Welcome, Marion. I love fishing cane poles and telescopics here in Georgia. I have several from 10' to 17.5'. To me cane pole fishing is a simple, pure way of catching gills. This type of fishing is how I caught my first gill almost 60 years ago. 

No worries, just wanted to explain the difference. Keiryu is a medium to large fish method.  I started micro fishing about a year ago. The method changed the way I fish. I no longer look to the largest but take pride in the fact I can land small on hook and line. My current equipment includes  a five foot  South Bend telescopic pole, 1# test for the main line, micro split shot, micro floats, #28 flies, #32 snelled hooks, and 1mm micro ice fishing plastics. This set up was responsible for over 500+ fish in the 2-4 inch range. Never had so much fun in my life.

cane.jpgOk, got 4 hanging.  Man! this site is awesome!  give me some time to learn my way around!

http://www.fishusa.com/Product/Thill-Ice-n-Fly-Special-IndicatorFloat

Anyone tried these as floats?  BB split shot and crickets is what I need to float.

Marion, try the Thill Shy Bites or the Ultra Shy Bites. Much more effective.

Thanks man!  What size would you recommend?

For the calm days, or fully insulated from wind, try the 6" skinny. Of course, if you're trying for heavier bait, then 6"+. Windy days, definitely something with a larger oval bottom. The Shy Bite skinny is as close to the quill float as you can get it. Got mine for $1, in a bulk of a dozen during  a sale. Compared between my quill and the Shy Bite, it's practically identical to detection, and weight support equivalent. Very unique.

Thanks for the comments!  I suspect on calm days, the smallest ones will float a BB & bait (cricket or worm) fine?

I've used the 6" mini Thill Shy Bite, support both the mealworm or cricket, yet, still manage to add a mini-splitshot about 9" below the float. So, yes, it should work well with your setup. If your BB is too heavy, just use the bait. That should be more than sufficient. As for the worm, depending on how much of a worm you're using. If it's a red wiggly, not a problem. If it's a full size nightcrawler, that float will go under faster than the Titanic. This may requires you to use the larger Thill Supreme Stealth or Mini-Stealth.

Thanks L-p H

You're more than welcome. Quite a few masters using floats around here. They will chime in later.

Bentley makes one of the most sensitive panfish floats on the market and are priced at about $2.00 each. These are perfect for pole fishing.

Use these - (not found in big boxy stores!) : )

Think smaller float / smaller stores.

Pencil Float

• Here are the advantages of this model:
• Fishes casting or fixed as a pole float and a slip-float or slider.
• Thin design reacts and shows bite easier.
• Works for both small jig as well as fished with shot with grub or red worm. 
• Warranty Against Breakage! Send back broken floats for replacement - WOW.
• Markings Help Anglers Shot and Balance
• Thin tip works in cold water and tough bite situations shows lift sand takes
• Add shot to thin antenna to fish waxes, crickets and spikes for max sensitivity

I already see the " I can't see that small bobber posts" and I appreciate you as well who like a larger bob on your ber...  For my friends with eyesight like mine, try these 6" floats fish smaller than they appear.  If you want to make it sensitive, add shot all the way to the top orange nub and you can cast a mini bobber a long way. 

These are little-known floats - not in many stores that is great for both a short waggler (short but deadly), a slip float and also a pole float all-in-one:

Longer distance cast - easy spot bobbers

You can throw this a long way and fish it in a wind- these are nice and their stems are all fiberglass so they are really strong.

Above are some alternatives to the shy bite and the larger floats below which are more sensitive and versitile. With that mass of wood floating on the water, these are too bulky and "slow to respond" to the lightning fast gill bite, faster than some can react to.  

I will give you a scenarios.

I personally shotted down and balanced a new angler to our club's shy bite. In the March cold water of our event, his float wouldn't show the movement below. The fish could easily take his grub and not move the float enough for him to react. 4 hours fishing - shy bite caught 4 gills. Right next door, 20' away I managed 100+ on a lighter float. Mass matters. Buoyancy = lack of signal to the angler. 

