Float N' Fly 2024

Crestliner2008 reply :

I did a search on this topic, on this site and came out empty handed , so I guess I'll ask here. Has anyone used this technique for river smallies? If so, what were your results, what were you using to deliver (rod, line, leader length) the presentation and did you find it was worth the cost of a specialized rig? I've done some online research on this technique; from what I can see, a regular spinning rig, with a slip bobber set-up should work equally as well? Hate to spend all the $$$'s for a rig that is that specialized unless I'm really missing the boat on something here! Appreciate your opinions and experiences.

roadwarrior reply :

Float-N-Fly is a "technique of last resort." It's slow, boring and not particularly effective. I can't think of any reason why you would need specialized equipment.

http://www.float-n-fly.com/

http://www.floatandfly.com/fnfjigs.htm

farmpond1 reply :

I wouldn't think any particularly specialized equipment would be necessary-so long as you already have a spinning rod and reel.

I've used a jig under a bobber on many occassions. Seems to work best on days when the water has a a little light chop on it. It's especially good to hold a jig at a certain depth and without having to move it away from the desired zone.

Crestliner2008 reply :

Thanks rw....even those sites specifiy a 10' or longer rod with special rigging and jigs! Can't imagine telling my wife I have to buy a 10' rod for this specialized fishing! And in reading articles about it, I just don't see why a slip bobber on a regular rod wouldn't suffice?

pondhopper reply :

I have considered fnf too - but ... wouldn't this technique produce an unbearable number of panfish? That has kept me from giving it a try.

roadwarrior reply :

Quote
I have considered fnf too - but ... wouldn't this technique produce an unbearable number of panfish? That has kept me from giving it a try.

No. For the most part, it doesn't produce anything. If you give it a try, bring along plenty of beer, smokes and sandwiches. Cast out, put your rod in a rod holder and turn up the music.

Jig Man reply :

Quote
I did a search on this topic, on this site and came out empty handed , so I guess I'll ask here. Has anyone used this technique for river smallies? If so, what were your results, what were you using to deliver (rod, line, leader length) the presentation and did you find it was worth the cost of a specialized rig? I've done some online research on this technique; from what I can see, a regular spinning rig, with a slip bobber set-up should work equally as well? Hate to spend all the $$$'s for a rig that is that specialized unless I'm really missing the boat on something here! Appreciate your opinions and experiences.

FnF can be anything you want it to be. It is just like any other kind of fishing. If you don't plan to take the time to learn how to do it don't spend the money. When I got into it the rod choices were limited. The longest thing I could find was 8 1/2'. If I had do overs I'd get at least a 10'.

If you just cast it out and let the world do your work you might as well stay at home. FnF jigs have to be worked and a slip bobber just won't do it. It will slide up the line and you will wind up with the jig next to the bobber. You might be able to have some success with a 7' rod but we use leaders as long as 12'-14'. You really need for the leader to be long enough for the jig to reach the bottom on bluff ends and shelves.

We started out with a kit from Punisher jigs just to see what they used. Since then we have made our own jigs. I don't use it a lot since I go south for a couple of months but my bud who stays in MO has some unbelieveable days. http://www.punisherlures.com/component/page,shop.product_details/flypage,shop.flypage/product_id,34/category_id,42/manufacturer_id,0/option,com_virtuemart/itemid,78/

Crestliner2008 reply :

Not sure how to do a quote, but Jig Man, you say you can't use a slip bobber because the jig will rise when pulled or action imparted? If I quoted you correctly, I believe you are very much mistaken and/or you've never set up a slip bobber correctly. I've even trolled with a slip bobber and have never seen the bobber stop leave the top of the bobber! So, I'm not sure where you are going with this? Please elaborate.

Jig Man reply :

Quote
Not sure how to do a quote, but Jig Man, you say you can't use a slip bobber because the jig will rise when pulled or action imparted? If I quoted you correctly, I believe you are very much mistaken and/or you've never set up a slip bobber correctly. I've even trolled with a slip bobber and have never seen the bobber stop leave the top of the bobber! So, I'm not sure where you are going with this? Please elaborate.

