# Bead fishing in Michigan - Flossing?



## BMARKS (Nov 6, 2017)

There used to be a guy on here, thousandcasts i think it was, that sternly argued any fish that was caught while chuck and duck or drift fishing was flossed. the only way to ethically catch them was with a bobber. i alwasy got a laugh out of it, like ok guy.


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

Flossing is flossing. You can do it with spawnbags, flies, beads, bare hooks, etc. But you can fish all of those things without flossing as well. I bottom bounce most of the time for Steelhead, and I almost never foul hook fish. And, when I do, it is because the fish swiped at my spawnbag, and got hooked on the outside of the mouth, somewhere. But it has been years since that happened.


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## MT2MI (Jun 4, 2016)

Whether intentional or not, seems pretty logical that a horizontal presentation would be far more likely to "line"/"floss" fish than a vertical presentation....


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## riverbob (Jan 11, 2011)

MT2MI said:


> Whether intentional or not, seems pretty logical that a horizontal presentation would be far more likely to "line"/"floss" fish than a vertical presentation....


 so if ya don't fish with a bobber/vertical, your flossing/snagging, that's nuts, put a little more time in fishing, instead of talking about thing u really don;t know about..


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## riverbob (Jan 11, 2011)

MT2MI said:


> Whether intentional or not, seems pretty logical that a horizontal presentation would be far more likely to "line"/"floss" fish than a vertical presentation....





riverbob said:


> so if ya don't fish with a bobber/vertical, your flossing/snagging, that's nuts, put a little more time in fishing, instead of talking about thing u really don;t know about..


 on a side note, i've belly hooked alot of fish , pulling up n down


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## AdamBradley (Mar 13, 2008)

If you know you’re flossing, you’re flossing. A guy with a 10’ leader dragging reds with #14 hooks or black yarn knows what his intention is.

That said, I’ve caught plenty of fish bouncing spawn/waxies, but usually keep it to 3’ or so for legit bites. Hook placement in the mouth, versus side/corner of mouth opposite of current flow always tells the story. The feeling of the bite, or lack of, also tells the story pretty often.

With that said, of course I also belly hook fish on bobbers. Foul hooks can’t be avoided 100%.


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## ausable_steelhead (Sep 30, 2002)

People worry about flossing too much. Beads always have, and always will, have biting fish hooked funny. A bobber can lessen this, but does not eliminate it.

Drift fishing in Michigan has taken a beating the last decade plus, with the explosion of bobber fishing. People frown at someone bouncing bottom these days for whatever reason. Ive barely ran a bead this fall, since fat bags have had zero issue hooking steelhead. I’ve bounced plenty and let me tell you...an aggressive, feeding fall steelhead blasting a drifted bag still hasn’t gotten old to me. Some of these fish have destroyed it like I was running a plug! Also, I’ve always looked at what side of the mouth my fish is hooked, since that generally tells me where my bait was in relation to the fishes position in the run.


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## BMARKS (Nov 6, 2017)

ausable_steelhead said:


> People worry about flossing too much. Beads always have, and always will, have biting fish hooked funny. A bobber can lessen this, but does not eliminate it.
> 
> Drift fishing in Michigan has taken a beating the last decade plus, with the explosion of bobber fishing. People frown at someone bouncing bottom these days for whatever reason. Ive barely ran a bead this fall, since fat bags have had zero issue hooking steelhead. I’ve bounced plenty and let me tell you...an aggressive, feeding fall steelhead blasting a drifted bag still hasn’t gotten old to me. Some of these fish have destroyed it like I was running a plug! Also, I’ve always looked at what side of the mouth my fish is hooked, since that generally tells me where my bait was in relation to the fishes position in the run.


agreed, the feeling of a bite will just never get old for me. i tried the bobber thing over and over and i just dont get the same joy. i even like the ones you dont feel. when the drift stops and you know that its not a snag. you get so in tuned to your rig and the drift your fishing you can notice the bite before the fish has had time to shake head or to feel his swim.


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

tug, tug, YANK. There's nothing quite like it. Gotta get me some.


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## Martin Looker (Jul 16, 2015)

People are worrying too much about what they think other fishermen are doing. Unless you see someone trying to found hook fish mind your own d*** business. I have felt with a_holes calling me out


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