Float fishing

[arthur06]

People say there are many uses to floats. What can I catch with floats besides luderick? And what bait should I use on the float? I have seen people use bread. Thanks 

[trigunner54]

Peeled prawns/ squid. Most baits should work. 

What i have caught on float are mostly bread and butter species: bream/ leatherjackets/ taylor/ trevally/ whiting/ Mullet/ Blackfish/ drummer. 

Some areas work better with different baits when using floats (probably for any rig). For example, when i used to fish salt pan creek for fun, nothing went for peeled prawns on a float. But you could easily bag out on bream/ blackfish in a few hours using bread although the fish was released because of pollution. 

[Volitan]

I was fishing at Pearl Beach recently and one guy was using a float off the beach. I asked, and his reasoning was to keep the bait off the bottom and away from the surf crabs, which are a real nuisance. He was after whiting.

on the rocks around here float fishing is very common - with a pilchard on gang hooks. Chasing tailor, salmon bonito and other pelagics, most of which will be cruising near the surface. Keeps the bait from getting snagged in the rough, and keeps it away from the little pickers.

[blaxland]

I would use a float to keep the bait where i want it and choose the bait for the fish I was after, having said that, bread will catch almost anything a well known land based fishing guide has caught Kingfish as by-catch when targeting drummer of the sydney ocean stones according to the you tube I saw.

[Regan]

if there is a weedy bottom a float is often used to keep it just above it

[Squid Inc]

The only time I use a float is for garfish. Lots of fun for the whole family and good to eat and bait.

[ARC H]

9 hours ago, Squid Inc said:

The only time I use a float is for garfish. Lots of fun for the whole family and good to eat and bait.

same i am not a fan of floats and would rather go weightless

[Squid Inc]

13 minutes ago, ARC H said:

same i am not a fan of floats and would rather go weightless

I often go weightless and floatless but I find the floats keep the kids interested for a little bit longer.

[ARC H]

4 minutes ago, Squid Inc said:

I often go weightless and floatless but I find the floats keep the kids interested for a little bit longer.

yeah fair enough

[arthur06]

Interesting points but I am thinking more Floatstop-Bead-Float----------------Swivel-----------------------------------dropper and hook----------------------dropper and hook-----------------------------rocket sinker

[Wellzy94]

On 6/16/2017 at 7:05 PM, arthur06 said:

Interesting points but I am thinking more Floatstop-Bead-Float----------------Swivel-----------------------------------dropper and hook----------------------dropper and hook-----------------------------rocket sinker

The only downfall of using droppers under a float is that your float is being used not only to suspend your baits, but also as a strike indicator. 

With a dropper loop, if a fish strikes your bait, there are two separate sections of line that take strain. Because of this, your float will have a delay between the strike and the float 'bob' as the indicator.

Cheers,

Wellzy

[DMG]

I normally use floats in areas with rough bottoms to get away from snags or I use balloons or a large bobby cork for live bait or dead bait for something a bit bigger

No sinker/no float if this allows you to get your bait where you want it,.with the exception of Black fishing as it is traditionally fished with a stem or small cork type float.

Edited June 19, 2017 by DMG

[savit]

1 hour ago, Wellzy94 said:

The only downfall of using droppers under a float is that your float is being used not only to suspend your baits, but also as a strike indicator. 

With a dropper loop, if a fish strikes your bait, there are two separate sections of line that take strain. Because of this, your float will have a delay between the strike and the float 'bob' as the indicator.

Cheers,

Wellzy

From my observation  - it depends what bait  is used under float. If the bait is soft e.g. bread etc - then there is need for strike indicator unless the float is big enough to set the hook itself when the fish pulls away. If the bait is strong e.g piece of fish/chicken etc - a few droppers under float with sinker will just increase the chance of catching fish particularly if there are small pickers around.

[chokpa]

Surprised to see people say it keeps the bait where they want. I find the exact opposite. The current takes the bait exactly where I don't want it to go - usually parallel to the ledge I'm fishing! 

[savit]

1 hour ago, chokpa said:

Surprised to see people say it keeps the bait where they want. I find the exact opposite. The current takes the bait exactly where I don't want it to go - usually parallel to the ledge I'm fishing! 

I would assume that statememt was about bait depth .