Float fishing for crappie and bluegill

[digitalvoid]

Just got my UL setup this year and am having a blast with the bluegill and crappies. I seem to missing a lot of fish. This is happening on a slip bobber and fixed bobber. One of two things is happening, as far as I can tell:

1. They are super small fish and just playing with the bait (gulp minnows)

2. I am just not being patient enough.

 

Thoughts? I'm also curious to know if these same fish would hit a small jig, spinner, or crank. Seriously, I never thought I could have as much fun as I've had the last few days catching panfish. 

 

Thanks and have a good one!

 

Pete

[M Bruns]

Could be too much slack line out and too short of rod (problems I've had float fishing with UL setup). I hammered the bluegill this weekend with a 1/32 oz white beetle spin. Caught fish on 9 consecutive casts in a row out one point, tons of fun on the UL.

[digitalvoid]

17 minutes ago, M Bruns said:

Could be too much slack line out and too short of rod (problems I've had float fishing with UL setup). I hammered the bluegill this weekend with a 1/32 oz white beetle spin. Caught fish on 9 consecutive casts in a row out one point, tons of fun on the UL.

Possibility on the slack line. I have it tight enough to where I can barely lift the rod tip and move the bobber. It's a 6 foot rod. I'm sure it will get easier the more I fish.

[Bluebasser86]

Most UL rods don't have the backbone to set the hook with a bobber properly. The force needed to move the bobber through the water, plus remove the slack from the line, is greater than what an UL rod is capable of doing consistently, especially at a distance. A longer rod in a L/F or even ML/F is a better option. 

[throttleplate]

using gulp minnows i let them fool around with it and when bobber goes under i dont anything but reel in some slack and i only set the hook when the bobber is pulled under for a few seconds and is being dragged away underwater.

If i set the hook whenever the bobber goes under i just end up pulling it out of their mouth or pulling it away from small nuisance fish.

I need to see it and or feel it being dragged underwater and most of the time the fish hooks itself and all i do is reel in. It takes patience to not always wanting to set the hook at the slightest bit of bobber movement.

[digitalvoid]

4 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Most UL rods don't have the backbone to set the hook with a bobber properly. The force needed to move the bobber through the water, plus remove the slack from the line, is greater than what an UL rod is capable of doing consistently, especially at a distance. A longer rod in a L/F or even ML/F is a better option. 

Geesh. Might have to get another setup for bobber fishing and use the UL for small spinners, cranks, and jigs. The wife is gonna kill me...

[spokey9]

I float fish with an ultra light a lot, just gotta wait til you feel them to swing 

[throttleplate]

On 6/2/2021 at 11:11 AM, digitalvoid said:

Currently the only small baits I have are Crappie Magnets. Looking at getting some Donkey Tails and Donkey Tail Jrs. I do have some smaller inline spinners I could try as well. I do also fish 99% of the time from shore, but I'll still give it a shot

usually i catch bass instead of crappie when i use tiny inline spinners and underspins.

[digitalvoid]

19 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Most UL rods don't have the backbone to set the hook with a bobber properly. The force needed to move the bobber through the water, plus remove the slack from the line, is greater than what an UL rod is capable of doing consistently, especially at a distance. A longer rod in a L/F or even ML/F is a better option. 

What would you suggest as a longer rod? 6'6" or 7'? My current UL is 6' and think I'll make that work for smaller lures.

[jimmyjoe]

   I assume you're using a spring bobber. Try a slip bobber. A slip bobber increases the hookset success at distance.          jj

[digitalvoid]

22 minutes ago, jimmyjoe said:

   I assume you're using a spring bobber. Try a slip bobber. A slip bobber increases the hookset success at distance.          jj

Just starting using a slip bobber. Makes casting a whole lot easier and less tangled messes, even though I'm not fishing very deep. It's probably been 26 years since I used a bobber last. Again, I'm also thinking it has more to do with small fish trying to take the bait. The bigger panfish and crappies, size of my hand, seem to take the bait just fine. Still learning. 

