I don't post on this board very often, but I am having a terrific year drift fishing and wanted to share with other enthusiast.
The season for good drift fishing for large blue cats usually starts for me on Lake Livingston around the first week of September. It will usually last until the last week of February.
And sometimes stops with a jolt when the shad and white bass start back down to the lake proper from the spawning grounds. This happens for a couple weeks until the shad and forage fish settle down. Then some good drift fishing can still be had for most of most summers.
I guide on the lake and include cat fish in the season, but fish mostly for white bass and stripers (when available ) the rest of the year.
I sneak in some drifting anytime there is no thermocline and can catch them year round when it's not present.
September is the kick off for good action though and this September was excellent, and the action has been great ever since.
Early in September and October I had several 15 big fish days, most were 18 to 25 pounds, with a couple of over forty fish and several just over thirty.

I had my best solo day ever on 12-11, 14 fish over 22 pounds including three over thirty, and two over forty, and topped it with a 53 pound brute.
After my first drift I noticed a slick and a few birds continue to work an area where I had just hooked up with a good double of 25# plus fish and a single of thirty five pounds. I went back through and lined up to drift right through the slick and working birds. It took me into a school of big cats and all five rods went down hard.
By hooking one up and fighting it for a little then spiking the rod in an upright I would go to the next.
Then rinse and repeat.
I got four out of five in that blitz in the boat at once. Unhooking and weighing and releasing that bunch took it out of me.
The fifth fish was gone when I went to reel it in, I was glad as one the four was 45 pounds and another 35, they took some convincing to get in the boat. I caught 18 fish total that day and the smallest four were 10 to 15 pounds. I released all but the four small ones.
Most of the fish came from 28 to 42 FOW on different cut baits, mostly drum and buffalo, to fresh sand trout and mullet heads.
The last few trips have found the fish as deep as they get in creek bottoms around 35' flats.
The little dip to 40 or 42 foot water in the old creeks seems to be the zone.
All pictures are of different fish, some from recent trips and some from September.
Good luck fishing!

Nice Fish! Good to hear yu are catching some nice fish during early fall! I like drifting too---and covering alot of ground. Take the bait to the fish!

Awesome post.