Suspended Bait Drift Fishing

It seems most catfish anglers drag their bait while drift fishing. Does anyone have any luck suspending their bait just off the bottom while they drift?

Google a SanteeCooper rig. People have used corks above hooks as long as I can remember, and that is a long time.

YouTube Steve Douglas. He's in major rivers so it's a little different than Texas lakes, but his preferred method is suspending and he catches plenty. I have yet to catch one suspended.

Drifting the santee and three way rig, the bait is suspended above the bottom by the amount of leader you have on. You can also drop bait to the depth your marking fish. Haven't caught a lot suspended at depth but have caught a few. Have caught more suspended while anchored in river channels.

Never really thought to try that much. Have a spot in mind in a 50ft river channel were sand bass and big gizzards stack suspended. Trying that this winter, if suspend drifting won't get them, anchor suspended.......

It just seems like a good way to get your lines tangled.

I catch plenty of catfish drifting with a bobber set 2 feet and I drift in water up to 50 feet.

I've tried suspended drifting if I have little to know wind but haven't been successful at it on the lake that I fish which is only 22' deep at its deepest in part of the lake. I know someone who does and uses his trolling motor to move around to stay in targets and he has done well. I have tried it on EM and caught fish but I was in deeper water. I'm not sure if my lake is not deep enough and the boat spooks the fish or if my sonar effects them at that depth, could be I just tried it when fish were not actively feeding. I haven't given up on it and will continue to give it more attempts but for now I have been catching them drifting Santee cooper rigs if I have wind or anchoring down and casting around them.

I will run two poles suspended and I can say that it's works good for channel cat and drum. Haven't caught but a couple of blues and both were small.

When i am by myself i run 5 poles...3 out the back staggered using smooth operator sinkers from Team catfish...then on each side i run them straight down to the bottom turn one up 4or 5 turns and the other 7 or 8 turns...The blues will hammer them ...... i do use my i-pilot to control my drift.. I will say in my opinion i do better on cloudy days when my boat aint casting a shadow on the water..

When I drift several lines out at Least One has no weight with a bobber floating on top and bait (usually whole Shad with tail cut) two to three foot under that and have caught all kinds of fish that way

I have done pretty good suspending baits both while drifting and anchored. I have noticed that for the summer months and into fall I will catch fish using the suspended idea while drifting but once the cold rolls around I will only suspend baits while anchored. Its a great way to fish heavy sturcture such as timber. I also have really good sucesses doing this while anchored over rock piles and bolders. You just have to experiment with it.

I use this technique when there is little wind. If the boat is moving, you have to make corrections to account for depth changes, that is the only real drawback for me.

lol ive only fished with a santnee rig and always caught fish. how do you drift without getting hung? this is ground breaking for me

I drift carolina rigged with about a 2' leader. Works for me. and if there isnt any wind, I use it like I would bass fishing.

This guy swears by it and catches plenty. His up north in major river systems, and uses a remote controlled trolling motor a lot. I've yet to catch one drifting suspended but will eventually.

Explains it pretty well after the 4 min mark.

I only fish with a cork. not on bottom

You aren't using a Santee rig on bottom?