Slip Float Fishing

[bluesky1713]

I have never done any fishing with slip floats. So, pardon my ignorance.

 

Can I fish a slip float with a regular spinning setup? Will the stopper work fine with the rod eyes and spinning reel?

 

Thank you in advance for your help!

 

Josh

[bassjnkie]

I use the slip float all the time for panfish. Use a sting stop and it should pass the eye no problem. I've casted with the stop at the reel in 25 FOW. Just a word of advice the float is free on the line, meaning your line breaks the float is gone. I set it up like this, stop, float, swivel, to a lighter than main line leader to the hook, so if you leader breaks the swivel will save the float. Hope I didn't confuse you. Daniel

[Beans]

Makes sense to me Daniel...I always use a lighter (12 lb fluoro) to my main line (17 lb mono) when carp fishing...saves losing a $2 to $4 spring or method feeder...

 

I mainly use a rubber bobber stopper with a slip float and once in a while it will catch in the spool if I'm fishining deep but it is worth the aggrevation...great way to use a float while icefishing...

[bluesky1713]

That makes sense. Thanks.

 

I plan on fishing my bait 30-40 feet deep. So, I shouldn't have any concerns about reeling the stopper onto my spinning reel and also when casting it back out/dropping my line boatside, right?

[Sinker]

That makes sense. Thanks.

 

I plan on fishing my bait 30-40 feet deep. So, I shouldn't have any concerns about reeling the stopper onto my spinning reel and also when casting it back out/dropping my line boatside, right?

 

Right. Just keep an eye on it and you'll be fine. Your going to want a really calm day to fish a float that deep though.

 

S.

[Mike Pike]

Yes, your regular spinning set up should be fine. The only issue I've had is with my one GLomis rod. It has a really small eye at the tip and when I use a rubber bobber stop or even a knotted piece of thread, it catches on the cast sometime. I just use a St. Croix with bigger eyes and don't have any trouble.

[Jonny]

...great way to use a float while icefishing...

 

Now there's something I never thought of!

 

Thanks for the tip!

[The Birdfish]

No problem, it should go right into your spool.

[Fishnwire]

Buy the smallest bobber stops you can find, put the stop on, then a bead, then the float. The little stop will run through your eyes and onto the spool no problem...and the bead will prevent the stop from running through the float.

 

I'm more into top waters and plastics now, but there was a time when I would almost always use a slip float set-up. Watching a float go down all afternoon is one of life's sweetest pleasures. Good luck.

[Hooked]

I found the string stoppers to be better than the rubber ones, but that's just me. It's probably a good idea to have the line wet when you are sliding the stopper up that much length, it causes quite a bit of friction on the line. I've actually had the line cut right through my rubber stoppers, which is why I use the string ones.

 

You can also purchase clip on weights to determine how close you are to the bottom, it's great. Just clip it on to the bait you are using, ie. jig..., and let it go to the bottom, how far it pulls your bobber under indicates how much you need to adjust the stopper.

[Fang]

one highly underrated method for catching fish. I run slip floats for walleye, bass when fishing specific deep structure as well as ice fishing. A couple of points to add to great comments so far

 

For ice fishing, use the blackbird steelhead floats that have the line guide on the bottom of the stem. You must keep the hole the line passes through in the water or the line will freeze up tight in cold weather.

 

 

Like with jig fishing use the lightest weights possible to get the line down. The more wind or deeper water add a bit more weight.

Try combining a drop shot rig under a slip float. Caught some decent fish this year with this rig.

[Danubian]

I found that when using the rubber stops, I couldn't cast as far as I would be able to, when attaching a knot on the line to form a bobber stop.

 

Danubian

[Sinker]

I tie my own stops out of 50lb power pro. I find it works the best. Second best is 12lb mono. There is a sweet spot in a bobber stop set up. You want it on there tight so it doesn't move on you, but not so tight that it damages your line when you slide it.

 

I find if you melt the ends of the knot off, and leave them long enough that you can get ahold of them, you can re-tighten the knot if it comes loose, and the melted ends won't unravel on you.

 

 

I'm a slip float junkie.

 

S.