Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Randog]

After reading Chris' tip on how to get the stuck toothpicks out of the floats, I thought I'd add a little tip. Like many shore anglers on the Vedder I seem to find and accumulate one - two bags of foam floats per year. Many of them are torn or if they are the wrap around type they usually have the big gash between the top and bottom plastic tubing. Well the other day I was cleaning out my fishing room and came across four big bags of floats and I was going to chuck them in the garbage when I figured, I'll See if I can salvage any of them. So I pulled out a couple and removed the plastic tubing, then I cut a piece of coat hanger and heated on the stove top element. I then proceeded to carefully poke/melt a hole down the center of the foam float, once the flat has cooled down, I stuck a piece of a bamboo skewer down the center hole. I tried running a piece of 15lb. fishing line through the center hole and placed the peg into position and it seemed to hold on the line nice and tight but still slid up and down the line with little effort. Now comes the test, I'll be fishing my local flow tomorrow and I;ll see how these "Rebuilt" floats perform.

  I know foam floats are very inexpensive and I could probably afford to purchase many through out the year, but what the heck, just a little something to pass the time. Anyways, here's a picture of the finished product. Try it out, it just might work for ya.

[Fish Assassin]

Another way of salvaging the wrap around floats is simply apply electrician tape around the gash.

[chris gadsden]

A good tip Randy. As one into recycling I try to find ways to reuse things if possible. Keep it out of the landfills should be our motto.

Anyone else with some good fishing related tips as I am sure there are lots out there and most likely have been posted before but to post them again will not hurt.

[Rodney]

Now, moving onto the Drennans... Those who use it frequently would know the tooth pick can fall out rather easily when you set the hook really hard.... Occasionally the tooth pick would fall out. The alternative would be using two float stoppers tied onto the line, one on each end of the float. Who has been using that and what are the feedbacks?

[Fish Assassin]

Ditto Pin Head. However it's not perfect; you can still lose your float

[chris gadsden]

i use the rubber float stops above and below drennans and they work great.

Hey thats not fair how can us OAP's find any then.

[Gooey]

In regards to the float stops and using drennans, I put on 2 stoppers below just to protect the float.  Especially when using split shot which I think can nick a line, the 2 stoppers often mean you get your float back when all else is lost.

I initially was fishing 1 stopper above and 2 below and the top one seemed to slowly migrate as I was casting.  If you didt check it every other cast, I found that before I new it I was dredging bottom.  I have since gone back to a whittled down tooth pick. 

I us the fat tooth pics but its important to change the taper.  If you dont, you have to jam them in hard and only get one point of contact.  IMO putting too much force at that one point can weaken your line.  taper down the tooth pics and you can create a longer more even area which will hold your float better and not crimp/weaken the line!

[The Gilly]

Here is my meathod for sliding floats...
Use any float with a straight through hole.  Drennans are the nicest.  Take a piece of mono and tie an overhand knot (just like tying your shoe laces) onto your main line, with one 1/2 hitch above and below the overhand knot.  Trim the tag ends to 1/4".  Place a bead below this bobber stop and then thread on your float.  Now place another bead below the float and tie on your swivel.

You can move the mono up and down your main line to get the desired depth.  You also don't have a lot of loose line out when you cast.  Works great for tight quarters and long casts.

[Dubya]

I like to convert my wraparound dink floats to the straight thru type. What I found that works great for me is to salvage the ink tubes from used up cheapo BIC pens. The floats end up shorter than original size, but I usually prefer them like that anyways. I drill thru the float from both ends with a slightly smaller bit and just jam the tube thru. Some of you probably could have good supply of empty pens to salvage if you put out the word at the office.

Like Randog said, give it a try.

[Rodney]

Good advice with the stopper below the float gooey. I usually have one below the float to prevent loss when breaking off. So far it has not worked, since I haven't needed to break off...

Interesting note about the stopper sliding. You're using the rubber ones right? You can get different size stoppers for different line diameter. Maybe one size smaller can prevent that slide...

[Terry Bodman]

I have converted to the float stopper knots since fooling around with toothpicks has become a chore, especially in the cold weather. Has worked for me but haven't landed a fish yet. Could be the knot, do you think? 

[Sterling C]

My favorite way to rig a float....

[Fish Assassin]

Goof grief Charlie Brown, that float has seen better days

[Rieber]

I missed the tip on how to get the stuck toothpick out. How do you do it?

[Fish Assassin]

Insert a thin wire from the opposite end of the float and push the toothpick out.