The sock is generally used to slow drift or troll. Keeping the boat straight is a science. If you troll with a sock, you will want it off the stern or a bag over each side. Anything else, you will be fighting to keep the boat straight. Even when you are set up perfectly straight, when you shift weight to a side of the boat to net or set lines, the weight will pull the boat to that side. If you have a strong cross wind, it is hard to run boards out both sides as one board will run more behind the boat on the wind side. I hope this helps.