06-16-2004, 04:51 PM
Thanks, everyone for your replies. I can't wait to try those white bass. Like I said, there's not a huge difference between any two drifting techniques, but here's what works for me. I'll try to find some of my pics from Echo.
Okay, specifically... I use 10 or 12 pound test line, but heavier probably wouldn't hurt. Use an egg or other sliding sinker above a bead and swivel. Below that, about 2.5 to 3 ft. of line. Slide one hook up the line and tie a second hook on the end of the line. Next, loop and tie the upper hook about 3.5 inches up the line. Now you have a basic sliding sinker setup with two hooks on the end about 3.5 inches apart.
I use size 2 walleye hooks because I like a fairly shankless hook, but a regular Eagle Claw will work.
For bait, I use small 6" to 8" yellow perch, but white bass or any legal baitfish that size will work. Fillet half of your number of baitfish, leaving the skin ON and just cutting out the ribs from the fillet. Fillet the other half of your baitfish removing both the skin and the ribcage. Cut those skinless fillets in half so you have a bunch of pieces the size of 50 cent pieces. This bait should be fresh. No rotton bait.
Baiting up, hook one end of a fillet with skin on the top hook, allowing it to hang down to... or even over the bottom hook. Next, hook one of the skinless smaller pieces on the bottom hook. This is the hook you'll catch 95% of your cats on. Now, drift that along the bottom of the lake out of a boat or lighted float tube (at night). Drift at whatever speed the breeze is blowing you along. For periods of no wind, I cut down the prop on my trolling motor so that I can troll VERY slowly. Electric trolling motors would be perfect, as you could adjust your speed way down.
Be ready for the cats to try to remove the pole from your hands or from the pole holder. Cats in the Rockies prefer live meals. When they hit, they're trying to kill that meal and sometimes they hit REAL hard. At night big Cats in the Rockies are out actively feeding, looking for small fish to eat. Your sinker bumping along the bottom, as well as the smell of your fresh bait and the appearance of the fillet with the skin on it will attract these cats. Fish flats between 8' and 15' deep. 8' in early Summer... 12'-15' in late Summer. In the right depth range, I expect either a bite or a fish every 15 minutes or so. By covering more lake, as well as by simulating what the bigger cats are actually feeding on by moving around, you'll do much better than planting a bait and waiting... especially after the spring or early summer run. Last bit of advice for those who have never drift fished at night in the Rockies. Bring pretty much every sweatshirt and pair of sweatpants you own. Ice fishing in the wind is more comfortable than being on these lakes with a 3 mph breeze at 0300. Don't know why, but it just chills you right down to your guts a few hours before sunrise.
Okay, specifically... I use 10 or 12 pound test line, but heavier probably wouldn't hurt. Use an egg or other sliding sinker above a bead and swivel. Below that, about 2.5 to 3 ft. of line. Slide one hook up the line and tie a second hook on the end of the line. Next, loop and tie the upper hook about 3.5 inches up the line. Now you have a basic sliding sinker setup with two hooks on the end about 3.5 inches apart.
I use size 2 walleye hooks because I like a fairly shankless hook, but a regular Eagle Claw will work.
For bait, I use small 6" to 8" yellow perch, but white bass or any legal baitfish that size will work. Fillet half of your number of baitfish, leaving the skin ON and just cutting out the ribs from the fillet. Fillet the other half of your baitfish removing both the skin and the ribcage. Cut those skinless fillets in half so you have a bunch of pieces the size of 50 cent pieces. This bait should be fresh. No rotton bait.
Baiting up, hook one end of a fillet with skin on the top hook, allowing it to hang down to... or even over the bottom hook. Next, hook one of the skinless smaller pieces on the bottom hook. This is the hook you'll catch 95% of your cats on. Now, drift that along the bottom of the lake out of a boat or lighted float tube (at night). Drift at whatever speed the breeze is blowing you along. For periods of no wind, I cut down the prop on my trolling motor so that I can troll VERY slowly. Electric trolling motors would be perfect, as you could adjust your speed way down.
Be ready for the cats to try to remove the pole from your hands or from the pole holder. Cats in the Rockies prefer live meals. When they hit, they're trying to kill that meal and sometimes they hit REAL hard. At night big Cats in the Rockies are out actively feeding, looking for small fish to eat. Your sinker bumping along the bottom, as well as the smell of your fresh bait and the appearance of the fillet with the skin on it will attract these cats. Fish flats between 8' and 15' deep. 8' in early Summer... 12'-15' in late Summer. In the right depth range, I expect either a bite or a fish every 15 minutes or so. By covering more lake, as well as by simulating what the bigger cats are actually feeding on by moving around, you'll do much better than planting a bait and waiting... especially after the spring or early summer run. Last bit of advice for those who have never drift fished at night in the Rockies. Bring pretty much every sweatshirt and pair of sweatpants you own. Ice fishing in the wind is more comfortable than being on these lakes with a 3 mph breeze at 0300. Don't know why, but it just chills you right down to your guts a few hours before sunrise.