Put a sock in it

Having control over your boat can be the difference between a banner day and a headscratching one. While guiding the Niagara River year-round, I have developed an understanding and appreciation for boat speed, angle, and positioning in relation to the fish I’m trying to catch. I live and breathe boat control, and it’s the main reason why my clients are successful. It’s not just river fishing where control is priority, it’s every time I fish. Here are some tips to help you catch more regardless of boat size, or waterbodies you fish. Fighting the wind There are times where fishing in wind produces lights-out action (ask any walleye angler) but there’s a point where wind makes it impossible to keep lines in the strike zone. In wind, a bow-mount trolling motor can slow the drift but requires the bow to be facing the wind. This effectively “back boats” other anglers, and generally isn’t good practice if you want to keep your fishing buddies or clients happy. If the wind is moderate, and I am fishing a large structure or general area, I will slow the boat by deploying a drift sock on the middle cleat, tying it off close (three feet of rope). With the boat perpendicular to the wind/current, I then use my trolling motor to push or pull the boat in the direction I want the boat to go. When the wind is really up, I use a drift sock off the back cleat of my boat on a long rope (six feet of rope) to slow my stern, and my trolling motor to slow my bow. The object of this is to drift perpendicular to the wind/current, create drag, and slow the boat down. Slow your troll Using a drift sock when trolling is a helpful, underrated tactic that can be scaled to match your boat size. With a larger motor, it’s often difficult to go slow enough. An old-school trick when walleye fishing in small boats is to drag a bucket to get the speed down. Sometimes the difference in catch rate between a boat doing 2.2 mph and 1.7 mph is staggering. Even if your motor trolls slow enough by itself, I recommend using a bucket or sock while trolling because it makes small speed adjustments and throttle control easier. Surge-breaker The inability to present lures at a consistent speed in waves or current is