Chains for dragging

[spindle]

I have been using drift socks for several years when trolling deep water in high winds and
they are getting too hard for an old man like me to use. I watched a video of Ron Capps saying he uses chains to slow his drift. I have been hesitant to use them for several reasons, but I'm to the point I'm ready to try them. What size and length of chains and ropes are folks using and how much rope do I let out ?

[Erin Brewer]

I have a tracker 175 and I keep 4 chains with me. Two are on the ropes they are 1/2" chain approx 3' long. I also keep two other chains with the quick links that are 2 foot long that i can add to the 3' chain if i need to add more. I can pull a single 3' or if i only need a little more add the 2' to it, or i can drag two 3' or two 5'. it just depends on what the wind is doing. They work great on our lakes IMO.

[tenncrappie]

Wondered about this. do they muddy the water up when using?

[happycaster58]

I would think a drift sock would be a lot easier to deal with than pulling up drag chains. My 8 lb anchors with chains was so hard to use, I took the chains off.

[john60]

Put a trip line on the drift sock

I would think a drift sock would be a lot easier to deal with than pulling up drag chains. My 8 lb anchors with chains was so hard to use, I took the chains off.

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[spindle]

My socks have dump lines, but the 60 inch socks are still hard to pull in whether I’m using one or both.

[Eagle 1]

Make sure that you use rope light enough to break by cranking the big motor if chains get hung . We went after a boat that sunk on Enid around sign 13 because he could not break a big rope and did not have time to find a knife by the time he realized he could not get it free from a stump . The old man I used to fish with used window weights . He also took schedule 40 PVC (1 1/2 ) filled with concrete with an eye bolt in one end . Said that he had rather wash off pvc than deal with muddy/ rusty chains .Food for thought .

[spindle]

Make sure that you use rope light enough to break by cranking the big motor if chains get hung . We went after a boat that sunk on Enid around sign 13 because he could not break a big rope and did not have time to find a knife by the time he realized he could not get it free from a stump . The old man I used to fish with used window weights . He also took schedule 40 PVC (1 1/2 ) filled with concrete with an eye bolt in one end . Said that he had rather wash off pvc than deal with muddy/ rusty chains .Food for thought .

Window weights are a good idea I forgot about them. I can stick them inside a pvc pipe and not have to handle the bare metal and just rinse the mud off them as I pull them in.

[Cray]

I have chains set up like Erin, I use 40 ft of line, from chain I tie a loop knot every 10 ft. That way I can adjust how much I have out. I buy cheap caribeaner and put one on each section of chain. And have one for loops to attach to boat. That way you can break them off if hung up. Learned that trout fishing dragging chains on little red. I store rope and chains in large plastic Folgers coffee containers. Yes the mud is a mess to clean off. I like you now struggle with launching and retrieving large drift socks. Usually I just use my 48’s Anymore. The 60 is hard to launch and if it getting that bad I’m going home.

[Marvin]

Too expensive for me but those drift paddles mounted on power poles sure are nice.

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