When I have used 1.5 gram floats on tough days- they will sit in the water in cold weather. The last two times out trout fishing, people with 1.5, 3gram and even larger floats were averaging .5 trout. I learned the mass lesson - the trout taught me. I changed from a 1.5 gram float to a 1 gram float and limited out with 20+ fish.

Two times, I switched my neighbor's float and got them each two trout within 10 minutes where they sat the entire time with zero fish.

Fish are there- but mass up top= lack of bait movement below. The hook doesn't physically move into the fish's mouth. Size does matter.

If I had to go with a gram size float (sometimes it is necessary with larger baits or in winds), I would go with a thin stem float. In windy conditions, you will have no choice but move up in float size to punch the cast into the wind.

Sorry - these are what the pencil floats look like. 

The Gapen floats  are 1 gram. Are you slotting with #10 

#6 or #8 is as fine - anything less is really tough to put on typical lines.

If we go with 1 gram which is the smaller float a #6 or #8 is 1/10th of the float.

It is this shot if this is your lowest shot on the line that makes the tip of the float react. With the long, skinny tip vs. the stubby tip you get reaction from the fish take- it moves "faster" - "easier" with less force.

#6 = .1 gram
#8 = .06 gram

You can also try (2) .06 gram spaced apart. Shot patterns are infinite.

Focus on the lowest shot being your "trap switch"  - the rest of the shot function as your weight to cast - they need to live up by the float for casting. They can be spread along the line if using a pole - fixed pole float style.

The advantage we have as pole anglers is to adjust this shot more.  We don't have to have the shot up by the float. 

As you want to get is a good shot for that red section of the float antennae for grubs, 1/2 red worm, waxwork and spike.

Not have I designed a float, I also have some wicked poles on the way and can't with for this Spring! Formula 1 Cane!!

There are only 52 members of this section of the site - but this section catches a ton of fish - a lot - trust me. This is the good stuff.

 I have not been able to find anything under 1.5 grams in the US . In fact, I've been patting myself on the back finding these . I know the UK  runs down to about .4 gram but have a problem paying $10.00 a float with shipping. Guess I'll have to re think that. I'm very interested in the poles. When you get a chance, google micro fishing and you will understand why. 

Trophy.

Joe, you won't have to pay $10 a float for much longer.  I fish micro for big fish too. 

Micro = Mondo - I destroy local anglers in trout fishing and they think my spot is the best spot. The joke is on them when they crowd in and still can't catch with their 3 gram and 8 gram floats. I am fishing .75 gram or .5 gram sometimes and have caught trout on the pole.

Good fishing is coming to our continent it is almost ready.

1 gram floats are a very good start vs. the shameful stuff I read out there and see at seminars. The pole section will dominate and some may never join up in favor of $275 rods and $300 reels - they might never know true fishing joy.

Pole Fishing is unmatched. 

Love that monster, small is beautiful. I look forward to seeing your offerings. Hope you offer a nice 6 -7 foot telescopic pole ( 1.5 oz or less). That's the sweet spot for micro fishing.

Hey guys- thanks for the kind words. It is great that there is only 20" of ice left on the ponds today. The cold water starting out this April will provide a great challenge to anglers - I am so fired up about fishing this season - the most ever for me.

Side note- when I said I "destroy local trout anglers" I feel bad about it. I am not bragging I am talking statistics. The last three times out I have had a really nice person next to me. As I catch trout, I can see them trying desperately to pull every trick out of their bag. Unfortunately they don't have the good floats, hooks, line and bait I have. After so long, it wears on me a bit. They start slinking. The last three times out I then offered to help them and / or use my gear. It is so rewarding to watch someone go from depressed, sad, lake-eyed to landing a fish and jumping up and down.

The very last time in the Fall this happened, I had hooked some 20-plus fish - neighbor zero. I was kind. He didn't make comments about how I was lucky and he didn't above all cast in on my spot. This is an automatic for me - I always help those with manners. I asked and he took my spinning gear and cast in.

Sure enough - the largest trout of the day came out of the water like an ICBM about 6" to the side of the float - straight vertical. I said to him - that trout's on tighten up.

If he didn't catch the biggest trout when I packed up! So I had a keep bag and after he had caught another 2 trout, I let one trout go and was trying to beat dark by catching a big one. It took me 5 little catch-and-releases to hook up an a beast. Moral - good things come to those who help others to fishing success!!

A police artist's sketch of our last monthly meeting of Cane Pole Crazy... should have posted this in here...

Cane Pole Club starting near Chicago. It will be REEL cool! Serious if you are interested, we fish a lot of cane-friendly waters starting in Late April. Join us.

Johnny

Who is the printer. Love old paper. 

Hauled out my 15 footer and some worms the last few days. Been hauling in the gills since.

The fish are happier than with me flingin flies at them, it seems!

Cane Pole Technique Update

Been using a BnM cane pole for the last two months and it's been a blast. I'm using a bit of a different technique. Instead of using a float, I have been using line markers to make my line visible above water. I'm finding that my fishing became more active and I was able to react quicker with less deep hooking. My catch rate improved about 25%. since I was able to detect more side movement . The key is a tight line. 

17th  Century Cane Pole fishing - Japan . I just love the history of Fixed Line Fishing

Very cool past two posts on your part Joe!

John 

Thanks. The marker post is the one  that most cane post fishers can use. The item is really about 2 dollars  if you use poly wool . Just need a bright color and use an over hand knot every 18 inches. Just need to use three markers on the line about the water line. 

Thanks for the tip Joe! Hooking them too deep is often a problem for me.

(Also had two gnarly catches this summer- the hook went through the poor little guy's eyeballs! It was probably from using a cane that was way too stiff. I'm retiring that one...)

Also thought I'd share a couple pictures. These are details from a cane pole kit I bought ($2!) at a neat little outlet store. The pole is bamboo, breaks in two, about 5'; great for dock fishing. It came with these for tackle: (no, I haven't used it, I don't trust that line!)  Notice that the hook has no eye!

I have to weigh in. Plastic - bad. Line, bad, hook bad - the winder looks like it might be helpful - nope, too short - bad. 

That said- it probably will fish better than most things in most tackle stores (bad).

Suzanne, can you put it in a bucket of water with the split shot off the bottom?

I would love to see their idea of a one split shot rig and float balanced out. My guess is that 85 - 90% of that plastic bobber is going to sit above water and it will lie on its side. (bad).

Great you are fishing a cane pole - there is no better way to catch fish. The rig leaves a bit to be desired and - advantage fish.

I don't know the printer of that piece - it came from a vintage book. Might be an old Rendezvous from Ye Ole Giantore BlueGill (the scroll)

Suzanne

With switching to line markers, I barely used floats this season. I use a 7 foot Japanese telescopic pole, #18 hook and 2# test. I caught fish in the 2-9 inch range with the majority between 4-7 inch. The markers detect both up and down as well as side to side motion. Think I had maybe 2-3 deep hooks the entire season of over 800 bluegill all C&R. This season taught me that short pole, short lines work from the shore. You just have to work a bit harder since the effective range is only 8-10 feet. 

David, I'm surprised to hear that these outfits aren't unusual. I'd only seen such a thing once before, at  little grocery store at Chautauqua Lake, a couple years ago. That's very interesting about tabbed hooks. I think it's barbless too, so that'd be even better for non-fishing folk buying this for their kids while spending a day at the lake.

Johnny, I don't trust that tackle either. The rod is nice and whippy, and sensitive enough, so I tied on some 15 lb braid and a snap swivel for a mono leader. The line that came with the rig just looks weird to me, and it has memory of that too-short winder. Unfortunately I can't try out the sinker & bobber right now- they're in NY, I'm in bone-dry CA.

You are right - most of the time that line on these plastic float rigs is useless- stiff, crimped and has sat on the winder so long it won't straighten out. The line is cheap quality boat rope - very thick. Many items from China are seconds which we find on Ebay - there is a reason they are so cheap, seams, paint, poor design and bad.

