them too. My theory is that the fish face into the wind. When we would troll into the (same way the fish are facing) the bite was slack. When we put the chains out and drift back over the same are we the bite was better. When white perch fishing in choppy water I almost never catch fish with out going with the wind. I have used the chains off the back, but prefer them off the sides for more coverage and better control(for me). I put one off the front one off the back and I adjust them until I get the boat like I want it. Then all I have to do is bump the tm ever now and then to liner up. We'll try it sometime.

[ceb]

Most people (when fishing from the front of the boat) wrap the rope around the motor and tie it off up closer to you in the front of the boat. If you start going too fast, just let out a little bit more line. The chain will not spook fish, but this technique is usually used for spider riggin, so the baits have already come thru the column of water a while before the chain makes it (because it is draggin a pretty good distance behind the boat). The chain usually will not hang-up. This technique is used on a lot of southern oxbows simply because of all of the stumps and brush piles. It may break a few twigs off, but it wont do any major harm to the brushpile. If the boat is fiberglass, it probably sits low enough in the water that the 10' of chain will work. Be sure to bring a 5-gallon bucket along because the chain can get fairly muddy.

[whizkids]

The advice on a chain is spot on. It can be done for long lining as well. Basically pull the chain and go the speed you wish. Straight out the back and put the inside rods over one spot. If you are in 15 ft of water I don't believe it spooks crappie. In fact in open water it may attract them with the disturbance as they come to investigate.

[fishingpox]

ut oh