What is the best style of slip float, and why.

[James Sands]

What is the advantage of using a slip float where your line slides through an eye at the bottom of the float versus a slip float where the line goes through a tube through the center of the whole float?  What do you guys use?

[Walt Foreman]

I use a center slider.  I've tried using the ones with eyes, but in my experience they're much more prone to fouling around the line on a cast than the ones for which the line goes through the entire float; I would venture a guess that that's why the center sliders were invented in the first place.

[carl hendrix]

like walt; i use a center style float to.  also going to try a old porkupine quill float!  it use to be the orginall stealth float; back in the 50;s thru the 60;s!   ask bob garner;; he;s making them now! and loard of the fly rods said its all he uses!!  should be fun finding out how they do!

[John Grider]

I have been trying slip floats lately. With the ones with the eyes, I spent more time unsnarling line that I did actually fishing. I have pretty fair success with the little cheap foam corks allowed to run up the line to a bead instead of being held in place with the small pin. I found some porcupine quills in a little boat store this week and hope to try them this weekend. I also ordered some ESB slip bobbers this week and will try them ASAP. Will report back.

[John Sheehan]

Can you cast Porcupine quills or are they pole floats only?

[Lord of the Fly , Rods]

Sure, I use mine with a flyrod, also put them on my spinning rig, but it what you get use to,I prefer the most sensitive float  ever devised by man , that why I use porcupine quills.

[Dave Campbell]

I ran across your question a bit late for the discussion, but it sounds like what you're asking is more along the lines of 'do they have any weight to assist in casting'?  I make and sell them online, and I can pack a whole bunch of them into an envelope and not exceed the first class 3oz weight limit for the USPS.  They weigh next to nothing.  That's part of their sensitivity.  Being so long and slim, they have the added benefit of going under and dragging behind a fish with virtually NO RESISTANCE, and that's their most important attribute in my opinion.  Almost any small thing that floats will tell you something is nosing your bait - but when something takes that bait and feels resistance, you often get a quick drop.

 I put two illustrations on the website showing how to rig them with either a half hitch over the top or using the more traditional line through the eye at one end and rubber band at the other to keep the float 'in line' with your fishing line.  But they're sure not going to help with casting distance, and if you add a heavy bait, even the larger ones are going to do a slow sink, so a longer pole with very light line and good casting reel would be needed to get any distance.  Thankfully, most bait fishing for bluegill doesn't require a very long throw.

[Donald Kern]

I use the Comal floats-- styrofoam with the  black inserts (line  guides)? Work well for me. Little trick I found is to use the black insert on top  and bottom of the float. At times, if you get hung up and pull hard , the line will make a groove in the float causing it to hang up. This all but eliminates that problem and I believe makes for smoother casting.  

[Allen Morgan]

I have a wide selection of floats in my bag.  Styro, balsa, etc.  Most are slip-floats.  For basic fishing, I too, like the Comal center-slider style of slip floats.  I carry a couple different colors, depending on light conditions when I'm fishing.

Two weeks ago, I got some Thill TG Waggler pencil floats.  Balsa, with a chartreuse and red band of paint on the top of the float.  I've found this float to be extremely sensitive and easy to use.  The only complaint I have is that I got the smaller size, and one little split shot is all the weight it can support.  Two split shot and the float sinks.  I need to go back and get the bigger size, to hold up a little more weight and get me better casting accuracy/distance.

Monday I used that float to successfully catch several decent-sized Crappies.  The bite was VERY S-L-O-W.  The float didn't bob or plunge under, but would slowly start to get pulled under as the Crappie took the bait.  Might take 5 - 10 seconds for the float to completely submerge.  Most floats wouldn't register a bite like that, but this float clearly let me see that it was beginning to go down.

[Craig Stockton]

I like fixed floats but if I use a slip float the 3.5g Raven SX is a good one.  I use clear waggler floats for panfish most times that attach at the bottom only.  They pull under easy (they hold the bait longer) and detect the slightest bite.

 

Craig

 

[James Sands]

Thanks for your replies.  I am still trying to learn about float styles.  So I got a couple of follow up questions.

For those that prefer the "line through the center tube" type of slip float, is there anything else you like beyond that it does not get fouled as much.  Also, I think Lindy sells very tiny snap swivels to attach a "bottom eye" type slip float to your line.  Do those of you who get fouled using a "bottom eye" type slip float have that trouble even if you use that type of attachment?

Allen, and who ever uses "bottom eye" slip floats, is there anything other than the sensitivity of a TG waggler that you like about that type of slip float.

Thanks

[Tony Livingston]

I like the fact that a center slider can be used as a slider, AND a fixed float, without cutting your line and re-tying.

[Donald Kern]

The comal bobbers with the inserts can be made into a fixed float instantly by just taking the insert out and stuffing the line into the bobber and then put the insert back in- no cutting or redoing the the line. I've used Thill, but at anywhere from $1.50 - $2 plus for each float , (versus $24.00 per hundred of 2" Comals), I'll stay with them. If  you fish anywhere around brush with light line, the bluegill know exactly where that brush is and make a bee line to it. Almost made me cry to see the wind take those Thills out of sight.