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Drift socks for 18' Shallow Sport

3K views 18 replies 9 participants last post by  johnsons1480 
#1 ·
I would like to use 2 drift socks for my Shallow Sport 18 Sport. I am thinking 30". Does anyone use 2 drift socks on a similar size boat and what size do you use? Thanks!
 
#6 ·
Here's the difference no one thinks about. A big V like a pathfinder sits down in the water and doesnt blow across the water nearly as bad as a flat flats boat. The flats boat flat bottom will drift thru much faster. Even the lighter shorter 18 will blow across faster than that 24 V plowing thru....so they will need similar drift sick.

Get two big 48" or so....one front and one back for best of all worlds.
Those are really big drift socks. The reason I was thinking of 2 smaller ones is because I usually drift in about 3" - 3 1/2" of water when trout fishing. I thought I should keep the drift sock size smaller than the water depth.
 
#4 ·
Here's the difference no one thinks about. A big V like a pathfinder sits down in the water and doesnt blow across the water nearly as bad as a flat flats boat. The flats boat flat bottom will drift thru much faster. Even the lighter shorter 18 will blow across faster than that 24 V plowing thru....so they will need similar drift sick.

Get two big 48" or so....one front and one back for best of all worlds.
 
#5 ·
What ever you get make sure they have the float and weight system so they open quicker. I bought a cabelas brand and was happy with it. If you have an option get a bright color in case it slips off the cleat or fish gets wrapped in it and you decide to untie it. Don't ask lol I just know.
 
#11 ·
I had the same boat and I used 2 - 48" drift socks as well as using the trolling motor at times just like sgrem described. A 48" drift sock can get pretty pricey when buying one pre rigged let alone two. I pieced mine together and came out way ahead on price. Of course the socks are your big money item and the rest is really cheap. 50' of a good nylon dock line is next to nothing as well as your floats and swivels. Regardless whether you buy one fully assembled or you put it together, do your self a huge favor and get the socks that have a dump strap !!

Also you will find that there are some cheap socks out there, but I will tell you from experience, they will not hold up !! Do a few drifts across some reefs and you'll see why. Hell even the expensive ones are going to eventually get torn and cut from drifting reefs, but the material is good enough you can get them sown back up.

Good luck,
D.
 
#15 ·
I settled on a 36" (bow) and a 48" (stern) for my 21' Shallow Sport Bahia. I ran twin 48" for while The boat would try to do a slow corkscrew with the motor up with twin 48"'s. If it's blowing so bad that I need bigger bags to slow down I go wade a shoreline. Shallow Sports don't fare well with drift fishing Especially the Sport hull design. The boats have an exceptionally shallow draft. Great for running skinny. Bad for resisting wind push.


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#17 ·
The only boat that I have been in that doesn't need drift socks is the ShallowSport Classic no sides.

Was in a 24' the other day and the wind was sustained 30 and we didn't need a drift sock.

I was pretty amazed at that.

I had two 48" on a 24' JH for years and some times could have used 3.

TH
 
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