Float Fishing

Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 8:28 pm

I've never used a float sea fishing before but was thinking of trying something new when the seas become abit calmer. What if i was to fish froma wall or pier or harbour say and just set up a standard rig. I was thinking no weights just e bit of bait on the hook which should also act as a wait for casting and then just stick a float on the line.

How far should the float be from the bait. Should I be fishing on the bottom or half way? Will this method work or am I wasting my time? Anyone got any ideas. :idea:

P.S not targeting any particlar species.

Guest

havent got a clue mate i wonted to no the same things really :lol: i also wanted to no if you cann float fish for bass and a small flat sea :?: :?:

cheers from will big grin

:lol:

Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 8:51 pm

ok cheers. hopefully someone will let us know.

Guest

a hope so m8
from will big grin

:lol:

Guest

I use floats regularly and it's a great way to catch fish in the right spots. You can get self cocking floats ie with a weight built in which slide up the line...the depth is set using a stopknot. If you use one of these floats you can let the bait sink slowly below the float at varying depths until you get it right....or you get bored with experimenting.

The exact depth to fish varies with venue and situation but you will find the method difficult if you try to fish depths greater than the length of your rod.

Incidentially, a favourite of the west country boys is the bubble float, a clear plastic ball that you part - fill with water (for casting weight) but which sits on the surface like a bubble. Coarse anglers use them for fishing surface baits at distance.....they can do the same job in the sea.

Yes holdernessfisherman you can floatfish for Bass using any of the above methods. Mackerel and Garfish will also come well to these tactics.

Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2007 11:13 am

Ive just posted a bit on a cheap float setup on my blog

http://haddock-fishyfishy.blogspot.com/2007/03/tackle-haddocks-rig.html

Member Joined: Dec 07, 2006 Posts: 66 Location: West Wight

I have fished with just a third of a fillet of fresh mackerel cast out on its own with no float or weight but it does depend on the venue. Last summer we tried this of the wall at the cobb at Lyme Regis. In half an hour we had six large garfish approx 2ft+ long and only finished because we had gone with only one mackerel as bait. We have also had bass last year on the same method on the Isle of Wight. Give it a go you may surprise youself and have some great sport tougue

Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2007 1:34 pm

During the summer months fishing with a float in the sea can be alot of fun big grin

and can be a little bit of a break from casting that large lead out :wink:
I guess fishing off the end of a pier or groyne and rocky area`s are best :wink:
Give it a try as seeing that large Sea float dart under is a lot of fun fun fun!!!
Cheers
mrix

Guest

cool carnt wait for the summer hehe big grin

:lol:

Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2007 6:38 pm

I spent a lot of time in the late 90s/early 00s playing about with light gear and float-fishing. Bass, Mackerel, Garfish, Scad and Pollock as well as the 'mini' species all provided great sport. Any bit of sea can produce on the float, but piers, jetties, harbour walls, rocky headlands and long rocky groynes are best.

Long rods are essential. When float-fishing you aren't in direct contact with your bait like you would be legering. You need the length of the rod to pick up the line quickly when striking bites. I used a 1.5lb test curve carp rod of 11.5ft, but I always felt 13ft would be better. Always hold your rod and keep a close watch on your float. Hesitate for a second and you'll miss more fish than you hook.

Always use the smallest float you can get away with. The slimmer the float, the less resistance the fish feels. Less resistance equals more positive bites and fewer dropped baits. Unless you need to support a monster sized bait, avoid those chunky polystyrene sea floats and head for the coarse section of your local tackle shop. Carp wagglers are ideal.

I found the most effecive bait when float-fishing was a thin strip of Mackerel or Garfish skin or a fillet off a Sandeel. Trim as much flesh as possible away from the skin and just pass the hook through the end once. Another great bait, especially for Bass, is live prawn. Ragworm works, but attracts more than it's fair share of small fish so I only really used it when Wrasse were the target species.

Depth is everything. Once you find the depth the fish are feeding you will get constant sport. If the bites dry up, vary the depth until you find the fish again. With the shoaling fish, like Mackerel and Garfish, if you set the float slightly over depth of the feeding fish I often found you picked up the larger specimins. Remember that different wieghts fish at different depths. 1/8oz will fish shallower than 1/4oz with the float set at 12ft because current and tide will affect it.

