Drift Sock - Size, brand?

I have a deep V 17′ Lund Fisherman that grabs a fair amount of wind. Looking to make a first trip to Lake Erie for some drift Jigging this spring (as a newbie), and then have the same option in the future for other applications.

Considering the 48″ Lindy Magnum Series Drift Sock.

I’ve never used one of these, so open to all advice on size choice, or another brand. NOTE… I'm in a 17' boat, and will be alone, so if it is real nasty, I'd be sitting on shore waiting it out.

If someone has a used one to sell – I’m open to that as well.

I have a couple of the Amish made ones from the local bait shops in Port Clinton. I think Rickards and Hi-Way sell them. I use 2 when trolling to control my speed. Have a 20' center console with no kicker motor. They are very nice. Heavy and well made. And they are cheaper than what you can get at Cabela's or Bass Pro.

I use the 36 inch drift socks from Amish outfitters. For your boat i think the 36 inch would be more then enough. If anything I would buy two 36 . If it is a real goofy wind you could put one in back and one in front for side drifting. Make sure you get drift socks not the trolling socks. The drift socks normally have a loop on the end that you can attach a rope to. That means you can empty the sock out faster when retrieving them. A cheap trick is to put a piece of pool foam noodle on the rope to the sock. That way if you drop your rope in you can still retrieve the floating drift sock. I think a 48 would slow you down to much. Plus Pulling in the 48 inch bag is extra work. I see walleyetacklestore does sell the Amish outfitter drift bags. They are red in color

I Googled Home made Wind Sock, Crappie.com. Looked easy to make and inexpensive. Others just use 5 gallon plastic buckets. Be careful out there! Erie can toss smaller craft like a Ping-Pong Ball in no time.

Are drift socks a necessity out there for the jig? This will be my 1st year and I want to make sure I have all the right gear.

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Originally Posted by fishNtails

Are drift socks a necessity out there for the jig? This will be my 1st year and I want to make sure I have all the right gear.

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Are you going to troll? Or drift? Perhaps you'll do a search and watch some of the videos online. One that I saw made a good point....bait presentation is crucial and so is the speed that the bait moves, thus the speed of your boat.

I have a 19.5 ft boat and will be drifting. I just picked up a 48" sock. Think that would be a good setup?

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Originally Posted by fishNtails

I have a 19.5 ft boat and will be drifting. I just picked up a 48" sock. Think that would be a good setup?

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I would also pick up a smaller one in the 28" range or you could also use a 5 gallon bucket or 2. The reason is to slow is almost as bad as to fast for drift speed while jigging the reef areas. The fish are in a scattered concentration with lots of fish in a given area but not tightly schooled/shoaled so moving slowly with a drift is most productive on Erie. You can almost never get the perfect drift speed but being able to change from faster to slower will improve your ability to get close.

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Originally Posted by wakina

I would also pick up a smaller one in the 28" range or you could also use a 5 gallon bucket or 2. The reason is to slow is almost as bad as to fast for drift speed while jigging the reef areas. The fish are in a scattered concentration with lots of fish in a given area but not tightly schooled/shoaled so moving slowly with a drift is most productive on Erie. You can almost never get the perfect drift speed but being able to change from faster to slower will improve your ability to get close.

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Yea I saw the bucket idea when I was searching. Is there an ideal drift speed range or does it depend on thr day?

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Originally Posted by fishNtails

Yea I saw the bucket idea when I was searching. Is there an ideal drift speed range or does it depend on thr day?

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It differs but falls in the .5 to 1.5 GPS/SOG. My personal experience has been anything over 1.5 is becoming to fast! You want to move but not at drift and cast speeds.

Buckets will do the trick but even stacked they take valuable floor space, especially if not needed. They are a cheap alternative though.

Ordered two 46" bags on sale from Cabellas… I can always return one if I find it is overkill as it may be. I think I have one very small one already, so I'll have a good mix of options.

I use 2 36" bags to slow my 21' glass boat with a 350 mercruiser motor. they do the job for me.

I've tried the 5 gallon buckets with an old 18' boat I had with an 80 hp mariner I had on it and they just didn't work for me. just wouldn't get my speed down where I needed it. I tried buckets without holes and buckets with holes drilled in them and they just didn't work.