I have read a lot of stuff on P.P. about float fishing. I really enjoy float fishing, and am thinking of completely eliminating my drift fishing gear. I bought that book by Dave Vedder called Float fishing. I am confused about which way of float fishing is most effective.

I have seen people rig floats two ways.

1. The first way is to have the FLoat then your shot and then a swivel and then your leader. This way nothing is touching the bottom and your bait is about 6-12 inches off the bottom. (Like in the Float fishing book by Dave Vedder.)



2. The second way is to rig it the same way but have the bottom split shot about 1 inch off the bottom and your bait floating to the side of your float almost ticking the bottom. (If you have seen the new Amato Float fishing video this is the way the Canadian guide fishes in the video.)

Which of these ways is the most effective?

What is your favorite style of float?

I would really appreciate any feedback.


P.S. If you have any tips on bobber fishing or how to rig I would really appreciate the help.

Thank you very much,

Jeff

E-mail: jdh156@arczip.com

I am just beging to float fish, so I am by no means an expert, but recently I have been fishing a lot with Thill floats and Steelhead Stalkers. I really enjoy the way they perform. The only drawback to these floats is there cost. Have you tried dink style floats? I have not done much float/bait fishing and usually fish with jigs 1/8 or 1/4. With these styles, there is no need for the addition of shot.

Do a search for float fishing and you should be able to find some more info.

The way that's most effective is the one you fish most effectively. Really.

There's a dozen ways to float fish, with bait, jig, spinner blade, fixed float, sliding float, round float, cylinder-shaped float, with split shot, with leader, no leader, dragging bottom, dead drifting..........you get the idea. And they all work.

Pick one method, fish it a while, and you'll get comfortable with it. I started out with a spinning rod, fixed float on my mainline, and a jig. After I got the feel for that, I tried all sorts of variations in presentation. Just about everything I've tried has worked..........from running spinner blades under a float for silvers, to swimming a jig, to a pink worm on a jighead.

That's a pretty good book and video combo you have there.........you should be able to go out and do some damage.

One thing that I will emphasize is play around with shot patterns. Use bigger shot towards your float and small shot towards your bait or lure. Adjust the shot according to the type of water you are fishing. For example a real fast pocket and you will want all your shot at the connection of the leader and main line, or if your are fishing a slow pool make a gradual taper so the bait stays ahead of the float. Many people don't pay attention to this and it can make or break your day. Also for float selection, stick with fixed floats in IMO unless you are fishing really deep water, slip floats for me never swim right. The line always wants to come through the float especially when holding it back. Hopefully this didn't confuse you too much. The Dave Vedder book has some basic shot patterns for you too look at and you can go from there.

For most situations the float- lead- swivel- leader set up is favored,but in smaller rivers or when short floating over bigger rocks the setup with a small split shot close to your offering can be deadly effective,it helps to keep the bait from floating up.I also use the weights with the rubber peice you twist to keep them on the line,you can change weights quickly and they have a thin profile.Another very important thing to remember when float fishing,always use a large enough float ,its not good if the float is bobbing too much,alot of missed takes especially with bait.
BENT RODS

another thing not to forget , "The bigger the fish, the further their eyes are off the bottom". In other words you don't need to be right on bottom when float fishing, just close to it.

Start fishing higher up in the water and gradually work your way deeper. Depending on how deep the hole is, I start running my jig about 4 feet down. I'll make a few casts and lengthen it to 5 or 6 feet and make some more casts. Continue until you're just off bottom.

Try the dink floats that you wrap line around to stop the bobber; messing with bobber stops sucks when it is 10 degrees out and you have gloves on. I usually tie a swivel and slinky/pencil lead beneath the float, then tie leader to match desired depth below. One more helpful hint; eggs under a float kicks ass, most of the time there is no need for split shot with this rig. I have never caught a fish with a float when my jig or bait is that close to the bottom, I usually keep it about a foot off of the bottom (eggs a little closer maybe). Float on man!