Thread: Got distance?

I read a lot about pencil floats for crappie and bluegill but I have a dilemma. I don't normally get out in a boat so I need some advice.

I have had some luck fishing close in shore but a majority of the crappie I see that have any size are way out the middle. I have tried casting bobbers throwing well past the fish and bringing it back but I either miss the fish or they steal the bait.

Is there a sensitive pencil float that I will see the fish bite even the lightest nibble that can be cast well over 50 feet? Sometimes it is 30 yards or more to where the fish are in the rock pits that we find them in the most in my area. A casting bobber is fine for distance but I think it spooks the fish with the huge splash even though I cast well past them not to mention the size of the thing.

No such thing as a heavy float/bobber to cast way out that will have super sensitivity. Either use a bait they will hold on to longer like a minnow or get ya a float tube. Slightly lighter line and a slightly heavier float with your bait closer to the float will increase casting distance a tad. Maybe a fly rod. I use really small floats and baits and have a hard time getting any real distance, im still very happy with how effective the rig is though. I dont spook fish with my casts and will catch anything that would nibble the bait.

try putting a pencil float between the casting float and the bait. You will see the bite on the pencil float long before it gets to the casting float. be sure to put it 8 to 12 inches behind the casting float.

You know those cheap foam pencil bobbers they sell at Walmart? I can throw one of them about 25 feet. They are very light and not very aerodynamic. Is there a pencil bobber that has a little more weight to it? It should cast farther than the cheap ones and be a lot more aerodynamic. Some of them I see look like they should be heavier and a lot more streamline, especially some of the ones that have a larger bulb in the middle.

Originally Posted by fish_4_all

Is there a sensitive ... float that I will see the fish bite even the lightest nibble that can be cast well over 50 feet?

Yes, it's called a waggler. It's all I ever use. Big wagglers can easily be cast 50-60 YARDS, and are far more sensitive than other floats.

Every year since about 1957, there has been a world championship of float fishing. It attracts the best float fishermen from over 40 nations, and the only floats they use (for rod and reel applications) are wagglers.

The Thill wagglers are readily available from Bass Pro and Cabelas. FishUSA.com and Wackerbaits.com carry Drennan wagglers.

Do a search for "waggler" and "deathb4disco", and you'll find more info. I've posted a lot about them.

Okay, I think I have the basics down. The float is threaded onto the line and shot is used to hold it in place. The amount used depends on the float size for still water.

The thing I don't get is I don't know if they work the way I used to fishing a float. My basic fishing style with a float has been to use a stick bobber that lays flat on the water. When a fish hits it the bobber stands up and I set the hook. I understand that the Waggler isn't fished this way or can it be used that way?

I also see that it has the possibility to actually raise up out of the water when a fish hits the lure/bait because it also lifts a shot making the rig lighter.

Can anyone help me decide on a float that I can cast a good distance, I know I have to sacrifice some, that I can fish without adding shot down the line from the float? I really like to fish a clean leader from the float to the bait without any weight at all away from the float. Either a float that only leaves the tip up or one that I can let lay flat on the surface to indicate even the slightest bite. And still only use the weight of a small bait?

I guess I am being too picky but I know how I like to float fish. I think my methods can still work for crappie and gills. If they can't, please let me know and I can adapt my methods to match the floats I need to use so I can finally see that tiny little bite that I miss with other floats and not have the fish drop the bait before I can set the hook.

f4all the heavier the float in a tip up float anyway the less sensitive they are to soft bites. My family is Native American and we have alot of ways to fish "floats " We use more dense woods than balsa to get the weight and still have a tip up style float. Can you buy them?? I have never seen them for sale. My late uncle used to make almost all of ours. He used everything from river cane to cedar with cedar being the heaviest. He farmed for a living in South Georgia and during the winter he made floats...he tried everything...he even made some floats out of pecans...his son, my cousin was a trouble shooter for sears and he was very handy with a lathe so he helped my uncle alot with his hobby. unfortunately he suffered a stroke from a aneurysum and is unable to make them any more. Neccessity is the mother of invention so maybe you need to sit down and study about all the things you want the float to do and make a f4all float. It could turn out to be a hobby in itself and I bet you would enjoy it too.
brim

Originally Posted by fish_4_all

The thing I don't get is I don't know if they work the way I used to fishing a float. My basic fishing style with a float has been to use a stick bobber that lays flat on the water. When a fish hits it the bobber stands up and I set the hook.

