Mini "Open Water Slip Float Rig"

[Slip Sinker]

Concept:

To design and implement a 5* fun factor slip float set-up for use mainly fishing out of the kayak. Employing mainly short accurate casts into weedy pockets, along laydowns and cast along weed edges targeting mainly the “Panfish”

Design:

Last season I had a blast with the short 3’ “Dock Demon” type fishing rigs teaching the g’kids float fishing around shore and tossing out of the boat. Utilizing the short vertical jigging rods last couple of seasons… there is no denying its fun factor 5 star while fishing these rigs. It was only a matter of time on taking that concept to another parallel level with the floats.

So I started with a 24” lite action ice rod by Berkley paired with a 50 series ice spinning reel loaded with ice 2# braid. I have a trio of favorite UL floats made by Thill that I used last season carrying over to the new 2-0’ UL float set-up concept.

The slip knot started out with 20-0# Dacron knowing right from the start it was going to be a problem once it reached the spool. Any float stop wound on the spool is a potential casting problem… all included…. Manufactured or fabricated they can cause a float fisherman’s nightmare. Line peeling off the spool behind the knot catches and abrupts the cast.

Tying your own stop gives you that opportunity to dial down on knot material dia. to diminish knot size and interference. Using different knots composed of braid material started a series of extensive hands on testing. The knot also had to be large enough to stop the float at the stem diameter opening. Smaller openings on floats work best because they only require a small diameter knot to Stop the Float and causes less conflict on the spool during the cast. The knots stopped and casted well with knots tied from 6-0 to 8-0# braid from the more supple Spider Wire brand braid. However the knots slipped on the tiny diameter 2-0# ice braid… using mono as a mainline the knot held much better but the line diameter also changed at 400%. I refuse to use mono in this situation  for many reasons … the main reason being … mono wrapping around weeds and weed stalks releases fish during the fight because of stretch… a negative known variable. I needed the weed cutting asset the thin braid brings to the table. I refused to give that up in this design.

I could have been some what satisfied leaving well enough alone because most of my UL Slip Float fishing is done in less than 2-0’ FOW last season. So chances are my stop would have never reached the spool. Guides were the only interference. The ice rod also provides larger diameter guides.

Pushing a little further I needed thin knots as well as a grip the larger poundage Dacron provided.

Break thru…Its all in the knot:

I doubled up some fly tying thread and utilizing the common Uni knot I ended up with a tighter gripping low profile knot that casted almost flawlessly from the spool. However the knot was so thin it slid thru the diameter in the plastic or glass stop beads. Finding a source for a smaller bead will resolve this issue. I am able to utilize the plain Thill bobber with the thin diameter thru the stem shn on the right until I procure the smaller beads..

Taking the set-up on its first outing next week… still too early in my books to be successful in a fishing pattern bit I need to know the feel on the finished product… I forecast it to be a blast.