Floats used while spider rigging. Pros/Cons

[brobrash]

Is there any advantage to using slip floats or other types while spider rigging stump filled lakes? Saw several people do it but not up close and wonder about the advantages. Thanks for any info.

[STUMP HUNTER]

I like to use floats when the crappie are shallow and I'm spider rigging. You can see even the lightest bites but most of the time they will hit hard and take the float under fast. You can control your depth very easy too. I have never found a down side to fishing with floats but I spider rig moving very slow. I don't use a float if I'm using much weight, a split shot with a #2 gold hook or a jig of 1/16 or smaller. Lot of fun watching those floats go under.Thumbs Up

[tear-em-up]

We do it all the time cause our water is shallow and stumpy we almost have too . Sometimes we put bobbers out the back and just dangle jigs off long rods out the sides. I like using bobbers too because its easier to keep your lines apart by setting them at different distances back.We normally troll in 5-7ft. and set the bobbers 4ft deep. with either 1/16th jigs or 1/32 jigs.

[brobrash]

Thanks for the info.

[kingkrappie]

the downside is if you're trying to move faster than slow, trolling out of the front and trying to keep your hooks down, the floats will add drag. the pro's are, for us anyway, are the floats are better during a light bite so the fish don't feel the tension of the pole and you can see the bites easier, also when the water is choppy, the right cigar slip float paired with the right weight will cut through the waves rather than bounce your bait.

[jimmie]

thanks

[sparkie51]

Use the wind to your advantage, it will blow your boat at a good clip. I position the boat side ways to the area I want to fish and instead of using small floats I go to the largerest size that I have and add extra weight to balance it so that no matter how fast I'm drifting the float will stand straight up amd you can still see those light bites. I start about a foot to foot and a half above the hook and keep adding split shots until the float will stand erect. On most bites the float will move off to the side.

[rnvinc]

One disadvantage to using a slip float while trollin (fast or slow) is the tendency of the slip float to slide down the line to the bait from the drag of the water against the float...

You can prevent this from happening by using a bobber stop above AND below the float...then when you want to use the rig as a slip float to cast..just slide the lower bobber stop down to the bait out of the way...

Rickie

[brobrash]

Awsome info on all the comments, really appreciate all the things I never thought of.

[crappiemax]

the right cigar slip float paired with the right weight will cut through the waves rather than bounce your bait.

I don't do it often but this is my set up. I find I try to fish 1/2 to the bottom.