Pole Floats & Cane Pole Tackle

[Johnny wilkins]

My favorite way to fish hands down is the cane pole using a float. Share your float, rig or setup here. This is the best way to catch many and huge BlueGills with live bait. I am definitely Cane Pole Crazy!

[John Sheehan]

I would like to know if any one has tried cutting,drying and using a bamboo section for fishing. I cut a piece about 12 ' long around Christmas time and have it laying under 2 and 1/2 feet of snow on my deck. ( not exactly drying)I was considering tieing a length of line to the end and using it to dip into brush for panfish from a boat or wading around with it.

[bluegillboogieman]

I've never tried cutting my own either. You probably want to use something besides snow to keep the working end straight while it dries. I haven't used a real cane pole in twenty years. Used to have a favorite that I kept and fished with at least 5 years. It was about 10' and had a slender, knobby handle. I can still picture it. Wow! Twenty years and I remember what a certain cane pole looked like!

Since going to telescopic fiberglass, there's just no comparison. I fish mostly with an 8' or 9'. I like that size because the handle is generally more slender and the whole thing just feels more personal when a nice gill gets on. I really prefer the up close and personal to any tackle where they are more than 10 or 12 ft from me when the fight begins. I like the sound of the suck-pop when using a fly rod, and the feel of tap-tap when using an artificial on rod and reel. But there is no comparison to the power you feel from the fish on a short limber telescopic fiberglass pole, not even a cane pole. I never tried carbon fiber but if it's lots lighter and you wonder if you can hold a one pounder with it, I may.

[Johnny wilkins]

Carbon/ Graphite poles are lighter and more stiff than the fiberglass telescopic poles. You would love the speed of that tip for setting hooks on gills. I tried to go old school with a 10' bamboo and the handle started to wear my hand off after a few hours. My 10' year old graphite is ready to retire as the handle section has been cracked and repaired.
I think it is about time.
I discovered pole floats that are rigged and ready to fish- all you have to do is tie them to the pole tip and unwind them to fish. I make these before going out to fish. From the clearance section of a home store, I got a tall glass candle holder.

To save time on the bank, I rig up my float rigs at home in that candle holder filled with water. I add enough shot to get the small antenna down in the water. Once the shot is balanced on the rig, I hook it to that plastic winder and wrap the line around to store it.

On the telescopic pole (collapsed) I wrap a rubber band and attach it to the top of the pole with the rubber band.

When I get to the fishin' hole, I just undo the rubber band and extend the pole. The winder thing jumps and unravels all the way down to the hook. It ends up hanging from the hook. Once you see this, you will think it is the coolest thing ever for cane pole fishing.
In about :10 seconds, I'm nearly ready to start fishing with a perfectly balanced float. Less time on the bank tying lines and more time fishing.
The rubber band is moved from the top- to the handle section. When you aren't fishing, clip the hook to the rubber band to keep your rig neat.

If you are a cane poler - this is the ultimate way to ride! In the picture above- note that only the red tip is on top of the water. The gray area of the float is beneath the water.

I have ordered these ready-made from Europe but this is just not best to do. Fish in Europe are different than bluegill and the rigs tend to be too light for our sandpaper-mouthed bluegills. Hooks also tend to not work for what we want and many of their fisheries are barbless. While barbless is great, when fishing is slow, bait will wiggle off a barbless hook.

I am real close to getting these stocked at my local stores because I think they are the cat's pajamas for new anglers. Once you see one of these, you can make your own rigs and just need the winder. If you are interested in getting them to stores near you - contact me with your local tackle store's info.

[Mac]

Used to do it all the time as a kid. We had a big patch of bamboo in the back yard.

[Johnny wilkins]

I haven't made my own. Most of mine are fiberglass with a few that are carbon fiber.
I know I can find the real bamboo ones for $3 so, not sure I would make my own- I have tried to cut bamboo before, it's like work. Bamboo will be much heavier than the fiberglass and a ton heavier than the carbon poles but, there is nothing more old school than bamboo.
You are on the right track- the Cane pole puts the bait exactly where you want it! The two main benefits of pole fishing- puts the bait EXACTLY where you want it, and, it can hold your bait back against current or wind. When you cast out, you can't control a bait as well as you can if the bait is attached to the end of a pole.

[Jon McLean]

I just got a book that was recommended by float fishing pals at AnglersNet, Allan Haines The Complete Book of Float Fishing.  It is an old book (1989), but it is loaded with fascinating information about floats and weights.