The basic drift fishing technique consists of casting across and slightly
upstream, and then allowing your drift bobber and accompanying sinker to
drift naturally downstream in the current, the sinker gently bouncing along
the bottom. When your lure has drifted back near the bank, it is reeled in
and another cast and drift made.
Buoyant drift bobbers simulate fish egg clusters, shrimp or other natural
baits. Their success is attributed to color, action and buoyancy as they are
drifted naturally along the bottom through fish-holding water. (The various
drift bobbers are listed separately on the following pages along with a
description and fishing application.)
There are scores of ways to add weight ahead of a drift bobber. Pencil
lead, either solid or hollow core, is the most popular and has proved both
economical and easy to use.
Solid pencil lead is best fastened to your line using a Lead Cinch which
consists of a three-way swivel and a length of surgical tubing. Your main
line is tied to one end of the swivel, leader and bobber to the other end
and a section of pencil lead inserted into the Lead Cinch. If the lead
becomes snagged, it will pull away from the tubing and your drift bobber and
Lead Cinch can be retrieved.
Hollow pencil lead is best fastened by crimping it to a
short leader dropped from a barrel swivel as shown in the illustrations. If
this lead becomes snagged, a sharp pull will free the lead from the dropper
leader and your drift bobber, leader and swivel can be reclaimed.
Pencil lead comes in coils or long sections so you can cut
off the desired amount. Most lead available through sport shops comes in
diameters of 1/8, 3/16 and 1/4 inch, with 3/16 the most popular size for
average fishing conditions and stream flows.
In addition to pencil leads, an unusual drift sinker is
available from Luhr Jensen. The Bouncing Betty® snagless sinker, because of
its spherical shape and size, is much less likely to hang up than convention
pencil leads . . . although it still won't guarantee that your hook won't
snag! (rig like pencil lead)
Due to its mass, the Bouncing Betty® is best used in slow or
shallow water, where conventional-weight rigging makes drifting difficult or
impossible. It will produce a smooth, long, snag-free drift. Its shape works
in combination with slower currents to be pushed gently downstream, avoiding
most rocks and snags. Also, the Bouncing Betty® makes long casts easier and
it's non-toxic.
One of the big tricks to successful drift fishing is to
select just the right amount of weight for the water you are fishing. A
weight that's too heavy will snag easily while one that's too light will not
keep your drift bobber near the bottom where the fish are. The ideal weight
is one that results in a tap-tap-skip action as it makes regular contact
with the bottom and then rises a bit before hitting again. Experienced drift
anglers usually begin working an unknown drift with a 2 1/2 to 3 inch piece
of pencil lead and then, after making a drift or two, shorten it until the
drift feels just right with that tap-tap-skip action.
LEAD TIP:
Your pencil lead should always hang straight, as a bent or crooked piece of
lead will often result in twisting or tangling of your line.
With the lead rigged, you now are ready to add a drift
bobber to your hook and leader. Depending on the particular rivers you fish,
you will want main line testing anywhere from 8 to 20 pounds. Leader lengths
should be from 18 to 24 inches, with the longer leaders selected for low or
clear water drifting and the shorter lengths for average water conditions.
BOBBER TIP:
Birdy® drift bobbers will fish better if a small, round bead is added
between the bobber and the hook. The bead acts as a tiny ball bearing and
allows the bobber to spin more freely, giving it improved action. A bead
will also keep your hook straight out behind the bobber, allowing better
fish-hooking capability.
Successful drift fishing requires that your line be close to
the bottom. Hence it is important to use a heavier line than you would
ordinarily select for lake fishing as it will have to take the added
bottom-scraping abrasion that comes with drifting. We recommend that you use
a premium quality, monofilament line, such as Trilene XT or Berkley® Big
Game.
There are three instinctive reasons a fish bites a drift
bobber: It's either hungry, protecting its territory or curious. Although
strikes can be hard, they're often almost imperceptible. Some fish will only
lightly mouth a bobber and this kind of "take" is very difficult to discern
from the lure's ordinary bottom tapping. Many fish are lost or not hooked
simply because the angler just can't detect these soft pickups. There are,
however, two things you can do which will help you nab these light-biters:
Use super-sharp hooks and add some yarn below your bobber.
Sharp hooks are critical no matter what kind of fishing you
do, but they become even more important when trying to hook light-biting
fish while drift fishing. A fish will have a great deal of difficulty
getting a sticky-sharp hook out if its mouth without it catching somewhere.
Once a sharp point catches, every move the fish makes to expel it will only
drive it deeper and you will feel a harder "take" as the fish attempts to
throw it.