The most sensitive float is the one with the least amount of float sticking out of the water. This also means that the fish feels the least amount of resistance. What you're talking about leaves the entire float on top of the water. This maximizes the resistance to the fish and minimizes sensitivity. That's the exact opposite of what you want.

Originally Posted by fish_4_all

I understand that the Waggler isn't fished this way or can it be used that way?

It can be fished that way but, for the reasons I mentioned above, it's not something you want to do.

Originally Posted by fish_4_all

I also see that it has the possibility to actually raise up out of the water when a fish hits the lure/bait because it also lifts a shot making the rig lighter.

Yes, that's one of the big advantages of a waggler -- the ability to show lift bites.

Originally Posted by fish_4_all

Can anyone help me decide on a float that I can cast a good distance, I know I have to sacrifice some, that I can fish without adding shot down the line from the float? I really like to fish a clean leader from the float to the bait without any weight at all away from the float. Either a float that only leaves the tip up or one that I can let lay flat on the surface to indicate even the slightest bite. And still only use the weight of a small bait?

I don't understand your aversion to having weight down the line from the float. You need some weight down the line to aid in sensitivity. That weight can be in the form of a small split shot 6"-18" from the hook or a light jig. Either way will work.

Originally Posted by fish_4_all

I guess I am being too picky but I know how I like to float fish. I think my methods can still work for crappie and gills. If they can't, please let me know and I can adapt my methods to match the floats I need to use so I can finally see that tiny little bite that I miss with other floats and not have the fish drop the bait before I can set the hook.

I abandoned my float methods about 15 years ago for the English style taught to me by my mentors (two transplanted Englishmen.) If you put a gun to my head I wouldn't go back!

Okay, then lets see if we can find me a float that will work. Most of the time the water is rough with waves about 1-2 inches high. I am fishing in deep water, the lakes around here that have big crappie and gill are close to 30 feet in most areas, most of the time anyway. I need to cast at least 20 feet and most of the time i need to throw up to 50+ feet. I use medium light 5'6" to 6' rods. 6# mainline with a 4# leader. I do often fish with a braider line for casting a bobber so I don't break them off but I always use a 4# leader. Point me in the right direction please. Trout can be just as finicky at times so I will probably use it with them also.

As for not wanting a weight on the leader line, my trout bite to cast ratio tripled when I stopped using weight on my leader. Clear water conditions are common most of the summer here so I try to use as clean a presentation as possible. Maybe it doesn't and won't matter for crappie/gills so I will have to give the shot down the leader a try. Fishing with a clean leader outfished most everyone else that fishes bobbers/floats for trout on any given day so I figured it would work as well for panfish.

Originally Posted by fish_4_all

Okay, then lets see if we can find me a float that will work. Most of the time the water is rough with waves about 1-2 inches high. I am fishing in deep water, the lakes around here that have big crappie and gill are close to 30 feet in most areas, most of the time anyway. I need to cast at least 20 feet and most of the time i need to throw up to 50+ feet. I use medium light 5'6" to 6' rods. 6# mainline with a 4# leader. I do often fish with a braider line for casting a bobber so I don't break them off but I always use a 4# leader. Point me in the right direction please. Trout can be just as finicky at times so I will probably use it with them also.

For this type of fishing, you'll have to use a slip float (called a "slider" by the English.) Here's a good basic article on "how to" with the slider. It contains an excellent diagram on how the rig should look.

Commercials Part 12 – Advanced Float Fishing - FISHINGmagic Reference

I'd just use one of the Thill balsa wagglers with this set-up.

Originally Posted by fish_4_all

As for not wanting a weight on the leader line, my trout bite to cast ratio tripled when I stopped using weight on my leader. Clear water conditions are common most of the summer here so I try to use as clean a presentation as possible. Maybe it doesn't and won't matter for crappie/gills so I will have to give the shot down the leader a try. Fishing with a clean leader outfished most everyone else that fishes bobbers/floats for trout on any given day so I figured it would work as well for panfish.

When I fish maggots for gills, I put a SMALL shot about 6-8" from the hook, usually a #8 Dinsmore. It's about 1/16" in diameter. (Bass Pro carries the Dinsmore shot in their fly shop.) I've never had a problem catching gills or trout with this set-up. I'm not really sure how big a weight you're using, though. I'm sure using bigger shots down the line would spook fish.