One Great Flowing Water Prenstation

Drifting -- While not considered a primary three-way technique in current, nothing says you can't simply drift along with the flow, lifting the sinker on and off bottom. This tactic works best with a floater rig and minnow, since rigs moving at the same speed as the current fail to significantly rotate spinner blades or wobble crankbaits. A floating jighead, however, suspends the bait. Even a minnow lip-hooked on a plain hook droops down and is less effective than when held in a stationary position.

Moving downstream, a heavy weight might trail behind you. Consider switching to a lighter sinker and using the thrust of your outboard or electric motor to slow your drift, causing the three-way rig to swing downcurrent from the boat, placing water resistance on the bait or lure, rather than simply dragging it downstream. Tap your way along as you drift down to the front side of a wingdam.

Anchoring -- Probably the most popular three-way technique among boaters, particularly during peak spawning runs when waves of walleyes, white bass, or other fish pass through prime spots like eddies. Anchor a short distance upstream of your target, noting that the weighted rig will swing downstream before coming to rest. When fishing in a crowd of boats, anchor along a prime lane of fish passage and wait. Lower your rig to bottom, using a sufficiently heavy sinker to keep it relatively near your boat, not under someone else's boat.

Shorecasting -- Perhaps the second most popular use for three-way rigs on rivers. Bank fishermen most often toss a weighted rig out into the river and let it soak there. Since shorecasters lack the mobility of boat anglers, they want to cast a long distance and keep the rig in place on the bottom, which requires substantial sinker weight. Most use a plain hook baited with a lip-hooked or tail-hooked minnow. A floating jighead tipped with a minnow also is an excellent option.

Excessive line in current creates a bow, particularly when cast across the flow, rather than downstream. To retain the best control, tighten your line as much as possible, minimizing the amount of line making contact with the current. Place the rod in a rod holder, lean it across a forked stick stuck in the mud, or hold the rod tip upright, with a slight bend in the rod tip. Even a light bite will make the rod tip bob up and down, indicating the strike. A reel with a clicker feature betrays line moving out when a fish hits. Or loop a rubber band around the line just forward of your rod tip to further indicate line moving out under a strike.

Pier Fishing -- Allows a blend of tactics employed when anchoring and shorecasting. As with shorecasting, toss a three-way rig along a current break or into the heart of an eddy, and let it sit -- the old soak-and-wait routine. As with anchoring, simply lean your rod tip over the railing, lower a three-way rig to bottom, and let it soak in place. The current will wiggle and wobble your offering, even if the sinker isn't moving. And similar to fishing from a boat, walk around the edge of the pier while lift-dropping your three-way on and off bottom; foot trolling, as it were.

Afoot or afloat, three-ways are indeed versatile systems not to be taken lightly; use sufficient weight to keep the rig in place in the current. And don't overcomplicate their use. They get your bait down and stable in current. What could be more effective?