All You Need To Know - Stick and Waggler Floats

[Bluenose]

Copied from Baitbox

Archie's sunk before the first bell. I'll stick my money on the Prof, he's no loafer, knows his onions and my antenna tells me science always wins. He'll Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. I'll be loaded after the knockout
__________________

You forgot to insert you know what

*coat

 

[Xplorer1]

Damn! So I did. I'll BUNG it in later

 

[Jeff Woodhouse]

Unfortunately for Jeff I have just found the experimental float with the steel and cane tips and will photograph it a bit later so that he can see steel floating!

Archie's sunk before the first bell.

Is he now?

I want to see this where a steel insert float floats for sure. I want to see this miracle whereby the balsa is sunk completely and just the steel tip out of the water and it must support ALL of the shot, i.e. none sitting on the bottom, just like he said it would!

If it does then he can design me some proper suspending lures, because no matter how many people have tried, no one has as yet produced a true suspending lure that will just sit there in midwater. Or are you going to tell me that is not the same principles at work?

 

[Xplorer1]

Oy veh!
1) As Mark has observed, a submarine can float with just its superstructure above water, and that for sure isn't made of anything lighter than water
2) No one's talking about neutral buoyancy (though a sub can achieve that by careful ballast adjustment)
3) If Mark's experimental float (cane antenna one end, matching steel antenna the other) just floats with a given shot load with the cane antenna at the top, do you really think that it would sink if rigged the other way up? Fact is, it will sit exactly the same either way up.

To reiterate, so far as buoyancy is concerned, the distribution of weight within the floating object makes NO difference. Honest injun.

 

[ronbc5]

May I just say beside all the discussion which although informed is between you sticklers to argue over, I am a returning Fisherman after more than a few years and relearning the ropes. again

It was good to put all of these basic float type in order, now I can go through my kit much of which has been passed on to me by others when they found out I had a renewed interest and sort my floats into river and still water types, it also helps knowing which type of float to use in different situations as explained in plain English.

Thanks for the article, very helpful as they all are.

 

[Stealph Viper]

See Kevineric is more than happy with the Thread.

Hello Kevineric,

Welcome to the Marvels of FishingMagic.

 

[slime monster]

Only quickly read through this thread so forgive me if this has been said previously
re steel tip floats I believe the wire top pole floats I used bloodworm fishing had a steel wire tip thus validating Marks comments .
ps b#ggers to shot up mind.

 

[redalert06]

yes thickness of tip dictactes the buoyancy, I still have some wire tip pole floats very sensitive due to being very thin tips but hard to get setup correctly

In my experience it is better to use a much longer float rubber (18mm to 25mm) at the base so that it overlaps the base by about 2mm. This reduces tangles, casts better, prevents accidental movement of the float through slippage and sometimes improves bait presentation. I don't bother with a 3rd float rubber apart from crow quill Avons but do make sure the top rubber is about 3-4mm in length.

completely agree, and with pole floats too, always have the bottom rubber oversized to avoid tangles

 

[Keith M]

Good article but am also surprised that the 'Onion' wasn't mentioned.

The waggler that gets most use for the waters I fish is the semi loaded 'Onion' (see below)
NB. Not to be confused with those 'orrible' insensitive heavy loaded floats that are used on commercials for Carp and pellets LOL

Why?
For several reasons:

• It tends to fly straighter and truer without the characteristic waggle that gave the waggler it's name.
• It allows you to cast tight up against the far bank on canals or very close to overhanging vegetation on islands, or up tight to lillies etc. simply because the float flies ahead of the hooklength in flight; and as long as you don't feather the line on landing the hooklength will land safely behind the float and then swing down under the float.
• It can be cast a long way even in a wind.
• It's longish thin stem and bulbous low body makes it a good stable drift beater.
• It is a nice sensitive float and shows delicate bites well.

Great article though.

 

[steph mckenzie]

I never really understood why i would need an Onion Float, which is why i never bothered using them.
I want to feather my line so as to reduce the risk of the hooklength tangling.

Perhaps i need re educating in what i may be missing out on?

 

[peter crabtree]

I never really understood why i would need an Onion Float, which is why i never bothered using them.
I want to feather my line so as to reduce the risk of the hooklength tangling.

Perhaps i need re educating in what i may be missing out on?

Re-read Keiths' second point about canal far banks with overhanging snags.

 

[dangermouse]

Re-read Keiths' second point about canal far banks with overhanging snags.

Might have to give that a try next time I fish here

 

[peter crabtree]

Looks about right Mouse, makes sense to follow Keiths ideas innit.
This thread may be a few years old but is very interesting. Keith has pointed out another valuable piece of experience he has learnt and explained the tactics extremely well.
Amazingly (or maybe not in this instance) someone has questioned it when they admit they have never used itmg:

 

[loggerhead]

Never knowingly used an onion float myself, but I believe the article's author said it all at the beginning of the piece - Let’s clear up one small point about this series and this article in particular, it’s called “All You Need To Know” and not “All There Is To Know”. In other words, it’s not every scrap of knowledge that’s ever been written or is known about a subject, its just enough to help you make a sensible choice from what is currently available.

Quite a good piece though all the same. More of these perhaps for newcommers?