FLOATS HOW DOES ONE KNOW WHICH ONE TO CHOOSE On a commercial venue on the pole ?
In my opinion there are a number of things to take into consideration , it is not just a simple matter of putting any one on and hoping to catch everything that swims. “As one would hope to be the case” there is slightly more to it than that!
Firstly the pole is the ideal weapon of presenting very light tackle and can eliminate surface drift and the effect the prevailing wind has on the line, as opposed to fishing with a rod and line. Therefore enabling you fish with the lightest of floats. and quite easily present your chosen bait differently, e, g still on the bottom, moving, or if you like twitching it . How you present your bait largely depends on what bait you have chosen to fish and how we assume that bait reacts in the water now we all know there are hundreds of baits and floats to choose from so where does one start ?
Ok! lets choose paste for example a very heavy bait in it’s own right, and if rolled into a nice neat ball it is common sense that if thrown in by hand it would travel to the bottom fairly quickly, and lie there still until a fish decides to pick it up. Or it dissolves slowly into a mound on the bottom which is more often the case in my experience!!
It follows therefore that we should endeavour to make this are objective in presenting this particular bait, paste if mixed soft will come off the hook quite easily leaving a lump on the bottom. If this happens then it leaves free offerings for the fish to eat!
I used to do a lot of bread punch fishing and we all know that bread has a habit of coming off the hook when you don't want it to, but I used to think that this was a good thing because it gave the fish a free sample of what is on the hook and could encourage them to feed better!
I feel this theory could also apply to when paste fishing.
With the target species being Carp “or more commonly referred to as lumps” if the paste was presented to them in a still fashion, then this would appear normal to the fish. It would then be more likely for them to accept it as part of their normal diet and become less weary of eating it.
Now what float would I use for paste ? If you appreciate the logic that if thrown in as a loose offering it lies still on the bottom of the lake , all you need is some sort of sight indicator and the float is perfect for this .
How big a float does one need to use? in this respect this largely depends on where you intend to fish the bait e, g in shallow water, or deep water.
In shallow water with depths of eighteen inches to three feet it would be pointless putting a large float on with loads of shot because it is unnecessary, the bait will reach the bottom on it’s own ! in fact in this depth of water I have found that it can be far better to use a float with no shot down at all a small dibber float is my first choice.
In the past!! I have actually won matches in this fashion by using quite large pieces of meat which again is a fairly heavy bait. I was talking to a friend of mine only the other day a very good angler whom I have fished with in team events such as National championships and we happen to discuss paste fishing he suggested that for shallow water he uses blob floats because the carp hook themselves anyway!
In my experience he is right!! this confirmed to me that in my choice of a dibber in shallow water. “usually in the margins” is not far wrong, so in thinking about this is it necessary to use weighted floats at all in fact free lined paste could be worth a try for that matter, and could prove to be even better.
When we have depths greater than this then float choice is completely different, simply because we would almost inevitably be fishing at distance.
Then it is highly likely that the elements will take over such as the wind etc: “an anglers nightmare” normally in this instance, it is far better to use a long fairly slim inserted float which is not effected by the wind as much as a thick topped float, you can also have more of the floats insert above the surface giving you a better sighted bite indicator. and far less likely to drag the float and the bait from where you want it to be, creating an unnatural presentation!!
Because of the depth we would be fishing in, and fishing paste in this situation there is naturally more line from float to the bait, it is usually fished using either shot or styles in a small bulk split evenly within the space of a few inches. Approximately 18inches from the hook, It does not really matter what you use the question of do I use shot or styles is a matter of personnel choice. In my experience they both work equally well.
What is important is that you don’t want an underwater bow in the line as this could lead to missed bites or even fowl hooked fish! and in order to combat this it is normally better to fish the bait either just touching bottom or a few inches over depth the use of shot etc: enables you to keep the line beneath straight and therefore stabilises presentation in theory.
So the answer to what size of float to use in deep water would be perhaps six seven even eight inches long and reasonably slim line in shape to avoid line bedding into the body, I have found there is little need to use anything heavy that takes a lot of shot 4x12 - 4x14 is adequate in most depths given the conditions.
Having said that it may surprise you that some times by moving the paste this can induce a take from a hungry fish, you would be right in thinking this is contrary to what I have been saying! in the fact that paste should be kept still on the bottom as this would appear to be logic and in it’s natural state.
But! I have experimented in doing this and it can work, if you raise it off the bottom and lower it back in after it has been there for a period of time I have noticed it starts to break down, and in doing so creates a cloud which releases various nutrients , and I believe this is the reason it sometimes works.
What is also quite common whilst fishing with paste is that with a slim inserted float, line bites can become a problem, resulting in the float going under and coming back to the surface quite suddenly without connecting with the fish! even more frustrating you tend to lift into the bite and your bait is left on the bottom." a freebie to a fish". This can be perceived as a good thing or the opposite that's up to you to decide on that one. Now day;s in my opinion it is far better that the bait is in a fishes mouth.
Most anglers avoid this by fishing with a short line from the pole to the float, but in doing this with carp you need a lot of control over your reactions. Especially at distance with a pole.
This problem with line bites is not as problematic with the use of a dibber float for a number of reasons, one simply because it is not as sensitive as one with an insert, and is therefore likely to remain on the surface rather than be pulled under at the slightest touch.
You can also lay a foot or so of line on the bottom in the margins with a dibber which I personally believe can result in fewer line bites, simply because the fish doesn't swim into a vertically suspended line.
Anyway in order to summarise what I have written a great deal depends on what bait you use and also where you choose to fish with it. But you must always take into account if the weather is suitable for float fishing anyway. These day's with my eyesight deteriorating I have found very little need for a float!! …..
Tight lines!
