Float fishing jigheads and plastics

[Spoonminnow]

A few of the lakes I fish are fished by shoreline angler who lose their floats to underwater snags and in trees. I've picked up about 10 in different sizes and wondered how large a float I could use considering I normally use a cylinder float with sticks at both ends, one with a spring for line attachment. I've been under the impression that smaller and thinner is better but today put that idea to rest.

The floats I've recovered are foam or plastic, ball shaped or oblong and all having a clip or two. I used one that was 2" in diameter and attached a 1/16 oz jig with plastic minnow imitation. As usual when using this rig, I like lily pad edges and pockets and cast far ahead of the line of pad edges and slowly work the rig back towards me. The ripple on the water helped the action when the rig was paused.

The crappie were where they were supposed to be in bright sun after 1pm and slowly swam off with the lure, hooking themselves with the least amount of hook set - every time!! I also cast out from the pads in open water about 3'. Same action! That bobber went down as easily as a stick or quill and in fact was easier to get a good hookset than casting/ retrieving. Since the bobber is heavier than the other balsa float I normally use, it casts easier with more precision, further and pitching into pockets.

As you can see, the float distance to the caught crappie was less than in the picture - more or less about 1' in about 4' of water.


A very nice way to catch slabs!

[chucktx]

nice post.....i have also switched bobbers. i now use a rubber bobber made by bonehead tackle. it is a slip bobber and they come in 3 sizes. it makes it much easier to cast a light weight jig.........

[jackie53]

WWW.Crappie magnets.com.might be worth a look!!! as well as their double cross jigheads. hope this help's.

[Spoonminnow]

I really don't need any other slip float than the one I make for pennies, but it's nice to know that small plastic or foam round bobbers work as well and have a good casting weight:

note: the slip/bobber-stopper uni-knot is tied using 17# test fluorocarbon.
Quality jigheads are cheap on E-Bay and I can get them with no barb and in many hook sizes.

The point I was trying to make is that even small sunfish and white perch were able to drag down that round bobber with no effort and that they don't scare the fish!

I use the minnow bait in the picture all year round and wouldn't think of going to any other. It works even better than live bait, which I haven't used in a decade and will get a fish to bite after multiple casts or vertical jigging after a fish follows the lure to the boat (no float).