Man! Looks like someone made RT mad. I sort of have to question exactly how a thread can go from being about what floats people prefere to use to being a big pissing match between a bunch of guys. Not trying to get all touchy feely here but it would do everyone well to remember exactly why we came to this board origionally. I'm sure that it was because we all share a love of Salmon and Steelhead fishing, not because we enjoy being pissed off at one another. By the way, I float fish almost exclusively and I prefer to use the biggest cheater I can find. Just go to the Corkie section of your local sporting goods shop and get the biggest cheaters you can find ( a lttle smaller than a golf ball) Slide one up your line and peg it with a toothpick. It works great and you can get them in about any color you want.

I thought we were discussing floats. I use a variety of floats depending on the conditions, from the New Thill Steelhead floats, corks, clear bubbles and an oval foam float I really like. Water conditions fished dictates the type of float I use.....slow water calls for a different float then fast water. It's always a good idea to carry a variety of floats for different conditions.

I use foam dinks in winter and clear bubbles in summer. I dont use slideing foats very often unless I need to go deeper than 10 feet but I dont go that deep very often.

Does anyone know where I can order the 2 and 3" foam dinks. I cant seem to find any out here on the peninsula.

The shorty foam floats are the king.....and for clear water nothing beats a Drennan, unfortunately at 5 bucks per they become costly.
On another note, I've never tried fishing a jig but will give it a shot next season, no one around here fishes jigs yet...

I think superfly hit it right on the head with the type of floats to use, although on bigger/faster water a cigar shaped corker or a foam dink can help with jig presentation as it allows you to adjust the weight to keep the jig tracking properly.

foat n blades - there are a few people using jigs on the vedder. I nailed them up there this year using jigs on day and some of your brothers took notes

Rich-
Shoot me an email because I can send out some 2 and 3 inch dink floats. I am almost sure we have some. They run $.99-$1.19

Any color preferance?

I am the one that brought out that special pink marabou that Bob gave 'ya.

[ 05-07-2001: Message edited by: RPetzold ]

Myself I use the eagle claw slip floats even though I've been having trouble finding them lately. They're cheaper than other brands but work great. I also use cotton bobber stops and a bead on the top and bottom so I can adjust the depth all day and not fray the line. I also agree on the round cork floats though for jin clear or if I have to cast further. Hope this helps.

Stadle,
No rivers in Washington to fish...you have to resort to BC's version of Blue Creek...what a gong show this year.Actually I think I saw you down there....matching camo vest and waders,8ft rod,spinning reel, bottom bouncing...was that you?
Everyone was nailing them on everything at the Vedder this year, don't be thinking your jigs were the only ticket Great year to try out new things though. Jigs are next years obsession.

Cross roads ...why do you always bring up the football thing
After all the less than friendly e-mails I received from a few Duck fans....I responded accordingly :p


untill you know all the facts don't jump to conclusions and read too much into the little smiley faces......Os

[ 05-09-2001: Message edited by: The Reel Osprey ]

Jigman had a very good point about using different floats for different conditions.Everyone seems to have their personal preference for what type of float to use and if it works for them they think it's the best.I use many different floats also but when jig fishing I usually use the plastic bubble floats pegged to my line.On a different note remember guys it's only fishing .Does it really matter who did it first ?

Geez Stew. Jumped a few feet there, didn't ya? Bobber and Jig fishing legends? ****, I bet I've caught close to a million fish on bobber and jigs, but I'm not saying steelhead. My grandfather taught me how to bobber and jig fish when I was 3 and he lived to be 80, so no telling how many fish he's caught on a bobber and jig, especially since he used that method about 10 times more than I did. So nuff talk about bobber and jig legends

And I can badmouth bobber and jig fishing so call me a doughball, PLEASE. The drawback, at about $1.70 a float and around $2 a jig, breaking off get's expensive.

Also Osprey, the complaint emails RT is receiving about you is only from me You're still here, so apparently they aren't working...muh ha ha ha ha

Coincidence? hmmmmm. It's scary.
Of course, I'm not badmouthing (other than Osprey and RT of course) just yet. www.silentapproach.com has, does, and always will get my business if I'm spending money on jigs.

