By Louie Stout

Drift Paddles are necessity for Michiana wind.

There’s a saying in fishing that “wind is your friend.”

A breeze blowing across the water stirs things up, breaks up the sunlight and gets fish – especially predator fish – actively feeding.

But the wind can be a curse, especially here in the Midwest where it can blow hard and come on unexpectedly.

As a bass fisherman, I like to fish windy flats and points, especially this time of year, but sometimes the wind makes it difficult to control the boat properly.

Drift socks can slow your drift. They’re basically funnel-shaped nylon bags that you toss into the water and attach with a rope to your boat. The bag catches water and that slows you down.

But I’ve come onto a better solution, one that requires far less effort and is more versatile - Power Pole Drift Paddles.

Drift Paddles are add-on accessories that fasten onto Power Poles, a shallow water electronic anchoring system that bolt onto the transom of a boat.

Power Poles have become popular addition to fishing boats in recent years due to their ability to be deployed with the touch of a button. When engaged, they poles swing off the transom into the water and have durable rods that stick into the bottom. Mine are good down to eight feet, but there are 6- and 10-foot versions as well.

The poles by themselves come in handy when anchoring in depths within their range or for beaching a boat on shore.

But the addition of Drift Paddles has made Power Poles far more versatile.

The oblong, lightweight paddles can be attached and removed with little effort. When connected and the poles are lowered into the water, the paddles catch the water as the wind pushes your boat over the top. The lower you put them down, the more water they catch and the slower you’ll drift – up to 50 percent slower.

This proved to be a tremendous asset while on a fishing trip in the bays of the Great Lakes and large inland lakes of northern Michigan this fall. We were able to fish areas in a stiff wind that wouldn’t have been possible without the paddles. We could follow drop offs and make accurate casts with the slower moving boat – something we couldn’t have done without them.

We’ve used them a couple times this fall on smaller local lakes and they were just as beneficial.

In addition, the paddles are adjustable; you can pull a spring-loaded pin while afloat and rotate the paddles to change the angle of your drift. In other words, if you and a partner need to fish off the port side, the paddles can be adjusted so everyone in the boat has the same casting angle.

Drift Paddles are necessity for Michiana wind.

You may have to make periodic adjustments with an electric motor to stay on course, but it is done much easier with the paddles.

As fishing partner Jeremy Bunnell said the other day, “Power Poles alone are nice, but the paddles make them more valuable for those of us who have to fish in the wind a lot,” he said.

He’s so right. The more we’ve played with this equipment the more uses we have found. For example, you can control your drift in heavy river current or you can use them to hold you in a gentle breeze without anchoring.

Admittedly, they require an investment. The drift paddles are around $400 for a pair, but the poles themselves start at about $1,300 each. One is adequate but two does the job much better. Drift Paddles accommodate all hydraulic Power Poles in 8 and 10 feet models.

Aside from Power Pole, the other shallow water anchoring system available is the Minn Kota Talon. It works great for anchoring, but you can’t use paddles on them.

The manually employed drift sock is less costly - $30 to $100 or more - depending upon the size and construction of the material. However, drift socks take time and manpower to deploy; the Power Pole system is more efficient and controlled by the touch of a button.

For the hardcore angler, that pays off during a hard day of fishing and lets you fish effectively where the fish are feeding on a windy day.