Thread: Float And Fly

Originally Posted by jackie53

Really enjoy fishing the float and fly.my go to now is the trout magnets and crappie magnets,Trout magnets for gills and crappie magnets for crappie and smallmouth. We have bluff walls setting in 100' of water early spring feb-march can tear up the big smallmouth.8-9 ft rod is a must!! Just another tool in the bag.Jeff"trout magnets" on youtube has some good videos using this tech for trout and crappie.Our two cents.

Yeah I got those bluffs too on Center Hill and Dale Hollow...makes for some great fishing.

Regards


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I use a clear casting bubble and 1/64 hand tied jigs. Fill the casting float half full of water and you cast that micro jig along way. I just a popping motion to work the jig. You can even use a trout fly if you want your bait on the surface. Eagle Claw makes a 1 inch casting float while Southbend makes a 1 1/4 inch model. They work great for gills and crappie.

While fishing from a boat I won't usually use a float unless fishing a large flat of shallow water. However, from shore the added weight of a float is very helpful. I use a weighted Styrofoam float and set it 2 - 3 feet deep and, like others have said, usually use a plastic body jig in 1/32 - 1/64 oz. instead of a hair jig. I don't generally pop it or add any action, but reel it steadily about as slow as I can stand to and letting what ever wave action there is give it movement. Also works with wet flies like a black gnat or black ant pattern. Works all year long in shallows and along weed lines as well as on surface feeders suspended over deep water. Not as productive as crickets in my experience, but still a way to catch quite a few if you don't like live bait or prefer to catch and release.

I caught several these one day .
After thinking it over , I’ve also caught big gold shiners in early spring on the float and jig , and trout . I’ve hooked a giant grass carp a couple of times , but just couldn’t loosen the drag fast enough to handle them . Those things are like hooking a runaway freight train ! Gillchaser

This year I've fished fly rod spoons in silver and bronze under a clear water-filled float with 4 lb mono and caught bluegills, crappies and bass. When the bluegills were on their beds it was fast fishing.

Originally Posted by Gill Fisher

Do any of you guys ever use a technique called “Float And Fly?” As I understand it, it involves suspending a very small jig beneath a bobber to catch bream. If any of you use that technique, please tell me everything I need to know to give it a try. Do you just let the jig sit there or do you retrieve it? Slow and steady or slow rod twitches and stops, etc? What jigs do you use? Color combinations? How deep? Everything else I don’t know enough to ask? Thanks.

its a proven tactic. i think they make float and fly rods that have plates at the bottom of the handle where you just shake the rod and the lure will have a vibrating movement without actually moving the lure from where i sits. i do something very similar with my fly rod with a tiny jig and strike indicator.

Gillchaser999 - Nice catches there. How do you like your TFO Trout-Panfish rod? I was a fan of TFO when I fly fished. Still tie jigs for crappies and bluegills; a lot of estaz and marabou.

Originally Posted by Homewaters

Gillchaser999 - Nice catches there. How do you like your TFO Trout-Panfish rod? I was a fan of TFO when I fly fished. Still tie jigs for crappies and bluegills; a lot of estaz and marabou.

I like it better than the 6’ TFO spin/fly . Reminds me of my St Croix Panfish , the way it fishes . UL but fast action , with a little more backbone in the butt section .
I’ve just picked up a couple Berkley Lightning Trout Rods that show promise , especially for what they cost . A 8’ UL and a 7’ light . I had to straighten a couple of guides on both when I got them , but they were less than $40 each . Both would make great float n fly rods . Gillchaser