CHRIS SMITH

As summer draws near, favorite East Texas fishing techniques become popular again.

For generations, drifting across the lake on the soft summer breeze put catfish in the boat. Cross Lake, just North of Shreveport is where I was introduced to drift fishing for catfish.

Drift fishing is not just fun but extremely productive for barge full of anglers. If the goal is a fish fry then drifting definitely should be considered. Fast forward a few years and lakes such as Palestine, Martin Creek, Tawakoni and Wright Patman had been tested and drift approved.

Rest assured any lake that has channel catfish is a candidate for a drift fishing trip.

A boat is necessary for drifting but little else. A nice 5-7 mile per hour wind, some bait and a few rod/reel combos and you are set. For bait, earthworms, Catalpa worms and shrimp seem to stay on the hook better while drifting.

The constant water pressure and movement breakdown the prepared baits or cheese. I use a light wire Aberdeen hook tied 8-12 inches above a 3/8 ounce bell sinker. Beef up the weight if the wind is heavier and decrease the weight if the winds are light. The goal is for the weight to drag smoothly along the bottom.

A heavier weight will hold until the drift pops it loose. This cause a bouncing or long hopping of the bait which will cause more loss of bait and rerigging.

Lower your bait over the side of the boat and free-spool to the bottom. Let the boat drift away for a few yards and engage your reel. The wind will take care of the rest. Typically drifters will start with at least a couple rods and some deploy multiple rigs.

Stay prepared and ready. Many rods have been snatched overboard by a feisty cat. A normal bite will bounce the rod once, maybe twice and then most catfish will try to leave with everything attached to the bait.

The catfish regulations may have changed since your last catfishing trip. The current regulations for Channels and Blue Cats are as follows: Daily bag limit is 25 fish in any combination. Only 10 of the 25 fish can be 20 inches or longer. There is no minimum length limit for Blues or Channels.

The no MLL has been in effect for a couple years but it still causes me to pause as we have had a 12 or 14 inch MLL for as long as I can remember.

Bring along a cooler full of ice and drinks or snacks. Add an umbrella to the mix and a little music and enjoy a catfish drifting party.