drift sock tied on the side of boat

[westsam]

you guys that use the drift sock do you tie them on the side of the boat or behind the boat? I spider rig and would like to purchase one but some of the diagrams i have been looking at show the sock tied on the side of the boat with the boat drifting sideways. the sock wont work if this is the case I use a 4ft large chain but will not do the job I would like.
thanks again for the good help

[Wiskers]

I tie mine to the stern.

[rango]

theres all kind of ways you can use em, depending on how you want the drift to go. it the wind is really blowing, ill put one or two off the bow. this will turn the bow into the wind and facing the waves. if i want the stern to go first and the wind aint blowing too hard, ill run em there or if i want a sideways drift, ill put one off off the bow and one off the stern. plus one in the middle if i need it to go slower.

[skeetbum]

I have another question while we're on the subject. Do you tie them to an anchor cleat, or to the more substantial bow and stern eyes?

[rango]

i dont have cleats on my boat. i mounted two half inch eye bolts on the back, one on each corner and two on the front, one on each side of the bow point and i clip em to the eye bolts. if i need one in the center, i clip it to a rod holder tbar. i have one mid ways on each side. i have a big brass snap on each sock which makes it lots easier to deploy em than it does trying to tie em off.

[Countryboy N.C.]

I hook mine to the cleats, works good for me.

[gabowman]

A little dumb here on drift socks....what happens to the socks when the wind dies down? Do they sink and hang up or float? How far away from the boat are they when drifting? How windy a days do you go fishing using the socks?

[rango]

i dont run em far from the boat, just over the side so when they sink as the wind lays, they dont go to the bottom. two of em has weights on one side and floats on the other, sewed into the seam. the other two has no weights or floats. when the wind gets up and the boat is drifting too fast for the weights to keep the bait where i want it, usually verticle or on the bottom, then i keep adding socks till the drift gets where i want it.. the most ive ever had to use at one time has been three. they will get my boat where i want in even the most toughest wind ive fished in

[sticko]

i have seen people use 5 gallon plastic buckets with holes drilled in them tied on the back of the boat to slow them down.

[westsam]

I have a 16' v-hull fiber glass boat. will 2- 30 inch socks hold my boat in 15 mile an hour winds? and where do you guys suggest i put them?