Like the run-and-gun, the drift technique involves cruising into an area where fish are breaking, and then cutting the motor and waiting in a promising spot, often uptide of a rip line, until the fish resurface. The idea is to let the randomly moving school come to you.
“I like to approach a school from upcurrent and off to one side,” says Capt. Kittredge. “I position the boat so my anglers can cast a soft-plastic or heavier lure if the situation warrants, across and slightly upcurrent and retrieve the lure at a moderately slow speed. With the engine off, the boat drifts into casting range in stealth mode. At times albies can be extremely boat shy, but when they are feeding heavily almost nothing bothers them and they may pop up right next to you.”
The albies cooperated during our afternoon last fall, and the three of us had over 30 hits on soft plastics and landed about five fish each, an unusually high number, which we attributed to using soft plastics. Subsequent trips proved their superiority over tins, and once the word gets out expect a rush on them in northeastern tackle shops.
