Side drifting ???

[williesteal17]

When sidedrifting and useing a slinky or pencil lead is it best to have the weight fixed to the swivel or slideing on the main line? I've seen both ways done just not sure if theres any advantages one way or the other..

[Ed Fast]

personal preference, I'm sure.

Personally, I like a fixed weight as light as I can get away with, cuz of the lead sliding up the line while casting and sinking. In a short slot or pocket, you missed your fish! In a long, classic drift, it won't matter and may make it easier to feel a fish, but then again you use hardly any lead in that situation, so it probably doesn't matter.

Ed

[GW]

I like a fixed weight. If I'm fishing properly and the weight is ticking the bottom, I know my bait is in the zone. If my sliding setup is ticking, how can I know for certain where my bait is?

[RollinontheRvr]

I like a fixed weight. If I'm fishing properly and the weight is ticking the bottom, I know my bait is in the zone. If my sliding setup is ticking, how can I know for certain where my bait is?

That make's sense to me, I have seen my line when drift fishing be in a totally different spot than my weight in a drift than I expected it to be....so I can totally see what you mean. I've never really done any side drifting so I am far from knowledgeable but would be interested in giving it a shot sometime.

[GW]

Another little tidbit of personal preference.

I like to run slinkies and identical line on all my side drifting rods (Loomis 1141's w/ 8lb Pline cxx).

If you run slinkies and identical line you know everything is the same. Meaning it's hard to get two peices of pencil lead identical or even worse the 10 weights you might go through in a day. This way the rigs drift as similar as possible making it easier for the guy running the boat.

[David Johnson]

I run mine as fixxed. The difference, I use one less swivel and it's easier to rig up quickly.

[Chinook SSSF]

I run mine as fixxed. The difference, I use one less swivel and it's easier to rig up quickly.

That makes sense enough on its own.

[scudrunner]

This may be a different animal, but same technique.

On the Kenai I am frequently changing methods as the hole/water prescribes, so I like to be as efficient as possible. As a standard, I rig my mainline with a slider/bead/snap-swivel. If I am going to side-drift, I will disconnect the weight from the slider, disconnect the leader from the snap swivel. Then I have a 3-way swivel with duo-connects hooked on two of the eyes, one being a double duo-connect. I'll snap the main line on the open eye of the three-way, the weight (usually a 2.5 oz bank sinker) on the double duo, and the leader on the single duo. This change over only takes a few seconds and I am converted to drifting.

[Osmosis]

I prefer fixed as well.
I use one #7 or #10 barrel swivel in black. I cut the tag end off from the mainline knot, but I leave 1 inch of the tag end from the knot on the leader side of the swivel.
I crimp my 1/8-1/4 inch piece of pencil lead, or a split shot, onto that tag end.

Why: if you snag the lead up it often just slides off once you hold your spool and point. If it does get snagged good and breaks off you usually get your swivel back and that makes you one less knot closer to fishing again.