Float and Fly

[KevO]

Can anyone give some tips about this technique.  I just learned how to do it on Sunday at Dale Hollow.  I only landed one smallie, but I had a few pull downs I missed.  It seems to be the key when the water is so cold.  Any advice would really help.  thanks.

[Paul Roberts]

I'm all ears on this one too.

[fishizzle]

there were a bunch of threads last year on this amazing and boring technique.

[Crestliner2008]

there were a bunch of threads last year on this amazing and boring technique.

X2 - It's kind of like this "new" swimbait craze. You spend a lot of time fishing and very little time catchin'. Top that off with the cost of very specialized tackle and for me, it's a looser. I already know how to catch smallies in cold water, without having to spend that kind of money on a "specialized" technique. If you already have the gear, it might be worth a shot though.  

[roadwarrior]

There are some guides, especially at Dale Hollow, that have good

luck with this technique. However, I think most people will find the

production low and boredom high.

[Matt 825]

very boring way to fish.  There are better ways to catch cold water smallmouth in the NE.

[Bronzefly]

Boring?  You guys must not be around alot of smallies ;D  Sometimes it's slow, but sometimes it's fantastic.  I enjoy the FnF.  It can be done on the cheap as well.  BPS sells a Microlite FnF rod for around $40 and one can use a relatively inexpensive spinning reel just to get into it.  I prefer at least a 9'6" rod and a 2000 or 2500 size reel.  It's easier to skimp on the rod than the reel IMHO.  A great drag is critical.  I use a Fireline main line - 14lb test - run it out to a 3-way swivel.  Attach a weighted float, then attach a 6 lb FC leader.  Leader length will vary from 8' to 18' (the longest I can cast on a 9'6" rod).  I have a friend who makes custom FnF flies, but any will work.  I search for bait around bluffs and points in clear water and go to town.  I've had alot of success on this technique.  It's not for everyone, but it can be loads of fun!  It seems like the bite is always the best when the weather is at its worst.  35 degrees, windy, and spitting snow is the time to FnF!!

[KevO]

Well, I didn't find it boring at all.  It was quite fun watching the bobber go under.  You don't need any specialized rod either, sure you could buy the g loomis F&F rod for $300 but the BPS micro lite rods for $50 are just fine.  You don't need a sensitive rod to fish the fly.  

[roadwarrior]

Wait a minute...

You "learned how to do it"?  Fished all day, caught one fish and

missed a few? Now you know what equipment is needed and

what is not? And it wasn't B-O-R-I-N-G?

Dude!

You're not making any sense.

:

[J Francho]

We used to do this a lot about 15 years ago.  Nowadays, not so much.  Its a last ditch effort when NOTHING else is working, at this point.  You're already bored, so give it try then.  Otherwise, there are better ways to fish.  Yes, a long rod helps, if fishing deeper.  Bett's pear shaped bobbers work well, since they indicate a "lift bite" which is usually a perch or silver bass.  I think its best where there is slight current to "work the bait" instead of the usual sweep every five minutes.  Yeah, I said five minutes.  Boring is relative, but this isn't my favorite way to fish anymore.

[roadwarrior]

When this came up a year ago or so, Jim Duckworth joined

the Forum for one post.

Re: Float N' Fly

Dec 23rd 2007

Post by jim duckworth      

The float and fly method is best for water temps below 50 degrees and is best suited for highland reservoirs and requires a minumum of 8 foot of visibility. A weighted 1 inch fixed float is a must because the best size of flys are 1\16 and 1\32 and in cold air your line doesn't slide thru slip bobbers well and you don't get the good shaking motion that is needed on calm water days. I have boated 50 smallies over 5LB's at least every winter with this method and it is great on cloudy days but if the sun is shining it is not good. A 8 foot rod is perfect and you can't get by with shorter but you don't need longer, normal float setting is 8-10 foot above the fly. Jim Duckworth

http://www.fishingtennessee.com/Ducktrail/default.htm

On the other hand, Fred Mc Clintock says it is a technique

"of last resort".

http://www.trophyguideservice.com/index.html

8-)

[KevO]

All I'm saying is it was fun watching the bobber go down.  I am not an expert at this.  I've only done it once.  But I do know that you don't need a fancy rod for this, because sensitivity has nothing to do with it.  Hell, I was using a regular fly rod on sunday and that made it really difficult to cast.  I still had a good time.  BTW, I also threw a jerkbait and a jigs so I didn't fish the fly all day long.  The Fly was the only thing that got any bites.

