Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum
Fishing in British Columbia => General Discussion => Topic started by: jackie on December 08, 2016, 11:05:49 PM
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Seems like nowadays everyone is slowly moving away from your basic dne floats and are beginning to almost exclusively use cleadrift, drennan, zeppler type floats.
However personally iv seen many great anglers such as rod toth who seem to use dne floats whenever and where ever....
Just wondering what you guys think. Does it really make a difference to spend another 4 bucks a float?
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I think its all in our minds. I feel more confident using clear drifts in clear waters. Usually using them for spooky coho. I haven't noticed my success go up or down between them or DNE. Steelhead I use green or white DNE floats no matter the conditions and still catch fish.
There's also the chunk of lead or split shot and swivel passing by the fishes face much closer then the float is. Some guys use high vis mainline and report no loss in success.
Someone here posted a video a few years back, (or just told us about it I can't remember) where they had taken an underwater video of a clear drift in sunny conditions and it was like a beacon of light shining through the float like a magnifying glass.
Like I said I can't say I've noticed a difference one way or another, the only difference in floats I've ever noticed is the increased sensitivity the tapered floats give to subtle bites.
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I use all of em except for the foam 'dink' floats. I usually just buy a couple of green,gray and white DNE floats when I run out ..but this salmon season was lucky enough to find quite a variety of cleardrift/drennan type floats as well as dne's at the river. Don't think I would spend $8 on a float but will gladly fish em for free:)
I have had success with all of em and in many types of water conditions...so far have not noticed any affect with colour/type to catch ratio.
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I gave up on the cleardrift cause they break so easily, and I've switched to the dink floats.
I got fed up with float stops and like having the float at a contains depth. I think the presentation actually gets working faster with them. It seemed to be a thing with the people that we're catching more fish, no sliding float, and I'm sure they weren't flossing...
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I peg my floats above and below with bobber stoppers to stop that from happening
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I pretty much exclusively use the grey foam DNE floats in 25 grams. 4 large split shot weights and the top barley sticks out of the water. Easy to see bites and I haven't even noticed an increase in hookups between using a clear drennan or cleardrift style float vs a foam DNE. It's the shape that you want, but DNE's are the same regardless in that aspect.
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I mostly use cigar shaped balsa floats as small and slim as possible.Maximum sensitivity is key for me. Steelheading is some serious Shi7 and I do not want to miss even the slightest of takes.
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Between DNE vs Cleardrift vs Drennan vs Topshelf I really don’t think it matters either. I used cleardrift for quite a few seasons but have given up on them
new now because they are so easy to break, crack, or start leaking for no apparent reason. Back to DNE now and never have to worry about them unless I break it off, which might happen only a few times per year, and cheaper as well.
edit: typo
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I fish them all, and I've not noticed any difference. What I can say is that dink floats are the easiest to trim for a perfect amount of buoyancy. Thread em up with a worm needle and you're off and running. Cheapest option of the bunch.
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I used to really like the stealth floats i think they were called. Clear thin float needed rubber tube to put them on. Drifted really nice. Went under water with little resistence i found. I cant find them anymore. Think stopped making them.
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Huge waste of money.
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DNE or balsa here, same as others I've used the Cleardroft in past but break way to easy especially in the cold of steelhead season...
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I have never found a difference but really hate buying bobber stops I haven't bought a bobber in 5 years find them every were just end up buying stops , Would be nice to find a Dink float once and a while to cut costs
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I've only experienced water leaking into my Cleardrift once. No problem with them breaking.
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I dont think they were a waste of money. Think they were only 1.99.
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I have never found a difference but really hate buying bobber stops I haven't bought a bobber in 5 years find them every were just end up buying stops , Would be nice to find a Dink float once and a while to cut costs
Use dacron nail knots on your mainline as a bobber stop. They don't slide, and they are visible so that you can see if your gear sunk or not (in the case of a poor cast/tangle). I started using orange dacron up top, and then 17 pound flouro as the bottom stop, because I once watched a steelhead eat my bottom orange bobber stop piece.
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I use whatever I have around . Right now I'm fishing 20 gram piker Drennans and I like them but they are pretty expensive at around 8 bucks a pop . There are knockoff Drennans available locally (Uncle Fred's or Fishon Floats) and they fish good too and are about half the price of a Drennan . I like them better than ClearDrifts . DNE are hard to beat though in terms of value as they are affordable and are sensitive if you balance the float with enough weight . I have not noticed any difference in hookups using clear floats vs foam for steelhead but I personally like the clear floats a bit better (mainly because I have a bag full of them at the moment lol) . What's more important than the float you use is your presentation . You can have the most expensive floats and terminal tackle , but if your presentation isn't good , the float you use will make no difference whatsoever .
