Drift Chute????

[MDSmith370]

Do any of you use a drift chute? I need some tips about their use. I need to slow down my drift on the outgoing tide in OC and I think a chute may solve the problem but I don't want it to be cumbersome or dangerous. Do you attach it to your anchor trolley? Does it make the yak less stable? How hard is it to retrieve? Etc.

[ronaultmtd]

I bought the austin canoe and kayak chute- it is 24 inches and pre-rigged for use- i have installed a really good anchor trolley on my ocean kayak prowler 13 that runs nearly the full length of my kayak- it works great anchoring but in all honesty i have yet to use the chute- don't have any concerns with using it- just haven't had the occasion to drift fish yet- so far i have anchored or trolled- drift fishing is a flounder technique that i love to do and also works great for croaker and spot so i do intend to use it in windy conditions.

[dhmjd]

if you have a bait bucket that will work, so will a 5 gallon bucket with a few holes drilled in it. run it out from the kayak aways, 10 to 20 feet is plenty. But if its current pulling you rather than wind, it doesnt slow you as much, anchor line with a few feet of heavy chain will slow that down.

[Redfish12]

Check out my PLO croaker trip from last year. I have one on a bungee that I clip on my anchor trolley. I put a buoy on there so I can ditch it if I have to. Bungee beats me up less and just grab the end to pull it in so you can dump the water. Mine is 20" and slows me down great!

[dhmjd]

where did you find the 20" chute? havent seen one that small yet-the downside to buckets is they are hold to fold!

[MDSmith370]

Weston makes an 18 and Minn Kota makes a 20.

[Redfish12]

It was 10 on ebay

[fredneckyaker]

Do these really work to fight current or wind? my guess is wind. i thought about one but then thought i would just anchor.

[eastonkayaker]

Do these really work to fight current or wind? my guess is wind. i thought about one but then thought i would just anchor.

They work for both wind and current, creates drag, all lifeboats have drift shoots, (sea anchors) because they hold the boat better at or near the spot where the boat entered the water. If you were on a sinking ship very important! In fact if you happened to loose your paddle a drift shoot would be a good to put out, especially if someone had to look for you.

[tufnik]

I've had one for two years. Even though I'm on the Bay a lot, I don't know why I haven't tried it once yet.

[jet]

how does it fight current? if anything, i would think it moves you better with the current. thought the point of them was for windy situations where the current isnt moving as fast as wind...

[Redfish12]

I have always wondered that... my guess is if you're moving with the current, then your kayak would be moving the same speed as the sock and it would not "inflate". Mine has always slowed me down, but I mostly only use it when doing long runs of drift fishing and it's windy.

[BadAssBass]

Have had one for 5 years. . .

I've had one for two years. Even though I'm on the Bay a lot, I don't know why I haven't tried it once yet.

. . . and yet, have never deployed it. Never think about, use anchor or drag chain.