Fishing with a float set – Pour yourself up to your heart's content

Fishing with a float rod is only really fun then, when the fish take one by one. You don't need any special equipment to catch a lot of fish.
Most anglers do not specialize in hunting specific species of fish. Some colleagues only go fishing when the weather is nice, others spend most of the year by the water. Does not change the fact, that they both have one thing in common – everyone wants to catch as many fish as possible. This is the main cause, why for most anglers only good bites really count, and what kind of fish will hang on the hook does not matter much. It is exactly the same with me sometimes. And although I have been specializing in catching specimens for many years, I enjoy catching small fish from time to time, provided, however, that they take time and time again. This summer, my friend and I had a competition, who will catch more rudd in a small pond. For two hours we caught over a hundred leprechauns, and although none of them had more than 15 decagram, it was a wonderful experience (all the fish returned to the water alive). We had a lot of strikes and it was so enjoyable, that we came home smiling from ear to ear. This is what fishing should be all about - relaxation and beautiful experiences are the most important. This article is for anglers, which depends, that their floats disappear under the water as often as possible.
To make it happen, we don't have to fish with complicated rigs, use fancy leaders or search for secret baits. Contrary – method, which turned out to be the most effective is simple and proven. Effective in stagnant water and in weak current streams. Let us leave rivers with fast currents to real professionals.

White worms are the best

Effective fishing with a float is possible only after making the right assumptions. If, for example, we have difficulty throwing in a selected place, even with a heavy float set, it is better to choose a ground set with a bottom weight.
The float should always reach the target without any problems. So our rod cannot be too short – the optimal stick length is 3,5-4,0 meters. Let the poles and Bolognese rods without passes also leave the specialists.
The stick should be as light as possible; in the case of frequent bites, it will be important to us, to keep the rod in hand all the time, and then these several grams more can determine faster fatigue.

The line is much more important than the reel model. It should be stretchy and strong enough, so that you can fight a larger fish. Good quality, durable line 2-3 kg is sufficient. Soft and stretchy lines are even better than those "super strong". I prefer to use match hooks (with a spatula and a very small barb) in size from 16 into 22. I put three white worms on the bigger hook, on a smaller single white worm or caster. I consider, that white worms are unrivaled. You can buy them anytime and anywhere, and then, without any preparation, put it on the hook immediately. White worms are also suitable for baiting, stay on the hook for a long time, and for one white worm you can catch even several fish. And the most important: almost all species of fish are taken on them.

About pupae (casterach) that's why I mentioned it, that sometimes they are even more catchy than white worms and keep the flock of fish in the fishery for longer. In summer, we get cashers almost automatically – in every box of white worms, a few of them always pupate…

The groundbait should explode

I advise against fishing for long distances. The smaller the distance, the more precise the casting and baiting are. Most of the fish are standing near the shore anyway.

Let's stay in the baiting. The composition of my quiet feeding groundbait is as follows:
• 40 percentage of biscuit flour
• 40 percentage of delicate breading
• 20 percentage of finished groundbait. We buy the groundbait at our discretion. It would be enough to, that it is designed for stagnant water and small fish.

The finished groundbait gives the whole groundbait a proper aroma, it also has ingredients that facilitate the disintegration of the balls when they come into contact with water. It is very important. It is equally important to thoroughly mix the groundbait components, while it is still dry. Only then, slowly and sensitively add water.
But be careful – it would be better if the groundbait was a little too dry, than too wet. If the groundbait can be formed into balls when lightly pressed in the hand, means, that it has the correct consistency.
Before we start luring we wait about ten minutes, so that the groundbait is soaked with water well. A ball made of groundbait with the correct consistency should "explode" when it hits the water surface and disintegrate when it sinks to the bottom.
Two are enough to start with, three balls the size of a golf ball. We throw the next balls into the water at regular intervals. If the fish bite weakly or not at all, we attract very sparingly.
In case of good bites, we should add more groundbait. But better to throw more of the same balls into the water, than to increase their volume!
For the proposed method of fishing, I highly recommend a simple waggler float – the smaller, the better. The float should be so balanced, so that the antenna protrudes as little as possible from the water. When planning the load on the set, we should take an allowance for individual pellets. It is indicated, that the two pellets are clamped at even intervals on the line between the float and the leader (drawing 1).

Drawing 1: A waggler float with an antenna is a sensitive bite indicator. After using the coupler (picture) to mount a float, we can change it to another model. The handle of the float is blocked with two pellets. The other two are halfway between the float and the hook (larger pellet) and 30 cm above the hook.

Attaching the float to the main line through a connector (sockets or with thread) allows you to quickly change the float to a model with a different displacement or with a different color antenna.

Before we install the float permanently, we need to probe the depth of the fishery carefully. So we take off the pellet below the float's eye (coupler) and slightly tighten the stopwatch over the float. Then we clamp a larger probe weight on the hook and set the depth of the fishery. When the float finally comes to the surface, and the antenna will be sufficiently above the water, remove the probing weight from the hook, we move the stopwatch pellet five centimeters up and tightly clamp it permanently on the line.
The second pellet is clamped below the float (the eye of the float or link shall be able to move up or down a few centimeters at most). Thanks to the exact ground setting, when the lure sinks to the bottom it will have 5 cm of clearance.
Due to this, that fish are also often interested in sinking bait, we should add some weight to our set (two-point), so that the lure sinks in the water as slowly as possible. The larger pellet is clamped on the line in the middle of the distance between the float, a tick, while a smaller approx. 30 cm above the hook.
If everything goes according to plan, the first bites will be from the bottom, even before the fish react to the smell of the groundbait and move up to the falling bait.

Still under control

Noticing a catch with a falling bait is not easy and requires maximum concentration from the angler. We can make them a little easier. That's enough, that we will move the baited place, and then we will immediately pull the float up to the fishery border, yes, so that the bait falls on the taut line (drawing 2). After the jam, we should pull the hauled fish away from the baited place as soon as possible, so that her behavior did not have time to alert the feeding herd.

Drawing 2: after relocating the fishery and pulling the float to the baited place, the bait descends exactly in the bait trail. Bites are clearly visible thanks to the tightened line, you can also perform an immediate jam. The best bait is white worms and casers.

Another possibility is to cast it precisely at the enticing spot, and then lightly apply your index finger to the line coming off the spool.
The advantage of this method is this, that we don't have to throw too far.
On the other hand, however, after relocating the fishery, we can submerge the rod tip in the water and sink the line while retrieving the set, and thus significantly reduce the impact of wind and waves on our set.
However, if someone would like to try delicate fishing, should adopt some of the habits of competition anglers.
So he should hold the fishing rod in his right hand (without placing it on the supports), landing net ready for use – underfoot, hook release device in breast pocket, while the groundbait container – within easy reach of the left hand (feeding without taking your eyes off the float).
There should be a cloth on your lap, so that you can wipe your hands from the groundbait and, of course, from the mucus of the caught fish without getting up. I wish you, ensure that this cloth is used as often as possible…