Thread: Drift Fishing on Kaw Lake

Depends on time of year. Good thing about winter fishing is the blues school up and you may catch several big fish in an area. You just can't beat fresh cut shad. We normally get them in 25 to 40 ft of water during the winter with deep hole nets. Good thing about catfishing you don't have to buy high end rods but you better have good reels. I run 7 and 8 ft ugly sticks with ambassador 6500 C3 reels

Skeeter, I have been fishing el dorado regularly this year for blue with decent success. We don’t use any high end gear. 20lb Berkley on 808/888 zebco reels. 5/0 Team Catfish circle hooks. Since fall have used cut frozen gizzard shad but fresh always works best. Usually catch up to 8lbs but just after thanksgiving caught a 16lb.
Most have come from flats adjacent to the main channel(walnut) in 30-40 FOW. I look at topo maps to pick areas with old roads/structure close to the channel.
I like drifting slow keeping the line close to vertical usually using 1-2 oz weight. If moving pretty good will use enough weight to keep just on bottom. Usually Carolina rigged, 20" leader.
Now a bigger lake with a more established blue pop will change the game considerably.
We are good so far for where we fish. Once we get into something over our limit then i will be rethinking the game plan. But i don't plan to fish the bigger lakes anytime soon.
Good luck, and i would be interested how you do on el dorado!

Thanks slowboat would like to get with you some weekend out at Eldorado and give it a try. I see where some of them use crappie bellies in the winter when they can't get shad. I was wondering how white perch cut up would work for blues, there is plenty of them to use for bait. I have a bank sinker mold that is 1 to 5 oz. and lots of lead if you ever need some sinkers let me know.

That sounds good. I'd sure like to bend someones ear about el dorado and learn a thing or 2. Thanks for the sinker offer, i've just started melting some lead and will probably end up with a sinker mold or 2, i might PM you about where to get one.
One of my first trips really targeting blues in December last year we had one white perch we managed to catch. We rationed out the cut bait between 2 of us and ended up with 3 blues over 5lbs and a 27" walleye.
I like crappie fishing but have not got the hang of it yet, but would like to be able to go out and catch some perch or gills just for bait or even smaller crappie during the winter.
Since the water hit the mid 30's i've haven't found the blues. Still have a few spots i want to try or could be just getting the bait presentation right.

Fellas don't forget drifting the channels in the winter and also points where the channel passes close by. When you find them there will be a bunch. Also check mid - lake humps. Find the bait and blues will be close by

Thanks TimY. You've shared a lot of good info. I have a lot to learn still.
One thing I'm learning is drifting in summer is way different than in the fall/winter. If the wind is not cooperating then I end up fighting trying to get slow enough.
If I'm pushing close to .7 to 1 mph I think I need to slow to .5 or less.
I tested out a 5 gallon bucket just to see but it didn't do much.
We usually drift sideways but wondering about maybe hooking the bucket to the bow and letting out more rope and drifting parallel with the wind.
My boats just a small 14 ft aluminum V.
Wondering if there are some other things I could try out.

I have used drift socks and 5 gall buckets. Really like the buckets better. I just remove the metal handle and replace it with a 3/8 rope then tie a 4 or 5 ft piece to it and attach it to my front and rear cleat. I then drill multiple holes in the bottom of the bucket with a 1/2 in bit. It only takes about 4 ft of rope to control the boat. After a few years using buckets, I finally figured out to drill less holes in the front bucket because the big engine on back helps slow that end down so less holes in the front one gave it more resistance to equal out the drift. You are less likely to get your lines tangled in the bucket than you do with drift socks. I raise the big engine until I have the boat drifting the same speed front and back. I do use drift socks in the winter when I want to really slow down to crawl. If you buy drift socks, always get the size larger than what they recommend for your boat length. Summer months I want to drift faster so the buckets work best.

Not sure what electronics you have but I have a 19' skeeter with SI and DI and would be glad to run you around on Eldorado. Skeeters Don't have much for a windshield so I wear a full face helmet when I'm running around below 30 degrees but some goggles or large safety glasses will keep your eyes from watering to much. Wanting to run back down to Kaw and fish in Feb. and your welcome to go if you want. You can usually find shad in the winter around the Marina docks with a throw net. If your not doing anything next Friday,Saturday or Sunday maybe we can get together and try to catch some blues at Eldorado. I don't work Fridays so I'm fishing most of the time. I was headed up in a cove the other day crappie fishing and was in about 25 foot of water and my electronics started showing all kinds of big fish scattered in the mouth of the cove and I figured they where cats or walleye.