When jig fishing, I seem to have the best success when fishing water that is 3 to 5 feet deep, with my jig positioned 2 to 4 feet below my float on a nice, drag-free drift. I have confidence in my presentation under these circumstances. I have less confidence, however, in my ability to effectively fish shallower tailouts and other shallow-water situations with jigs. When fishing tailouts, for example, where the depth of the water gradually decreases as the jig/float heads downriver, I find I tick bottom too frequently for my liking/confidence level. My jig drags the riverbed, my float leans downstream (meaning the float is now IN FRONT of the jig as the setup moves through the shallow water) and I'm left scratching my head wondering what to do. This can't be good -- or can it? Should I simply shorten the length between float and jig until I'm getting the drag-free drift I want? (I generally shorten the length, but only to a point, because the shorter I go the less confidence I have; it's hard to fathom that a steelie will take a jig that's sitting ten inches or a foot below a gaudy float. Or will they?) This is where I need the advice of you jig experts.

Another strategy that I've tried (without success yet) is holding back on the float as it moves through the tailout, thereby assuring that the float remains upstream of the jig. Is this a viable strategy -- or are there better tactics?

One other question that I'd like to throw out is the idea of float color. I typically use Thill floats, which are brown on the lower half. In the summertime, I usually take a black magic marker and darken up some of the fluorescent yellow/orange on the upper half of the float for fear of spooking hot-wired fish in clear water. Does anyone else tinker with their floats like this? I know some people like using round cork floats -- they are pretty natural-looking, and I've had some success with them -- but I prefer elongated float shapes, as they give me a better idea of how and where my jig is performing under the water. Does anyone take their Thill or dink floats and paint them a drab, subtle cork color, or perhaps just all brown to look like a stick floating in the water? What kind of paint do you use?

These questions bring up one final question: what do fish SEE when they see something floating on the surface of the water? I've heard this question bandied about in fly-fishing circles when discussing the merits of floating fly lines. Some fly guys like a drab olive line -- or even white (they say the latter gets "lost" in the brightness of the sky), while others prefer bright orange lines so they can track their fly line. We typically think of black as an unobtrusive color, but wouldn't black show up with absolute clarity when seen against a blue or gray sky? Just wondering what y'all think...