PileDriver
Participating Member
- City
- Galveston
Ok my fellow boaters, my question here is whether you prefer to drift or anchor when fishing structure? Without a doubt I prefer to drift. This includes offshore structures as well. My rationale is that it presents the bait in a more natural way, as feeding fish are typically facing up current and waiting to ambush the buffet line when it opens up. Hence, the bait when drift fishing is moving at the same speed and motion as all the other food debris.
A classic example of this occurred this weekend when I was offshore. When running for red snapper I typically fish an area know as the Buccaneer Reef and Rigs. Specifically, I work the northern most reef which is about 30nm offshore. This isn't some big tip if you are in the area as it is a well marked with a Texas Fish and Wildlife buoy and it is not uncommon to have multiple boats working the reef. However, this weekend when we arrived there was just one other boat that apparently hadn't had much luck as they headed out just as we arrived. So we stated working the reef. On the first pass Cassie landed a 19" snapper and by the 6 pass she had another 17" snapper (yes I was getting out fished in my own boat!). About that time another boat entered the area and at first was content with drifting around (you could tell they really didn't know what to do) that is until I made the next drift and hit a 18" snapper myself. The other boat never missed stride and immediately move over the area that I had just caught the snapper on and dropped anchor!
Now knowing that the reef extends along a line from North to South, I was not without a place to fish but as I made my next pass, I did acknowledge this skipper by telling him it was rude to drop anchor over the area where someone is drifting. So as we worked the area just to the North of them (about 50 feet) we kept drifting on by them. This is when the comedy and my justification to profound commitment to drift fishing came to light, as even though their boat (about a 30 foot Trojan) had 7 lines in the water, Cassie and myself out fished them at least 2 to 1 in fish per boat. With us landing all red snapper and they were catching the less desirable trigger fish and Atlantic Spade fish with and occasional small red snapper.
Shortly thereafter we had our last keeper but not before the other boat had determined they need to leave the area. Hence, I am a firm believer of drift fishing.
A classic example of this occurred this weekend when I was offshore. When running for red snapper I typically fish an area know as the Buccaneer Reef and Rigs. Specifically, I work the northern most reef which is about 30nm offshore. This isn't some big tip if you are in the area as it is a well marked with a Texas Fish and Wildlife buoy and it is not uncommon to have multiple boats working the reef. However, this weekend when we arrived there was just one other boat that apparently hadn't had much luck as they headed out just as we arrived. So we stated working the reef. On the first pass Cassie landed a 19" snapper and by the 6 pass she had another 17" snapper (yes I was getting out fished in my own boat!). About that time another boat entered the area and at first was content with drifting around (you could tell they really didn't know what to do) that is until I made the next drift and hit a 18" snapper myself. The other boat never missed stride and immediately move over the area that I had just caught the snapper on and dropped anchor!
Now knowing that the reef extends along a line from North to South, I was not without a place to fish but as I made my next pass, I did acknowledge this skipper by telling him it was rude to drop anchor over the area where someone is drifting. So as we worked the area just to the North of them (about 50 feet) we kept drifting on by them. This is when the comedy and my justification to profound commitment to drift fishing came to light, as even though their boat (about a 30 foot Trojan) had 7 lines in the water, Cassie and myself out fished them at least 2 to 1 in fish per boat. With us landing all red snapper and they were catching the less desirable trigger fish and Atlantic Spade fish with and occasional small red snapper.
Shortly thereafter we had our last keeper but not before the other boat had determined they need to leave the area. Hence, I am a firm believer of drift fishing.