[roadwarrior]

But I do know that you don't need a fancy rod for this, because sensitivity has nothing to do with it.

Well, I won't repost on this thread and I'm not trying to beat you

down, BUT the fact is, you DO NEED A FANCY ROD and

sensitivity DOES have EVERYTHING to do with it.

8-)  

[KevO]

well please enlighten me thats all I ever wanted.

[fishizzle]

to me the float and fly is like ice fishing.  If your flag is going up and you see the spool spinning its a rush.  But its the in between time thats boring.  I don't 'wait' for bites.  I'm a very impatient fisherman.

[Crestliner2008]

A quick re-iteration; why buy a special 8' - 9' rod, which will have very little application for the rest of the fishing season, just for FnF? Especially when smallies can be caught with regular tackle and a multitude of presentations which are tried & true? I just don't get it?

But if you want to try it, a standard 7' lite action rod with a slip bobber should do  just as well. No one will ever convince me it won't. But then again, I'm old school!  

[starbuck]

Ive only done this twice

most times in winter I freeline Live Shiners at Dale Hollow

but.. the two times we couldnt get shiners we did the floating fly

1st time we boated over 50 smallies 3-5 pounds

so we went back the next time to do it again becuase it was such a blast and in 6 hours caught about 4 keepers - kinda boring

so what little i have done it i think its either incredibly fun or broing and slow hehe

P.S.

neither time did we have specialized equiptment

just used 7 foot rattletrap rods i already owned and Pflueger President Spinning Reels

[starbuck]

Ive only done this twice

most times in winter I freeline Live Shiners at Dale Hollow

but.. the two times we couldnt get shiners we did the floating fly

1st time we boated over 50 smallies 3-5 pounds

so we went back the next time to do it again becuase it was such a blast and in 6 hours caught about 4 keepers - kinda boring

so what little i have done it i think its either incredibly fun or broing and slow hehe

P.S.

neither time did we have specialized equiptment

just used 7 foot rattletrap rods i already owned and Pflueger President Spinning Reels

[rickyterry]

Seems to work pretty good here in the east tennessee clear mountain lakes. May not catch the numbers, but they produce some monster smallmouth.

[Randall]

This is the hottest technique going right now on the North GA lakes. It's outfishing everything else and winning tournaments. There are a bunch of guys here who said the same kind of things I am reading here and said they wouldn't fish it and they could catch them other ways and many of them got tired of donating their money to the F&F guys and now they have F&F rods in their boat. I grew up in North Carolina, not far from the Tennesee border, and haven't really seen it used much outside of that area until this year. I have some buddies who have been going to lake Blue Ridge, which is one of the last lakes in GA to hold a decent SM population, and having a float and fly tournament. They have allowed other techniques but the F&F wins every time so they call it a F&F tournament. Here is the kind of fish they have been catching on it. It been taking from 18 to over twenty pounds to win. They even have me convinced to try it more on some of the largemouth lakes I fish. Triton Mike has been catching some nice spots on it also and just put this article on his website. http://www.tritonmike.com/floatandfly

[KevO]

Thank you Randall that article was very informative and helped me out a lot.  I will be using the F&F this weekend at Dale Hollow, hopefully I will have some good pictures to show all the F&F haters.  

[Triton_Mike]

I'm not so sure I'd call the technique boring and low production??  Most tournaments this time of year on my home lake are won with the Float N Fly or atleast in part.  Don't let that little fly fool you it will slap kill the BIG spots when nobody else is catching them.  I kinda start waking up when it takes you 7-8minutes to land a 4 to 5lb fish.  Lots of fun!!  

Mike

[bassmaster3000]

I like a wooly bugger under a float!

Black, White/Black, or Brown with red specks!!  ;D ;D