First Time Drift Fishing, Advise?

[Camalama]

My buddies and I try to get up to Mark Twain every spring in an effort to hit the spawn. Unfortunately, we never really hit it. One year we did find them shallow for one day. With none of us being dedicated crappie fisherman (or any one species) we have problems moving away from what we have done well with in the past. Currently, if not on the bank, I dip trees. It's hit or miss. I've done great, and I've been skunked. So in an effort to mitigate this problem, and add another option to my arsenal, I built a drift system for the front and back of my boat. We did it on the cheap as I couldn't afford $350 each for the Driftmaster system. I've never drift fished before, or at least not this way. I know you just want to inch along, lines at various depths, just over the trees. We have good sonar systems (Humminbirds in front and back, with the side imaging at the helm). I've heard to look for the trees at the edges of channel swings where they may congregate if not on the banks. I've read a lot of the different posts on here and I'm looking forward to trying the new system. I still need to check to make sure there are no restrictions to this at Mark Twain.

Here are a few pictures of the drift system we built. We only have 7 rod holders right now as they came off an old system we use to have for tight lining. It is setup for 8 rods front and 8 rods in the back.

Thanks for any advice, tidbits, things to look for, etc.

Cameron

[Mark Twains Crappie Dan]

Good Luck.

[south point]

your set-up is perfectly legal up at twain. but, like anywhere in missouri, if you fish with more that 3 poles per person, they have to me labeled with your name and address or your conservation number. then it falls under the trotline laws. label em and you can fish with however many you think you can handle, up to 33 hooks.
on my boat, I have driftmmasters front and rear, but also along the sides. I like to creep along side of the structure and use my trolling motor to get each rod tip as close as I can. sometimes each rod gets hit as I pass by. I also dont just slow troll anywhere there are some trees. I want a good sharp bluff with some trees along the edge then another drop right into a channel. then I weave in and out of the trees real slow. slow enough so a 1/8 oz jig is mostly straight down. I work my jigs right along the bluff, I get lots of good fish from under-cut bluffs. also, I have noticed days where the fish really stack up on the channel edge, my point is, keep changing it up till you find a pattern.
good luck!

[Camalama]

Thanks for the info South Point. I knew about the labeling of the rods from cat fishing on the Mississippi. Good reminder though, no one ever talks about that. I've got a couple of bluffs similar to the scenario you described, in mind. I hope we can find them on the banks and can just flip the 12 footers in on them. Ive only limited out on that lake once and there were no real slabs, only 10" fish. Im hoping for a slab this year.

Thanks again for the information.

Cameron

[beagle man]

south point gave good advise sounds like fishing stockton to me, I look for long points, or a big rise off the points, I slow troll bluffs a lot and really like them, I use a double jig set up most of the time 4 jigs all different colors and different depths, I let the locator tell me how deep I think I want to start. one thing I have learned, the crappie do not always want the jig straight down, sometimes the bite is better on a lighter jig that is pulling back a bit, will have a heavy jig on one side and light on the other, and they will smack the lighter jig, some days they want it straight down and nothing esle, go slow ziz zag a bit, look for long sloping banks and stay in 12 to 20 ft.of water.

[coreymassey]

Sorry I dont have any more info to add just wanted to say your rod holder look sweet, awesome job

[Camalama]

Thanks for that info Beagle. I'll try the heavier stuff on one side and lighter on the other.

Thanks for the props on the holders Corey.