Comment

Comment by Johnny wilkins on November 8, 2014 at 1:11pm

This is really helpful  to see the pictures. I am sure I can wrestle up these old floats and we can do some comparisons. Not only when the water is cold but also when the water is warm - we might get you to fish fixed float on cane pole (it's my thang).

While I love to cast and slip floating to depths is cool, these cut down on your catch rate. 

So the floats below might support a jig and that would be their intention. I preach getting the bait it self very attractive and animated - rather than trying to make the sides (jig) more attractive than the main dish (food). Why make it harder on us?

Instead of using a rod with guides on a fixed float, most situations for panfish and even small cats call for the telescopic pole (Cane Pole Crazy). Much better hook set (awesome prices $10 - $20 pole) and so much fun swingin' fish in through the air. Of course, if you start hooking big ones, like we did at Reel Foot- the long-handled net is always good to have to scoop in a 3 - 5 lb. cat if you can hold them. The only tie I go to a rod and reel on a fixed float is when I get a few beasties in the area and I break off a couple of times - or if they show me signs they are there.

I vow to you the best fixed float and fixed float rig is ready and it will beat those float that you used to know as finesse. In cold water fixed float in the right size is so key to catching some fish. P.S. - I also do cast the fixed float in an even smaller size than those below to catch channel cats, carp, panfish and trout when the conditions are right. Wind kills that.

Comment by David, aka, "McScruff" on November 8, 2014 at 12:29pm

Yep, that jibes with my findings.
I use the type at left when using fixed poles, where casting is not a priority.
Where casting of light tackle IS important, I'll have a short sort of float. Mine are somewhat like yours at right, but not quite as fat. Regardless, they are only about 3" long.

Comment by John Sheehan on November 8, 2014 at 12:15pm

Still trying this fall, to get a "fix" on adept Fixed float use .With cold water at 50 degrees I used these three . The far left is very sensitive but quickly got wrapped up in a 2# test tangle while being employed on a springy 7,1/2 ' Berkley 'Dough Series' rod , putting it out of commission .The middle one using 4# test wasn't being pulled under and I was catching but lost two hooks to fish ,having to cut the line , the far right 'waggler ' using 4#test worked out best .I used an 8' Slab Seeker Zebco rod .

Comment by Johnny wilkins on November 4, 2014 at 10:40pm

In a club outing, I perfectly balanced a new member's float - lower in the water than the black line even. I saw on this day that my neighbor with a larger float that I set up perfectly couldn't muster 10 fish in 4 hours. Just 20 feet away, I had a float that was 1/3 lighter and I caught 14 lb. at about 120 fish. As water chills, fish take their food in lighter, and lighter and lighter. Advantage fish.

Comment by John Sheehan on November 4, 2014 at 9:19pm

Thanks very much for the advice Johnny! I balanced to the black line .I thought I should have gone to a lighter float today ,like you suggest .

Comment by Johnny wilkins on November 4, 2014 at 4:51pm

John,

The weight and buoyancy of that float looks like it is around 2 grams in shot to balance it (or a jig). This seems light, but when the water begins to chill, anything over 1 gram is not going to register the bite. That said- the tool you need for swallowed hooks is the FishSaver hook remover. That said - I am going to tell you to use an even smaller hook once you have this tool because it really doesn't work with anything larger than a #8 or #10. 

With this tool and the use of the smaller hooks - if you are going for perch and gills, you can get them out of their bumms if you need to - well, stomachs.  The only reason I lose a hook is if I am impatient or I hook a monster, but I fish #2 lb. line and don't even break off. 

The secret to this tool vs. a hemostat is that it doesn't damage the line. Needle nose and hemostats have to grab the hook and sometimes those teeth will mark the line. After one or two- you will either lose a fish or lose the hook or both as the line will break. The FishSaver is made of soft plastic that won't damage the knot on your hook.

Simple use - pull the line really tight (you might even bend the rod tip to tension the line - recommended) and slide the notch down the line right to the hook.

Bump inward, 1/4 - turn and out comes the hook and leader every single time. I caught 2,011 fish in 24 hours using this tool. I had quite a few swallowed hooks.

Without that tool, I might have had to re-tie my leader some 100 times!

Reduce the float to a .75 gram balsa float (requires less shot) like the Gapen 5" pencil float and see the difference it makes. Fish it side-by-side with the other in the same conditions and you will be able to tell the difference- the fish can!

Comment by John Sheehan on November 4, 2014 at 4:01pm

Using a 4" fixed Float today I lost a #4 Hook to a Gill and a #6 to a white Perch ,had to cut the line . I usually use #4 ,targeting  Yellow and White Perch and # 6 or smaller for Gills .At times ,it was hard to register that fish took the bait  today ,I was using two shot so the float sat low .

Comment by John Sheehan on January 3, 2014 at 7:41am

Welcome Andy, looking forward to your input!

Comment by David, aka, "McScruff" on November 19, 2013 at 7:37pm

Id be there in a minute!

Going more and often is a key point, for sure. Its kinda my main challenge

Comment by John Sheehan on November 19, 2013 at 12:30pm

Ha ha ,part of being there at the right time is being there constantly .At least lately its been the case . Wish you lived next door so I could show you this spot and watch you fish it while I tie tandem rigs!

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• …
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• …
• 17
• Next ›
• Page