Yarn is your second edge for hooking light-biters. The
addition of a tuft of colorful yarn just ahead of your hook and below the
drift bobber will add color contrast to your lure, plus make it very
difficult for a fish to spit out the hook. Once taken, the yarn can become
tangled in the fish's teeth and every effort to get rid of the lure will
send another signal to you to set the hook. NOTE:
When using yarn, always make sure it's not so long that it covers or
interferes with the hook point.
Any momentary slowing or stopping of a drifted lure, slack
line or a tap that shouldn't be there should be answered by setting the hook
HARD. In drift fishing, if you're in doubt, always set the hook!
BIRDY® DRIFTER:
Designed to be the ultimate drift bobber for Salmon, Steelhead and
Trout, Birdy® Drifters are made of super-buoyant E.P.S. material that will
float the hook just off the bottom where the fish are. The wings on the
Birdy® are tapered sharp on one end for an effective fast spin, and tapered
dull on the other end, allowing it to be effective in fast water conditions
where other bobbers may cause line twist. The Birdy® Drifter combines three
fish-catching ingredients: Color, action and sound. They are available in
Sizes #0, #1 and #3 in a variety of colors including Cerise/Pearl, Fire,
Cerise, Orange, Rainbow, Chartreuse/Fire, Glo/Fluorescent Orange Stripe and
Fluorescent Salmon Egg.
BOB TAIL:
For even more action, you might try this soft vinyl drift lure that has an
"Action Tail Scent Chamber" built in. It provides the additional enhancement
of scent to the drift equation. Bob Tails are available in Cerise,
Chartreuse Crystal, Orange and Blood Red.
GOOEY BOB:
A soft vinyl drift lure representing a cluster of natural fish eggs. Because
of the lure's softness, it often will result in a longer, more deliberate
"take" because it feels real to the fish. Three sizes (#1, #3 and #5) and
four colors (Cerise, Orange, Blood Red and BC Orange) are available.
HACKLE BEADS:
These free-turning attractors slide right on the leader above the hook with
a Birdy® or other buoyant drift bobber added on top. They are available in
Green, Black, White, Orange and Pink.
SHARP HOOK FILE:
Another of the easiest, yet most important, things you can do to improve
your fishing success, is to maintain sticky-sharp hooks on your lures at all
times. A fine-toothed file such as Luhr Jensen's Sharp Hook File is the
absolute best hook sharpening tool available. Hold it parallel to the hook
point and with gentle, one-way strokes, remove a small amount of metal on at
least two sides of the point. This will create a point with a knife-like
cutting edge. Keep the file clean and dry and occasionally spray it with a
non-corrosive lubricant such as WD-40. Sharp Hook Files are available in 5
1/2' x 3/4" or 4 1/4" x 5/8" sizes.
BOUNCING BETTY®:
A round, rubber drift sinker designed to bounce along the bottom and pop
free of rocks and snags. It comes in 1/4-, 1/2-, 3/4- and 1-ounce sizes.
Because of its mass, the Bouncing Betty® is particularly effective in slow,
low or shallow water conditions where it will provide a smoother, longer,
more sensitive drift than other sinkers. (See the illustration for rigging
details.)
FAT AND FUZZY YARN:
A fluffy and durable fishing yarn in a reusable dispenser. Colors include
Fire, Cerise, Chartreuse, White, Orange, Red and Pink. Drift fishermen use
yarn to give their lures added appeal and color. By tying a tuft on the hook
itself, or just below the bobber so as not to interfere with its action, you
will often increase a bobber's effectiveness. As indicated earlier, yarn
also can catch in the teeth of fish, allowing you extra time to feel the
"take" and set the hook.
LEADER TOTE:
The perfect way to keep your drift tackle pre-rigged, sorted and ready to
fish. Six individual see-through vinyl compartments allow for complete
hook-bobber-swivel ties that are available in an instant. Avoid spending
precious fishing time tying tackle. Use a Leader Tote in the handy 4 1/4" x
3 3/4" pocket size.
LEAD CINCH:
Surgical tubing and swivel rig for holding and attaching solid pencil lead.
It comes ready to tie on and is available in three different diameters to
fit all popular lead sizes.
JENSENEGG & JENSENEGG CLUSTERS:
Soft, plastic, scented, imitation Salmon eggs that can readily be added to
any drift bobber hook, ahead of the bobber or in conjunction with yarn. They
can also be fished by themselves just above a hook like a small drift bobber
(see rigging diagram). They represent a natural food commonly eaten by a
variety of game fish. The single eggs come in Cerise, Chartreuse, Orange,
Fluorescent Green, Blood Red or Blue and in three sizes - Standard, Magnum
and Fat Freddy. The Clusters come in Cerise, Orange and Blood Red and in
either three-egg or five-egg clusters.