I don't know how you set them up but when we tried it we followed the instructions on the pack put the bobber stop on the line 8-10' above the jig. Next we put on a little bead. The actual bobber was against the jig with the bead above it. The knotted stop was wound up into the rod. It was cast out and the jig allowed to sink and the line pulled down to the bobber stop. That put the jig 10' down. As we rattled and shook the jig and wound in the line the bead and bobber left the stop and worked its way back down the line to the jig. When we reeled it in the bobber was back against the jig therefore negating its usefullness.

fourbizz reply :

that is the design of the slip bobber jig man. it should be against the jig when you reel in. as long as you set it up right, the jig will sink back to the level that the stop is placed. when you impart action to it though, the jig will come up, then sink back down and i think that is the problem.

i have used the fnf some. the idea is to make the jig shake. when you try to do this with a slip bobber, the jig will move a bunch vertically like about 6 inches. when you shake the rig with a fixed float it just makes the jig quiver, which is the action you are really looking for. and with the long leader lengths ( i have used up to 20ft with a fixed float) that is why you need a long rod.

I use a cheap one that works great, although it is a little heavy. I use the 9'6" BPS Microlite Float n Fly.

I like the bullet jigs. the punishers are ok, but i think that they are too thickly dressed and that takes away from the action. I haven't had any really great days with them, but I have had amazing days fishing for crappie with that rig and 2lb test. My buddy just caught a 2.8lb crappie on sunday with my gear.

In my opinion IT DEFINITELY MAKES A DIFFERENCE between the slip and fixed floats. The shake is the key and you just can't get it right with a slip float.

HuntCast reply :

Bass writer and guide Jim Duckworth is one of the pioneers of the Float n Fly technique. When done CORRECTLY, it works great. Very few know how though.

You may want to go to his site and maybe even drop him an e-mail. Super nice guy who loves to talk bass fishing.

I spent an hour talking just float n fly when I did my first interview with him.

roadwarrior reply :

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

Steve Hacker http://www.smallmouth.com/

Fred McClintock http://www.trophyguideservice.com/

These are three of the top smallmouth guides in the country. You will find them interviewed and quoted from time to time in all the major fishing magazines.

Crestliner2008 reply :

So, let me get this straight. The difference between a slip bobber set-up and this F n' F set-up is the ability to "SHAKE" of the jig, right? Hmmm. OK, but if you try a slip bobber out in a swimming pool, you should be able to see if it can "shake" it as well? I do all my new technique rigging in the deep end of the pool, so I can see what the fish sees and present my lures more effectively. Come spring, I'll do a side by side evaluation in the pool on these two bobber set-ups and let you guys know if there is a significant difference. For now, I'll keep the $$$ in my pocket and forgo the F n' F. rw, thanks for all the sites. They all make it sound like this is a dynomite presentation. I'm just a tad bit skeptical. Especially when someone tells me you "have to" buy a specialized rod and line set-ups, of any kind. Guess what, I don't even use a 7 1/2' rod for flipping .

fourbizz reply :

i test mine in my pool too, and like i said, shaking a slip eig causes the jig to move too much vertically.

be as skeptical as you want. test it in the pool. i have tested it on fish.

HPBB reply :

The FNF will work, but on some days its like drowning a worm. It take some time to figure it out and if your not doing it right it will drive you nuts. Its like a drop shot. If you don't know how to work it right it will not work that good.

first find fish, if they are not suspended then forget about it.

figure out how deep they are and set the float so the fly is either right at their noses or just above them.

The slip bobber is good and also the set bobber works. I like using a slip bobber if the fish are deeper than 10feet. I only use a 7 foot light action rod and trying to cast with more than 10 feet of line out is hard. If they are shallower than 10 feet i will use a 3 way swivel and tie the float to the 3way. This way I can still use my 8# main line and use smaller 4# for the fly. The big thing is not to over work the fly and let the natural action of the water move it. This way the fly will seem to swim in the water really natural.