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I only use DNE floats with bobber stops and with pencil lead cut into various size lengths, depending on the river and water flow etc. Never been a big fan of split shot when river fishing.
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I have never found a difference but really hate buying bobber stops I haven't bought a bobber in 5 years find them every were just end up buying stops , Would be nice to find a Dink float once and a while to cut costs
Regularly see Dink floats for sale at various local tackle shops, Canadian Tire, Army and Navy, Wholessalesports, Cabelas etc.
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Use dacron nail knots on your mainline as a bobber stop. They don't slide, and they are visible so that you can see if your gear sunk or not (in the case of a poor cast/tangle). I started using orange dacron up top, and then 17 pound flouro as the bottom stop, because I once watched a steelhead eat my bottom orange bobber stop piece.
Toothpicks work
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It's interesting to see everyone's preference. I guess like most things in fishing it all comes down to what you have confidence in.
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I generally fish DNEs as well; I prefer grey. Used old foam dinks for years with no probs at all though. Clear floats are cool, but too fragile and expensive for myself.
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Toothpicks work
But they suck when you have to fish 10+ feet deep with no back-cast room :D
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I think it's personal preference under MOST conditions - my feeling is the bait/presentation/location/water all has more to do with hook ups....
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The last few seasons we've been using Drennan knock-offs (Fishon) and they're great floats. Stratocaster and I bought a bunch in bulk from a guy who had them manufactured overseas. I wish he had more! I stopped using cleardrift floats b/c of durability issues. Some of my cleardrifts just started leaking for no apparent reason! DNE's are fine too. One thing we started doing was placing two float stops under the float which helps prevent losing the float when snagged, etc. Also tried a "top shelf" float and I liked it. The only drawback is the stick which gets caught on people's line when they cast over you. My stick also broke, but was able to use float stops combined with beads. Price is an issue with the top shelf floats as well.
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Time and time again (in clear water) I have seen fish evade the oncoming gear drifting at them. I even have gone as far as to scrape the paint off of the caps on my plastic floats and just leave a little colored nub on top. It has made a difference when the fish are a little stale and the water conditions are on the low/clear side.
I think clear drifts have thicker plastic so I have moved away from drennan. at $8 a pop, Im cant stand that sound when you set the hook, miss the fish and shatter a float in the rocks.
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Shish kabob sticks and model air plane, plastic gas line hose, is a good trick. ;D
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With around a thousand floats on hand it can be hard to make up my mind what to use but I have switched from a Maple Leaf Drennan or ML DNE to an Auston Matthews DNE or Drennan. ;D ;D ;D
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With around a thousand floats on hand it can be hard to make up my mind what to use but I have switched from a Maple Leaf Drennan or ML DNE to an Auston Matthews DNE or Drennan. ;D ;D ;D
I sense a lot of fishless days coming. ;)
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The Maple Leaf Drennan: A float that starts off the season floating on top but slowly begins to crack and eventually sinks to the bottom by the end of the season.
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The Maple Leaf Drennan: A float that starts off the season floating on top but slowly begins to crack and eventually sinks to the bottom by the end of the season.
Bwahahahaaaa....lmfao
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The Maple Leaf Drennan: A float that starts off the season floating on top but slowly begins to crack and eventually sinks to the bottom by the end of the season.
Thats hilarious
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Thats hilarious
Let them laugh Chris. At least we cheer for an exciting team with huge potential in the future
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So much talk about floats...when what really matters is who is holding the rod. :o
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Let them laugh Chris. At least we cheer for an exciting team with huge potential in the future
Only took a decade of being at the bottom to get there.
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So much talk about floats...when what really matters is who is holding the rod. :o
Nah, it's what's under the float that really matters.
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Nah, it's what's under the float that really matters.
He who holds the rod determines what's under the float. ;)
Frankly, I don't think the brand of float makes a difference. What matters is weight. A 25-gram rated foam dink float will perform just like a 25-gram rated Drennan, at a fraction of the cost. I'd rather spend more on hooks and leader material.
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Let them laugh Chris. At least we cheer for an exciting team with huge potential in the future
Sad but true for us long suffering Canuck fans , sigh
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I like to used the 1 1/2" red and white round bobber float. works great. ;D ;D ;D
Silex user
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I was lucky enough to be taught how to make good cork floats from an old rod builder and only fish cork floats. They are really sensitive and are great when using a center pin.
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I save money on floats by forgoing them and just using REALLY LONG leaders.
;D