Page 13 - Fishing Report | 4-25-18

tion rather than a retrieve. In this case that float keeps the bait from drop-
ping below the sight line of crappies (which are always looking slightly up-

ward in the water column for food) and prevents the bait from sinking into
the cover where it is likely to be snagged. Use of a slip float allows for far
more accurate casts than a fixed float (where the bobber is pegged or
clipped to the line above the bait). Fixed floats tumble during a cast, and
the landing spot can never be judged accurately. On the other hand a slip
float slides down to the jig to form an aerodynamic package for casting;

upon hitting the surface, the jig pulls line through the slip float until the
float encounters the prepositioned bobber stop.
Crappie bobbers
When fishing bedding bluegills in late spring/early sum-
mer or shallow roaming bluegills over weedbeds during mid-summer trough
fall, I use a very small bobber to keep the tiny jig from hanging up on vegeta-
tion or bottom debris. In this instance there is an actual slow retrieve thereby
making the use of fixed float required. With a slip float, a jig would be pulled

up to the float during the retrieve – rather than having the jig swimming at the
necessary depth (usually 12 to 18 inches). Therefore I use a fixed float – typi-
cally a weighted fixed float to add the necessary weight for casting a tiny jig a
reasonable distance.
Bluegill Bobbers

When using floats it is important to use a strong line that isn’t weakened by attaching a pinch or
clip-on style floats – that’s why I use extra strong Gamma Line. Thill Floats offer a complete line-

up of quality floats; the fixed floats in their premium line use silicone sleeves to attach rather
than metal clips. They also make excellent slip floats, utilizing slip knots as bobber stops. Be
sure to check them out.