By Rodney Hsu

Floats are relatively easy to use, and when used correctly you can produce a successful catch on a good fishing day. However, often anglers make some common mistakes during the most crucial stage of float fishing - balancing the floats. When using a float, simply add some weight onto the line so the bait can sink why the float stays on the surface, simple right? Not true! Because the float is the only indicator that tells you when the fish is biting, you need to make sure it will sink when that trophy fish is on, and it will stay up straight even when it is hit by waves, current or wind. Making this work is quite easy, you need to experience with your floats and different kinds of weights that are available in the market.

Step one: Choosing the correct kinds of weight!

There are many types of weights that you can buy from tackle shops, but only a few of those are suitable for float fishing. Personally, I prefer to use split shots and running weights. Split shots, particularly the reusable type, allow you to add more weight onto the line while fishing without disturbing the rest of your setup. Running weights are also easy to use, simply thread the line through the weight and tie a swivel at the end of the line. When it comes to the shape of the sinker, I tend to go with a long thin one instead of a round fat one. The photos below show these types of weights that have just been discussed.

Step two: Tying the weights on the line

In this section, several examples are used to show different ways to rig up a float. The first method is by pinching split shots on the line with equal distance between them right below a fixed float. This setup is perfect for slow moving stream, lakes and sloughs. Instead of having a large chunk of weight sitting near the hook, having many small split shots along the line makes your rig much more sensitive. In the left photo, a Gibbs float is fixed on the line with a toothpick. Right below the float, split shots are pinched on one by one. Notice no swivels or rings were tied on at all, a hook is simply tied on below the sequence of split shots. By avoiding tying a separate leader with a swivel, we minimize the number of knots and chances of breaking when playing a large fish. The distance between the float, split shots and hook can be adjusted simply by sliding the float and weights on the line. Be cautious though, a tightly pinched split shots can damage the fishing line when moved on the line. This rig can be used when targeting salmon in slower waters, where it has enough time to sink to the right depth. When a smaller float is used, it is also an excellent setup for rainbows in lakes, coarse fish in sloughs and backwaters.

When fishing in faster water, where you need to get your bait down to the ideal depth at a fast rate, you should try the rig that is shown in the right photo. Again. a Gibbs float is fixed on the line. Below the line, a running sinker is threaded through, followed by a red bead and a swivel. The purpose of the red bead is to prevent damages done to the sinker when it hits the swivel. Of course, a fixed weight can be used by attaching to the swivel too, this demonstration was purely my own personal preference. A leader is tied onto the swivel. The advantage of this set up is that you can use different types of line for your leader if required. The disadvantage is that you have to change the entire leader if you want to change its length. Rivers where you may want to use this setup include the Capilano River, Seymour River, Upper Squamish River, Chehalis River and parts of Vedder River.

Step three:Achieve the perfect balance

To catch fish, usually when the fish bites is when you are setting the hook to catch it, not waiting for the fish to drag your line at 100 miles per hour towards the ocean or the other side of the river bank. Therefore, it is important to notice every single bite that you are getting, which makes a proper balanced float extremely important. If the float is sticking out of the water too much, it will be hard to notice when the fish bite because only a small portion of that float will go down. It is our instinct to wait for the entire float to submerge before setting the hook. If not enough weight is used to balance the float, then the float will not submerge when the fish bite and you will miss your chances more often. Powerful fish such as steelhead, salmon and trout will readily pull the float completely under most of the time even when you don't use enough weight. However, "nibblers" such as chub and carp, which have feeding behaviours similar to goldfish, will only make the float "dancing" or "jumping" on the surface if the float has too much buoyancy. To achieve the ideal balance, check out the photo on the right, where arrows indicate where the water surface should be when your float is in the water. The three Gibbs floats have 90% of their bodies submerged because foam has great buoyancy. Having only the coloured portion sticking out above the surface, you will be able to pick up the fast strikes of the salmon and steelhead. If you don't want that much weight used, you can always cut the floats in half. The float on the left of the photo, has 50% of its body sticking out of the surface because the upper portion is thin and most of the buoyancy lies near the bottom portion. These are just some examples of well balanced floats. To achieve your perfect balance, play around with your floats and weights, experimenting can only make your fishing day better!

Finally, match the float to your fish! Make sure you don't use an oversize float for small fish or a undersize float for monsters. Also match your float to the waters. If the bait is not hitting the bottom in fast water and the float is moving too fast, switch it to a larger float. Be creative, always change your tactics if you are not producing.