I don't recall Osprey ever getting personal with the football attacks. Seems you ruffle a couple ducks' feathers, and they all come a quacking.
-----------------
I'm glad I got turned onto the thill steelie floats. Too bad it was a little too late, but I've got them for the next go 'round. Also, O's bobber idea is pretty damn kewl. Of course that friggin' doughball has %%%%%'spresident calling him.....nuff said.

[ 05-08-2001: Message edited by: THE REEL HEY_YALL ]

Blades, A little touchy about me crossin the border I see...

BTW, you may have seen me, but I was the guy with the 10.5ft loomis matched with a Shimano Calais cleaning up in the underfished runs. I found alot of those, as I noticed you guys don't like to walk very far to catch a fish . oh yeah, in case you were wondering the fish in the chehalis canyon seem to like the jigs real well also.


[ 05-08-2001: Message edited by: Stadle ]

Chill out guys. Let's take our frustrations out on salmontackler instead of each other.

Back to the matter at hand. Jigman has it right, different "strike indicators" for different conditions. I fish fixed or sliding dink floats when the water has a bit more color and I'm using fireline and I've recently been turned on to the Turbomasters when it's low and clear and I'm geared down to 10# line.

Bruce

And since we're talking again about our favorite jigs, I caught a lot this winter on Rainbow Jigs .

Must be purely coincidental then.

I wonder what the vegas guys would take on odds? Any odds takers that are fishermen from vegas?

Hey_Yall, your grandpa floatfished until he was 80, and you have since around 3 years old, and you ask someone to please call you a doughball - OK, you're a doughball. You're welcome. ...

After reading all these tips about floats I am going to expand from the 3 I mentioned I primarily use. I am particularly interested in the one that tilts and/or submerges the easiest - I think that was the Thill TurboMaster? I like Snagly's idea of using this type of float with more weight under it to improve casting and the upright stance as it drifts. I also like Shane's idea of painting the top area of cork floats (maybe around the upper 1/4th) in bright red to better follow it and also to detect movement. Seemingly, these 2 mods to those 2 type of floats would bring them close in overall effectiveness? To the river to see.

RT

Stadle...as long as you bring your wallet you're welcome to fish the Vedder anytime you please, and youre definately right about guys stacking up close to their cars...that's the beautiful thing about the Vedder, if you don't mind walking you can fish alone.Just joking about the gear... I fish a 1263 GL3 also, with an old Seldex. How far up the canyon were you fishing....the up and over or "ironman"?

Matt

Hey Float n blade,

I figured you were buzzin me about the short rod and spinning reel. I believe I was at what you refer to as "up and over" in the canyon. I did not try the billy goat (iron man) spot, maybe next year.

I will be up this fall for some salmon fishing, with the exchange rates an annual license/punchcard is pretty reasonable - or atleast compared to what the state of Wa charges it does not seem too bad to me.

You guys are not fishing floats right if you are waiting for the bobber to go down. Nine (9) times out of 10 the bobber just moves or you feel the fish take and the bobber never goes down. I don't think the type of float really matters as long as you have just enough buoyancy(sic) to float your lead or shot. The funny thing about you americans is you always try to fine tune everything instead of trying to keep it simple.

Well Cato, you bring those "simple" Canadian rigs of yours down here and we'll see how well you do. We have far less fish and far greater competition for them than you're probably used to, therefore only those that have taken their "simple" methods and improved upon them are catching more fish than the competition is.

BTW: If you don't use a float the size of a football, it WILL sink when a fish bites.......not always but most of the time.

Dan S: We still use red and whites up here. When the bobber flips over set the hook.

The float actually goes under? Wow! I would have thought with such tough fishing conditions your senses would have been so finally tuned that you would feel the fish hit before your float actually moved.

Here's another quick question for you guys; when a steelhead hits your spoon does your rod almost jump out of your hand?