The floats I see made on here are much, much better from our members such as the awesome quills and cobb floats - these are functional and not plastic. Plastic is heavy and communicates poorly - is hard to pull under by the fish - clunky. Line markers vs. these plastic floats- big advantage line markers. In many situations, the proper float can not be matched by anything for presenting the bait to the fish in varied wind conditions, depths and distance from shore.

This weekend was a cold-front bite at a new lake for me. When I [ plumbed it up ] - pole anglers you should know this term - I found a small man-made cut just outside of pole range. Where my kids were going to fish, it was only 9" deep. Curtains in the cold.

With the wind, my 14' poles wouldn't reach that drop-off. I am almost positive the fish would not pass this point in numbers, this extra foot of water would hold many fish. Unfortunately, the mom who picked the spot was telling me where we should hold the event.

I did what I could with 9" of water following 2 days of cold and rain. Sometimes, people don't listen to facts and knowledge. We as humans tend to know -it. When we do, we miss out. Simple. She missed out on 250 fish for her kids. Even i still listen to what the fish tell me. I said there was a lake a mile away which I knew the area- she knew differently. It is good to try and think outside of your box - many times. Your knowledge can box you into a coffin, it can help you miss a lot.

I just have to finish what I started - I am very near completion but I have worked for 5 years now on the perfect gear for all fisherman but especially for panfish / bluegill anglers - it is my favorite fishing, catching 50 - 450 of these on a Saturday can't be beaten by much else. I have some tools, some floats and soon some rigs and definitely the best selection of hooks and leaders available. 

As for the deep hook - I can get a hook out of the outhouse the gill just used if you know what I mean. A company stopped selling the good hook removers so I worked to find these also and get them back on the market. The iron hook remover was around in the 1870's - made by Pflueger - it doesn't float and it is really heavy.

Essentially - our tackle is bad because of the popularity of bass fishing. Nothing else matters to these tackle manufacturers. I went to look for the telescopic pole a member posted on here and it appears there are only 2 left in North America? This really gets my blood boiling. 

Well - I close by saying - anyone in the cane pole area- you are doing it right. You are outside the box and enjoying the direct connection to the fish you catch. You are a quick-strike predator. With your gear you are a top bluegill angler. This is the method which I used to catch 2,011 fish in one day and is also the method used for the current world record - a pole, a line, a float a hook. Action jackson!

Deep-hooked bluegills can be saved using this tool - it is the best method short of cutting your line immediately (which I recommend to save trophy gills if you have any trouble - cut the line!) Fish Saver Hook Remover

I use this when fishing the cane pole and when casting. It is made of nylon so it won't damage fine leader line - won't bend then hook either!

Simple to use - just remember:

1. #1 keep your line tight! Very important Use the bend of your cane pole or rod to keep tension on the line
2. Slip notch onto line (some people wrap line around 1 time here)
3. Slide tool down to hook
4. Bump + 1/2 turn

That's it. Works on most hooks sizes 8 - 16.

This is the tool that they stopped making and it is one of a few things I can not leave the house without. Rescues 99% + deep-hooked fish. The tiny silver dollar-sized fish are tough to save, this accounts for some mortality as these tiny fish go into shock much easier and have smaller gills, mouths etc. more apt to be mortally wounded.

Hey everyone I just got a 16 foot telescoping wonderpole! I dont have any prior experience with a cane pole. Ive heard different ways on how to tie the line to it. Could you guys give me some suggestions? thanks! 

Used dollar store hot dogs last Friday for Bluegill. Stopped counting at 50+ in 2 hours. Was using a 270 cm ( about 9 feet) Shimotsuke Kosasa telescopic rod , 2# test, no float or line indicator and an Owner #10 Mosquito hook. Most fish were in the 5-8 inch range. Just an amazing day. JDA

David

Owner Mosquito hooks are great for panfish. I use sizes 10-12-14 . The hooks are single wire and  are circle like. I find most hooks sets are in the corner of the mouth or in the nose. They run about 12 for $2.59 

Do they make Mosquito hooks with as thin a gauge as Aberdeens?