Howdy Snagly,
I like to think I've stripped down the float/jig style to a very basic, versitile method. Beau Mac maribou jig hook's will let you use 20lb. test with no drag skipping a fresh Chum across the surface (of course I'm exaggerating) Sometimes an offering a couple ft. under the surface is likely to elicit a strike because of the "if I gotta move to inspect it, I'm gonna inspect it good" need to justify expenditure of calories. For stale seemingly uninterested fish, that don't spook from my jig. I'll try every size/color at my disposal, It never ceases to thrill me how a cast of the 10th or so color is what those fish wanted. For longer distance control the Styrofoam weighted floats with the concave top's allow for mending not possible with Dink's. It's tough to describe how to do what is second nature for me controlling line off a spinning reel. My left hand retrieves and flip's the bail with no conscious thought, as I free spool I position my rod tip near waters surface, roughly in my line of sight to the float. Then with bail open I lift up keeping my hand on the bail, to about eye level. Close the bail, now lower the rod tip to the water surface as needed to get a couple yd.s of drag free drift. Repeating this throughout the drift keeps me within a couple crank's when the bobber goes down. I crack's me up when I hear people say bobber fishing isn't as exciting, because they can't feel the take. What I've learned is that after a while a bobber going under because of a fish is recognizable from one hitting a stick ect. Adrenaline rush, then when you crank down on a head-shaking chromer the adrenaline flows again. Canadian's Rock.