CAn all you guys out there give me some tips for boondogging.Do i wanna leave my motor on and steer with that because i dont have a kicker? what does it mean when my line is above the boat?can i still catch fish that way? cause man i suck at it and all tips will be useful i promise.andif anybody has any articles on it can you send it to me.

You're going to have a tough time without a kicker. You need to make small adjustments to the boat's speed all the time to keep your bait 30-45 degrees upstream of the boat, and if you have no kicker it would be near impossible.

The idea is to use a small piece of 3/16" pencil lead or a small slinky, eith sliding on the mainline or fixed to a snap swivel, and a 4-6 foot leader of 6-8 lb. test. You cast 30-45 degrees upstream of the boat....then add some power until the baits find the bottom (the boat is still moving downstream). Once you find bottom, get the boat moving faster downstream and then adjust the speed to keep the baits tracking at that angle as you back down the drift. A high-vis. line will help you keep track of the baits. Long, slow action rods are helpfun for dragging bait.

I hate to say it......but if you plan on dragging bait successfully, you're going to have to throw down for a kicker.

if you mean boondogging or boondoggling, you dont need a kicker. if you mean sidedrifting , your gonna need a kicker. boondogging (at least in so oregon/ northern california) means placing your boat in the current and drifting sideways with the flow. you cast directly upstream and drag your bait down river. the technique the first guy explained sounds like a little of both. boondogging works when you can drift your boat over the fish and not spook them. sidedrifting is used to get at fish that would spook if you drifted over them. i may be speaking out of line and that technique is the standard further up north. if you want more info repost, and i'll try to help. i fish both techniques.

One of the best fishing guides I know, Ted Howell, uses a technique that he calls "dragging" for summer steelhead. Basically it is what Tyeeterror describes above. Motor up, turn off power, toss out gear, float downstream. It is a deadly technique in the Lewis. He believes that it is actually better than sidedrifting 'cause the steelhead flare out of the way of the boat and then return to their spot only to find the bait. Wham! It works.

I am from So. Oregon as well but agree with Tyee, the technique described by Dan S is a side drift technique rather than Boondoggling.

I use it for Summer and Winter Steelhead with good success and use no kicker. I do occaisionaly fire the big motor just to slow or position myself a bit.

No, you're right, Tyee. Although, around these parts, side drifting is often referred to as "boondogging", even though it's not really the same thing.

If you're working bigger rivers, the classic boondogging technique is effective, but on smaller smaller rivers side-drifting is a more effective technique.

You may not have to have a kicker, but it will make your life easier.......

An electric trolling motor will work for boondoggling & side drifting (and not much else with a full size sled).

While you CAN fish these methods without a kicker, would you pay to fish with a guide who didn't have a kicker?

I've never seen a good side drifter who didn't have a kicker.