To drift or not to drift?

[FinFansea]

Not that there is a real science to Halibut fishing……… I don’t have a vast amount of experience fishing Halibut, but I’ve been pretty lucky locating and boating fish the last couple of years. Call it just dumb luck, every time I’ve chased flatties it has been on dead calm days with absolutely no drift. I hear many ol’ timers swear that you have to have a good drift to be successful. Specifically, utilizing the kicker to either increase or decrease the amount of drift.

I understand slowing the drift, but with the lack of drift does the odds of catching quality fish increase? I see it as luck of the draw. IMHO, if your fishing a day with no drift the scent of the bait and attractant will bring them too you.

[Pilar]

No drift often means no current to carry your bait scent. 0.6 to 0.7 Kts is working pretty good for me. Slow enough so they can catch it as it goes by and fast enough to move your gear over the bottom to fishier locations.

Anchoring is a popular technique in Alaska in shallow water.

[PoiToy]

On days with little or no current, theres a couple things to try. Try using your TR1 and make your own drift. Also, I put a Scent solution, scent bubble, above my hooks and fill it with some smelly jelly halibut stuff and WD40. It gets a slick going, but at 500 feet. Works great! Joe's also has one like it which is a little better, stays together better.

[FinFansea]

Originally Posted by Pilar

No drift often means no current to carry your bait scent. 0.6 to 0.7 Kts is working pretty good for me. Slow enough so they can catch it as it goes by and fast enough to move your gear over the bottom to fishier locations.

Originally Posted by PoiToy

I put a Scent solution, scent bubble, above my hooks and fill it with some smelly jelly halibut stuff and WD40. It gets a slick going, but at 500 feet.

Pilar, Do you believe a .6-.7 knot drift increases your catch rate?

Poi, I've had great success with soaking my herring in Pro-Cure butt juice for about 12 hours prior. Top it off with a strip of Berkley Saltwater Cut Bait. Yum, Yum!

[PoiToy]

I cure my herring in Brine-n-bite. Then add 3 drops of anise, and 3 drops of banana flavoring (yep, u heard right). NOT banana extract, banana FLAVORING. There is no potassium in the flavoring, hence no banana curse. They seem to bite good, Does awesome on nooks too (that's where I primarily use it). I'll have to try injecting stuff into the herring, as normally I just cure it. Thanks for the tip.

[Reel Obsession]

What pond are you guys fishing? I can't remember ever having NO drift. Usually fighting a faster drift than I want. Seems to me that between wind and current, it would have to be the very rare occurance when you had to create your own drift, but then again, as much salt as Pilar sees, I guess anythings possible.

[ron m]

It is very rare that I have no drift, but I think I've had a day or two where there was very little drift. But we should also remember that the curent at the bottom may be different than the current at the surface. I think it usually is different.

I think it would be very nice to have a day at the ranch with very little drift and not many boats around! Not likely to happen though, very little drift means little or no wind and then the boats would be out there in droves!
ron m

[Pilar]

This year has been free of no drift days. In the past, especially in shallow water, no drift days have been no bite days until I got the kicker going and moved slowly over the bank I was fishing. Usualy right as we get the boat moving a rod bends over and starts peeling.

In deeper water as Ron M says the current on the bottom is often different in direction or strength than on the surface. You can tell when the wind is blowing you one way and your lines veer off another way.

[puffins crew]

Originally Posted by Pilar

This year has been free of no drift days.

Beg to differ on that one, my friend. Check out these pics from 7-26-08.

Does that rig I am using remind you of anything, Johnboy??

Peace, Tom

[Greg516]

When we were out with prowler on may 17th there was only like .4kt drift and we absolutely killed em.

[FinFansea]

Originally Posted by Reel Obsession

What pond are you guys fishing? I can't remember ever having NO drift. Usually fighting a faster drift than I want.

Like I said, just my dumb luck I guess. Over a 3-4 hour period, I bet we didn't move more than 100 yards.

[Reel Obsession]

I just double checked the URL to make sure I hadn't accidently checked on a a gulf coast site or something....

Nope, still a NW site. I would LOVE to see a day like that and then worry about finding the fish.