# Floats



## thumb fisherman (Jan 17, 2012)

Hey everyone. I have been steel fishing for a few years now and have done well bouncing bottom, but I have learned that during the winter months, fishing with a float can be effective. I have been scouting the PM and havent done the best. Can anyone fill me on the general depth to run a float in the PM. What Depth ranges are there in that river? Any information would be happy. I love catching steelies and would love to figure this float technique out. At least so I feel confident and not like I am doing something wrong :help:


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## METTLEFISH (Jan 31, 2009)

Do you mean bobbers?..


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

You need to be able to adjust the depth of your presentation quickly and easily. Fish will be in 5 foot deep holes, and 10 foot deep holes - and you need to be able to fish them wherever they are. Learn to rig a bobber so you can adjust the depth quickly and easily. A little bit of surgical tubing works wonders.


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## Trout King (May 1, 2002)

Yep, surgical tubing works wonders. I put a piece on the top and bottom sections of the bobbers, this way you can always keep a direct connection to the bobber and keep it from drag. When bobber fishing make sure that you try to avoid a belly in the line (try to keep a direct connection to the bobber and not let the line touch the bobber), and use enough weight to get the presentation down. I like enough weight to where the bait is slightly slower than current speed. With the tubing you won't cut your line and lopse bobbers. You can easily slide the bobber to proper depth. Usually want your bait within a foot of the bottom. If you don't know the depth estimate to start and adjust the depth from there. Your bobber will tell you when you are rubbing bottom by showing you the drag, usually tilting top down current. When you attach weight I try to avoid putting weight on the leader because it may weaken the leader. The main line should be heavier than the leader, so if you get hung up you don't lose everything. In the PM typically 10 or 12lb mainline for standard spinning rigs is sufficient with a leader tapered down to 8 or 6lb. Float fishing definately has its days, but bottom bouncing is equally effective. Once I swithed from bouncing to mainly bobber fishing I really only bottom bounce when conditions dictate it as being more effective because I lose far less tackle. Once you get the hang of bobber fishing it comes easy and natural. Good luck.


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## PHEDDEN (Feb 5, 2012)

Very useful information


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## diztortion (Sep 6, 2009)

One thing I've found helpful with the tubing rigging is to wet it before sliding.

It helps reduce friction and slide easier.


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## Steve (Jan 15, 2000)

Do you guys using the tubing have any pictures?


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## diztortion (Sep 6, 2009)

Steve said:


> Do you guys using the tubing have any pictures?


Here's a real rough cell phone pic. 










It's a modified thill float. 

I prefer using hard tubing, like aquarium tubing. Usually a little sanding and I can turn down the stick to fit.


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## thumb fisherman (Jan 17, 2012)

Thanks for all the information. Where could I buy the surgical tubing?


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## boomer_x7 (Dec 19, 2008)

you can buy surgical tubing at most "sports" stores. MC sports has it, dunhams prolly does too..... And ofcourse check bait shops. Or if you want a good tight fit, go buy some peep sight tubing. It is a bit smaller than most general tubing. It can be a bugger to get on the stem but after it get water inside it, it will not slip!! 

-Also do not rap your line around the float stem and create a "high tention" point"(if using a single point conection float)- hence my suggestion for peepsight tubing


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

Just to be clear, put the small pieces of tubing ON your mainline. Just insert the top and bottom pieces of the bobber into the tubing pieces, and they will hold it where you put it on the line. It is easy to slide the bobber up and down your line with the tubing intact. But those bobbers with a spring, and twist the spring off and discard it in the trash. Then use tubing. You can buy a foot of tubing for $1 a lot of places, and cut tons of small pieces off it to use. 

Fixed bobbers work best in temps more than just a few degrees below freezing. If it is above freezing, slip floats work great. But when you have water freezing on your line, slip floats tend to not work well at all.


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## thousandcasts (Jan 22, 2002)

Steve said:


> Do you guys using the tubing have any pictures?


Here's how I rig with the tubing--the first pic is one of my own "home made" bobbers, the other is just your typical $1 Thill slip bobber that I also use. I don't use the "slip" part of it (i.e. the hole in the middle), but basically just the stem and tubing. The tubing holds the bobber in place and when you want to adjust depth, you just have to slide it up or down. When you're done for the day, you just remove the bobber and your tubing stays on the line since you're putting your mainline through the tubing. 

Pic # 1 (custom bobber): 










Pic # 2 (store bought bobber):


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## METTLEFISH (Jan 31, 2009)

Fishndude said:


> Just to be clear, put the small pieces of tubing ON your mainline. Just insert the top and bottom pieces of the bobber into the tubing pieces, and they will hold it where you put it on the line. It is easy to slide the bobber up and down your line with the tubing intact. But those bobbers with a spring, and twist the spring off and discard it in the trash. Then use tubing. You can buy a foot of tubing for $1 a lot of places, and cut tons of small pieces off it to use.
> 
> Fixed bobbers work best in temps more than just a few degrees below freezing. If it is above freezing, slip floats work great. But when you have water freezing on your line, slip floats tend to not work well at all.


Now I'm really confused!... are they bobbers or floats!...


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## RML (Apr 24, 2009)

Neither Mettlefish there strike indicators..:lol:

You can also check out Blackbirds and Drennen. I have both in stock here along with leader,weight,swivles,and lots of plugs and flies..Stop by on your way to the river.


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## METTLEFISH (Jan 31, 2009)

I may as well stay home.... I don't know what to use now... strike indicators.... floats.... bobbers.... OH MY!.... strike indicator...... floats .... bobbers OH MY!.... on a serious side, I believe they're bobbers, that's what they were when I used em for fishin gills when I was two.... and Kings when I was 12... low and behold when I started using em for Steelhead when I was 14... they were bobbers then too!....


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## flyrodder46 (Dec 31, 2011)

METTLEFISH said:


> I may as well stay home.... I don't know what to use now... strike indicators.... floats.... bobbers.... OH MY!.... strike indicator...... floats .... bobbers OH MY!.... on a serious side, I believe they're bobbers, that's what they were when I used em for fishin gills when I was two.... and Kings when I was 12... low and behold when I started using em for Steelhead when I was 14... they were bobbers then too!....


 
Mettlefish, are you sure? I thought bobbers were those people dunking their heads underwater trying to get an apple/fish.

D


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## thousandcasts (Jan 22, 2002)

Float Fishing using Roe: 

His boat floats and he begins fishing as soon as he stops rowing.


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## samsteel (Oct 6, 2008)




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## buckhunter14 (Oct 10, 2007)




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## METTLEFISH (Jan 31, 2009)

samsteel said:


>


Now that's a float!.... dern good lookin one too!...


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