My basic set up was a stop knot and bead to set the float (free running along the mainline), a drilled bullet above a bead and a swivel attached to the mainline. On the other end of the swivel I attached a trace of 18"-24" with a size 4 aberdeen hook. Mainline was 8lb-10lb mono and the trace was 6lb-8lb mono.

This method works all day (and all night - you can get floats which you can insert a 'starlight') although dawn and dusk are probably more productive, especially for better fish. One really successful technique is to set up a chum slick and trot your float in the current along the slick. The way I always did this was to stick all the mackerel guts and trimmings into a blender with some fish oil and a little bran then empty this mix into a 4 pint milk bottle and freeze it. Tie a length of rope to the handle of the bottle, peirce a load of holes in it and suspend it in the water below where you are fishing. As it defrosts it sends out a lovely scent trail that the fish swim up. I've had Mackerel to 2.5lb and Gars to 3.5lb on this method.

When this method 'clicks' it's great fun and the only reason I no longer float-fish is because I have discovered an even lighter way of fishing - The fly rod.

Guest

Fishing around boat moorings can also be productive. Fish the bait very near the surface and drift it as close to the boats as you dare; the fish will generally be lurking underneath the boats waiting to strike on any prey (or bait) that comes too close. This method has caught me a few Bass in Teignmouth Harbour in the past.

Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2007 1:38 am

I adore float-fishing and for me it is the epitome of fishing methods. To watch the float suddenly dart beneath the waves sets the heart racing and the fight, unhindered by heavy weights, is equally thrilling.
In my opinion, too many sea-anglers 'pooh-pooh' the idea of using float-tackle in the sea and they never try it. They don'y know what they are missing.

My best result with float fishing came at Chesil Beach (Westbexington). I fished a live 'joey' mackerel about thirty yards out just as the sun had slipped below the western horizon and twilight was approaching. The 'take' nearly pulled the rod out of my hands and luckly I had pre-set the reel-clutch as at leat thirty yards of line was ripped off the reel. Once the run had stopped, I tightened into the fish and the rod bent double with what was to prove some ten minutes, or so, later to be an 8lb 5oz bass.

I have taken many fish using float-tackle and one of my favourite baits is a single big king ragworm. Of course, fish-strip also proves very good, even a bunch of two or three lugworm with dangling tails will take a variety of fish.

Tight Lines.

Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2007 1:13 pm

Wow looks like float fishing is really popular. Ive decided to go this Friday and try it out but still have a few questions. I hope someone can help me with these.

1. What is a stop knot??? I dont understand this.

2. Do i have to remove the shock leader or shall i just leave this on.

3. How come that when i put a weight on and cast out the weight of the lead wont take my float to the sea bed.

Any help much appreciated. :?

Guest

1. What is a stop knot??? I dont understand this.

Normally you use a sliding float in the sea, with the line passing loose through the centre. It is stopped, using a bead and a knot tied on the main line, at whatever depth you want to fish the bait at. The idea is that you can move the stop knot to adjust the depth at which you want the bait to fish.

2. Do i have to remove the shock leader or shall i just leave this on

I'd remove it - float gear is generally very light and the leader knot could cause problems with casting with the lighter gear.

3. How come that when i put a weight on and cast out the weight of the lead wont take my float to the sea bed.

Simple - you use less lead. The bulk of sea floats are self cocking, that is they have some weight inbuilt which sits them upright in the water. I tend to add a few lead free split shot a couple of feet above the hook itself to take the bait down to the depth set by the stop knot but this isn't anything like enough weight to sink the float.

As they say, a picture speaks a thousand words, so the links below will give you an idea of the type of floats available and how to use them.

http://www.tacklebargains.co.uk/acatalog/Sea_Floats.html

http://www.torbayfishing.com/rigs/float-fishing.htm

Incidentially, when the weather is calm you can use normal freshwater float fishing gear with coarse floats as most mullet anglers do.

Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2007 3:53 pm

Blackdog. Brilliant cheers mate. That really helps. Im at work at the moment but when I get home i will take a look at those sites. Thanks. :lol: :lol: