I have a 18' Ranger. What size or brand drift sock do I need? Headed to Academy now. Going past BPS.

The ranger is a heavy boat. I have a Champ and use a lindler purchased on line to my door a 50" in diameter for $60. The sock is made of heavy nylon and the leading edges are weighted.

I would get one that is rip nylon, not vinyl. Rip Nylon dries out better and folds up better.

http://www.basspro.com/Bass-Pro-Shops-Drift-Anchor/product/90906/?cmCat=CROSSSELL_PRODUCT#desc-tab

Get the largest 1. You may need another?

Also do I need a drift anchor tow rope or just tie it directly to my cleat?

Just tie it to your cleat. On windy days you will need two.

I say get 2 or 3 five gallon buckets and rope probably a lot cheaper lol

You can buy good drift socks at Academy that are not very expensive and work well. I have a 20' boat and use the smaller size on the bow and the bigger size on the stern on windy days and don't have to use my trolling motor very often to make adjustments. I think I paid around $30 for both of them. They are worth their weight in gold on windy days.

I got a 54" today. Might be too big.

There is no such thing as too big when it comes to wind socks. You will still be drifting with the wind no matter how big it is. You can always add smaller socks later if you need to. I like having a couple of different sizes as the wind varies from day to day and I can adjust my drift speed as needed.

Drift socks work really well especially during the spawning season on large flats where you need to slow your drift down and don't want to run your trolling motor all the time and wear it out.