Float Hopes
Bobbers schmobbers, I’d rather do anything than use
a float! That’s the mind set of a lot of anglers that
think the technique is to too simple, or too basic. There
welcome to their opinion but that attitude is costing them
some fish, and leaving plenty for the rest of us. Successful
float fisherman have found that this tried and true method
can get a bait into areas thatheretofore have been nearly
impossible to fish. By putting the right bait in the right
place and keeping it there you can maximize your chances for
boating ol’ marble eyes. A float (a.k.a. bobber), can
do exactly that, but to get the job done certain factors have
to be taken into consideration. The key is knowing the where
and when, and then taking advantage of what can be a perfect
situation. . The “where” is ninety percent of
the equation and will determine if a float is the best application
for the given situation. Areas that would get the thumbs up
are shallow rocky reefs and bars, (the obvious), as well as
deeper points and humps, and even specific areas along weed
edges. Specific areas include deep weedy points, inside turns,
and open pockets in the middle of a weed flat. All of the
aforementioned areas can help to concentrate fish, and is
a situation custom made for a float and live bait presentation.
Anytime walleyes bunch up in specific easily identified areas
floats have a chance to produce. Flats, gradual breaks, and
anywhere you find fish that are spread out gets the thumbs
down. For floats to be effective you better have a concentration
to work as the method is simply too slow to cover a lot of
water. Situations like these call for quicker methods like
rigging or even trolling, which can allow you to move much
quicker and get your bait in front of a much larger audience.
The father and son team of Derk and Cameron Hyde teamed
up with the author to nail this nice walleye.
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At the center of the presentation is the
float itself, and there has never before been so many
options. The latest entries are the European style floats,
which have earned a spot in the walleye angling lineup.
Although the sleek European floats can be effective, they
are definitely not for every situation. Where they have
proven themselves is under tough conditions, and dead
calm water. The sleek slender style offers little resistance
to a fish that has taken the bait and will keep him holding
on longer, giving you more time to set the hook. Too much
resistance and a light biting walleye can easily reject
the bait, leaving you empty handed. Where they don’t
do well is under the onslaught of heavy waves, which just
so happens to be when shallow water walleyes are most
active. The problem with the slender profile float is
their lack of buoyancy which allows the float to slide
into and under the first good wave, never to be seen again
until reeled back in. A situation like that calls for
a good old fashioned Styrofoam slip bobber, which has
the ability to stay on top of the heaviest seas and can
help to keep your bait in front of the fish, where it
belongs. To keep the resistance problem to a minimum add
as much split shot as you can while still retaining the
ability to stay on top. |
The whole idea behind a float is to suspend a bait like
a leech, minnow, or night crawler, and there are several options.
The first option would be the use of a plain hook which is
used most often. Good hook selections would match the size
of the hook to the bait being used. Leeches call for hooks
in sizes six to eight, like a #6 Northland Tackle’s
Super Glo Hook. Crawlers are better suited to hooks in sizes
four to six, while minnows may range from six to even a 1/0,
depending on the size of the minnow. Another option is to
replace the plain hook with a small jig head. Jig heads do
a couple of things including giving the bait some color, as
well keeping a swimming bait pinned in place. Leeches and
minnows tend to swim up and out of the walleye zone and who
would blame them. Jig heads in the 1/32 to 1/4 ounce range
are the ticket, like a Northland Doodle Bug which is really
designed for ice fishing The thing is it was designed for
a straight up and down presentation and has a nice wide gap
which will mean more fish hooked. The key to it all is to
use just enough weight to keep the bait down. Hooking options
include running the hook through a leeches sucker (which is
the tail end), and will allow it to keep swimming and attracting
’eyes on the prowl. Crawlers can be hooked through the
middle which will help to nail the short strikers. Another
method uses a half of a crawler that is threaded onto a jig
head. If you’re using crawlers and missing fish try
the half crawler option.
One of the toughest parts of successful float fishing is
setting the hook after a fish has taken the bait. To ensure
good hook sets you’re going to have to get the slack
out. To help with the slack factor longer spinning rods like
St. Croix’s eight foot Slip Stick are in order. The
Slip Stick is telescopic and will fit in just about any rod
locker and is perfect using live bait and float. The longer
right with it’s light tip allows you to pick up more
line on the set, which will result with fewer misses. Float
fishing has gone high tech and is a weapon that deserves a
spot in any serious walleye anglers arsenal. The next time
you run into walleyes in a bad neighborhood or with a bad
attitude try giving a float a try, as you just might surprise
yourself.
Ron Anlauf
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