I have had a few trips where we have caught a ton of smallies and others where, well 0 fish. Like I said you have to find the fish. find a nice school of them susupended and get the bait at the right depth and it will work. If they are on the bottom forget the FLF.

I don't think it will work well in a river with a slip bobber, the current will keep the bobber against the fly. a set float will work better. but you will not be working it the same way. you will be letting the current "carry" it down where in calm water you work the bait.

jim duckworth reply :

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 116 and 132 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

HuntCast reply :

Thanks for the info, Jim.

I figured you would want to weigh in

roadwarrior reply :

WOW!

Welcome aboard!

8-)

Glenn reply :

Welcome aboard Jim! Glad to hear your viewpoint. The F-n-F method is something that I've very interested in learning myself.

One question: is this only a cold water technique? It seems as though this could work on any day when the bite is real slow - especially when the fish are suspended. You thoughts?

jim duckworth reply :

Yes in my opinion it is, from fifty degrees down and then back up to fifty, otherwise the fish are to scattered. In the winter the smallies stack up in specific spots. Jim Duckworth

flechero reply :

Mr. Duckworth,

Welcome!! Yours is a name I've heard for years... long before I ever caught a smallie. I hope you decide to become an active member of this forum.

bucky reply :

I have caught smallies using f&f on Dale Hollow and Kentucky Lake. I use an 8' rod and spinning reel with 6 lb test line. I don't use slip bobber but use a 3 way swivel and tie my small bobber to one leg of the swivel and a 9' to 12' leader with my fly tied on. I cast it very much like using a fly rod. It is a blast to catch those 4 lb smallies on the long rod. It can be a great deal of fun. Sometime I just fish f&f, and other times I will fish a jig and let the f&f drift behind the boat. Give it a try, I don't think you will be disappointed.

naturalnbama reply :

Ok went yesterday below Wheeler. water temp was 40-41. we looked around main lake points in 20-30 feet of water. we could see fish suspended. they looked staked up off the point but they looked to be only 6-10 feet deep. fished the fnf x2 with a white / green jig and also chartruse. caught one huge drum but that was it. what do I look for on the graph to know im in the right spot. we have a Lorance x75 and also Lorance x47 on front. Im trying someone help.

Crestliner2008 reply :

naturalnbama - With those water temps I'd be trying hard jerkbaits with long pauses for those suspended fish (if the water is fairly clear?). However, you first need to know IF, what you are looking at on your sonar is your target species - or not! Lots of fish suspend at most times of the year. This is where an UW camera can be down right vital at times. Without that, I'd fish where you have a pretty good confidence that they are holding. And if you know you were looking at bass, then maybe the jerkbait could have initiated a take. I would have thought the smallies would still be on the bottom in deep holes. They don't usually start to move up until the temps get up to about 45 degrees. Then the jerks really come into their own. I've never tried the F n' F....yet. Plan to once the ice is off the water though, with some modifications.

burleytog reply :

Quote
Float-N-Fly is a "technique of last resort." It's slow, boring and not particularly effective.

Just because you do not find it 'exciting' doesn't mean you should completely dismiss the technique.

:-X

SkeeterZX225 reply :

Quote

Quote
Float-N-Fly is a "technique of last resort." It's slow, boring and not particularly effective.

:

Just because you do not find it 'exciting' doesn't mean you should completely dismiss the technique.

:-X

Exactly. You have to know when and where to throw it or it will be a complete waste of time just like anyother techinque. This is a killer technique here in VA/TN highland lakes when the water temp/conditions are right. Nothing like a 5lb. smallie on a 9 1/2ft. rod with a 6lb leader

Jig Man reply :

Here is a little thing I use which may be of interest to some of you FnF guys. It allows the float to be moved up and down the line adjusting its depth in a couple of seconds. The tool is home made from a bullet sinker and a piece of wire. I take 4 strands of living rubber, put the line through the bead, stick the wire through, insert the rubber and pull a double length of it through the bead and cut off the excess. The rubber holds the bead in place and the float can be snapped onto the line below the bead. You want to change it grab the bead and slide it up or down the line.

13502

Float N' Fly 2024

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