Wave Tamer or Drift Control sock

[woodsdweller]

Have come to realize that I could really use a drift sock on my 15' boat. I know many of you seem to like the Wave Tamer sock. I was also looking at the Drift Control sock. It is adjustable, which not only will give me more control, but if and when I get a bigger boat the same sock can be used with the opening closed a little more. My problem is that I've never used, nor seen in action, any brand of sock. I need to rely on others advice. Has anyone got an opinion, especially if you have tried them both and could compare pros and cons for me?

Also, when I troll by myself on windy days the bow is hard to control. Can a drift sock be put out on the windward side to control this?

Thanks everyone. Good fishin'. Woodsdweller

[Bret N]

I've got a Wave Tamer and love it. I've never tried the Drift Control one. My wave tamer has a float at the top and weight at the bottom, which means it deploys perfectly every time with no coaxing, adjusting, etc. You just throw it out and don't worry about it. I don't remember if the drift control's have the float or not. While the wave tamer is not adjustable becasue it is a sewn/fixed cone shape, I prefer that design as it just seems more durable to me. A sock will definately help you trolling on windy days, just hang it off the front on a short leash and it will keep your bow down, though at times it's easier to just troll w/ the wind rather than try to fight it. Hope this helps. Bret

[AquaMan]

Your are headed in the right direction in determining the right sock for your needs. Persoanlly I like the WT, but there is nothing wrong with the other one. I happen to prefer the added features of the WT.

As for bow control, that is exactly what you want one for. Toss it over the bow and it will keep your bow from swinging wildly in the wind as you backtroll. You will track better and, when you catch a fish and shut the motor off or put it in nuetral, the bag will point your bow into the wind and keep you from drifing a mile off your honey hole. Eh, eh, eh?????

You will find lots more uses once you begin to use it more. In the mean time shop around and get the best you can afford. My money is on the Wave Tamer.

AquaMan~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just add water

[rebs]

I have the drift control from Basspro and it works great
it does have 2 floats and a weight so it opens perfect every time
I use it to slow my drift on windy days, just toss it over the side of the boat and it keeps the boat sideways and slows the drift speed

Rebs

[Anglin Andy]

I have the Wave Tamer and it is a quality product. JNB Originals have done a lot of "hands on" testing of their products. Quality and being user friendly make this a very good investment.

[bigwaves]

it is a great idea to troll with a wave tamer sock when fishing. the wave tamer sock will give you a lot of control. the wave tamer sock is the best on the market without any question. the owner of the company is also one of the nicest guys you will ever meet. he is really committed to delivering the best products possible. many of the pwt touring pros are using this sock with excellent results. this is also the same company that is producing the yellow bait bags for leeches, minnows, crawlers, etc...

[1775prov]

Here's another reason to consider Wave Tamer-CUSTOMER SERVICE.

My email to Wave Tamer:


I had a chance to use my new bag recently during 30-40 MPH winds and was
very impressed by the "good manners" of your product. I've used alot of
different brands and will highly recommend your product to my partners.
Unfortunately I had the mesh storage bag blow out of the boat and was
wondering where I might get another one since I really like the fact it
lets the bag dry out. Thanks for your help and making a great product.

Eric S Brosted


The Response:


Hi Eric,

Thank for the vote of the Wave Tamer. You're one of thousands that enjoy
that drift bag and its talents.

Give us your address and we'd be happy to get a storage bag out to you.

Have a wonderful day!

Nancy Beech
Executive Vice President
JNB Originals, Inc.

[Huge]

I have both of these units and have not found a lot of difference in the operation of one over the other. One thing that you have to realize is that care must be taken when deploying. You have to be careful that the weight is properly positioned at the bottom when it hits the water. If not, the weight can land on top of the bag and this tends to trap air in the cone section to the point of floating the weight on top of the bag. Unless you get a large wave or a good tug on the rope it will float on top until enough of a disturbance rolls the bag over.

If I'm not mistaken the WT has a grometted hole in the rear section back from the float. I beleive that this allows the air to escape and assist in a quicker deployment. If I may make a recommendation... There should be another hole on the other side (weighted side) which when the above situation occurs it would prevent air from being trapped in the fabric allowing the rear of the bag to sink.

If anyone has any pointers that may prevent this from happening I sure would like to hear them.

I've also found that by using the shortest rope possible helps to deploy and maintain the bag in the correct configuration.