 

[mrpao]

What size gulp minnows are you using?

I usually use the 1" version for panfish. Hookup isn't too bad if the fish are big enough to take it into their mouths.

I'll put the 1" minnow on a 1/32 oz or less jig head and fish it under a float. I have caught bass up to 3 pounds on this little minnow. Catfish also seem to love gulp minnows.

Really fun on ultralight tackle.

[jimmyjoe]

7 hours ago, digitalvoid said:

Still learning. 

 

   Don't let anyone buffalo ya. We're all still learning.  ?                     jj

[TnRiver46]

I miss 99.9% of all bites when I fish with a bobber. When I take the bobber off, the fish magically get hooked. 

[gim]

16 hours ago, digitalvoid said:

Just starting using a slip bobber.

 

Use a small enough slip bobber too.  In the spring when I crappie fish, that's the single biggest mistake I see people making.  The bobber is too big.  We're after palm sized panfish, not dinner plate slabs.  Adjust accordingly.  My go-to slip bobber is the Thill pro version.  It has a brass slide through in the middle of the bobber so nothing gets hung up.

3 hours ago, Bass_Fishing_Socal said:

Maybe you are right about small fish playing with your bait. The only way to find out is down size the hook.

This is also a common mistake I see - the hook is too big for the puny mouths of those sunfish.  Down size to a very small hook and then you'll avoid the bait thieves.

[QUAKEnSHAKE]

With 1" gulp minnows I go to 1/124 or 1/80 little jig heads

[digitalvoid]

2 hours ago, QUAKEnSHAKE said:

With 1" gulp minnows I go to 1/124 or 1/80 little jig heads

How in the world do you even cast something that small?!?!

5 hours ago, gimruis said:

 

Use a small enough slip bobber too.  In the spring when I crappie fish, that's the single biggest mistake I see people making.  The bobber is too big.  We're after palm sized panfish, not dinner plate slabs.  Adjust accordingly.  My go-to slip bobber is the Thill pro version.  It has a brass slide through in the middle of the bobber so nothing gets hung up.

This is also a common mistake I see - the hook is too big for the puny mouths of those sunfish.  Down size to a very small hook and then you'll avoid the bait thieves.

What size, do you remember?

[digitalvoid]

14 hours ago, mrpao said:

What size gulp minnows are you using?

I usually use the 1" version for panfish. Hookup isn't too bad if the fish are big enough to take it into their mouths.

I'll put the 1" minnow on a 1/32 oz or less jig head and fish it under a float. I have caught bass up to 3 pounds on this little minnow. Catfish also seem to love gulp minnows.

Really fun on ultralight tackle.

Seem to have problems using a small jig and bobber. Probably just small fish and too big of a jig

[gim]

11 hours ago, digitalvoid said:

What size, do you remember?

This is the one I use.  The back label says PS115.

[digitalvoid]

1 hour ago, gimruis said:

This is the one I use.  The back label says PS115.

3/4" for anyone else wondering. I was gonna try the 1/2"

[CrankFate]

These

 

https://www.berkley-fishing.com/collections/gulp-alive/products/gulp-alive-jigging-grub-1285406

 

Plus a Gami Octopus Circle a foot off bottom with a float and split shot. Bounce it around a little. The bigger ones love it.  The circle hook keeps the small BGs off the hook and keeps the big ones on. It also lets you rig the grub, vertical or horizontal

[QUAKEnSHAKE]

On 6/3/2021 at 8:13 PM, digitalvoid said:

How in the world do you even cast something that small?!?!

 

4# Nanofil on 6' Light fast St Croix Triumph actually gets respectable distance for that weight. My St croix Avid 8' ML-Moderate does even better.

[digitalvoid]

2 hours ago, QUAKEnSHAKE said:

4# Nanofil on 6' Light fast St Croix Triumph actually gets respectable distance for that weight. My St croix Avid 8' ML-Moderate does even better.

Maybe I'll try the Nanofil before I try another rod. I've already spent a lot on fishing related gear this year.