Best Floats for Steelhead

[JeannaJigs]

ALWAYS tight line...No slack, and I don't let my line touch the water if I can help it, I use braid only for my main line so if it is on the water, it's ON the water floating, not creating drag that will screw with the jig presentation. float size depends on the water I'm fishing, same with shot, I use #5's always, and my jig size depends on the water clarity and fish being targetted, ie. if I'm targetting salmon, I'm not going to use a micro jig. I usually run a 18-24" fluorocarbon 8# leader, I prefer maxima's fluoro for this.

 

[fish_4_all]

I use braided for my main also but have never tight lined. Gonna have to learn to do that one. Gonna have to get my micros out too. Good thing I made some.

What brand braided do you use and test? I use a spinning reel for floats if that makes a difference.

 

[steelhead_stalkers]

I use braided for my main also but have never tight lined. Gonna have to learn to do that one. Gonna have to get my micros out too. Good thing I made some.

What brand braided do you use and test? I use a spinning reel for floats if that makes a difference.

I like fireline crystal and have it spooled up on all of my float rods spinning or casting. For most steelhead fishing around here you can use the 14lb or 10lb on spinning reels. Both break around 22lb and 16lb respectively and will float perfectly on the water. The nice thing about it, is that you can use it for drift fishing as well and I have caught many steelhead with it drift fishing.

You want to keep your line as tight as possible when float fishing but haveing it on the water especially when the float is below you and down river is ok. The most important thing is to have your presentation be as drag free as possible!! The problem a lot of people have is they think the line needs to be on the water at all times and are constantly mending the line. Ever time you mend the line you are adding movement to your jig and steelhead love a drag free drift. We have done a lot of testing in water where we know steelhead are holding and many times I would make a drift through a slot and mend my line four or five times to keep my line tight and off the water and got nothing. I didn't even think that I was making my float hardly move when mending but it still affects the jig and presentation. I would then make a run through letting the current and my float to at the same speed and make one mend and I would get a steelhead first cast. It truely makes a difference and that is why great float fisherman get very long rods, they have to mend the line less and can pull more line off the water at a time.

Very rarely will you miss a steelhead when they take your float down especially in normal current, if your float is moving at about walking speed and a steelhead wants it you will hook it. Most of the time if someone misses a fish when float fishing its a trout because they hit quick. The most obvious sighn that you had a trout take down is your float will shoot under the water quickly. A steelhead will just pick up your jig and the current will slowly pull your float under, when that happens you know its a steelhead!!

Another think to think about. I only use two to three split shot on my leader along with an inline weight or egg sinker when using jigs and you should not need any more. You do want as much weight as your float can hold up though so that when a fish picks up your jig or bait its under. In ultra clear conditions I will use less split and let my micros get down on their own. The reason I don't use a lot of split is that I have seen steelhead hit split shot a lot before on small clear rivers and people think they have a take down and its just a steelhead or trout nipping at their split :lol: Anyway, I hope this helps.

 

[fish_4_all]

Okay, one big question, how do you tight line a slip float? Is it more about having enough weight down the line that it won't come up from tight lining or what? I am kinda lost there. I mean when you tight line how do you keep the line from raising your jig or bait up higher than you want?

Oh, one more thing, what type of float stop do you all prefer?

Stalker, I will study those and keep looking through the site for sure. I made some floats that I hope will work but if they don't I am gonna get some real ones soon.

 

[JeannaJigs]

Okay, one big question, how do you tight line a slip float? Is it more about having enough weight down the line that it won't come up from tight lining or what? I am kinda lost there. I mean when you tight line how do you keep the line from raising your jig or bait up higher than you want?

Oh, one more thing, what type of float stop do you all prefer?
QUOTE]

I don't pull on it, but I keep the slack up. I keep my rod tip high, and reel in as it comes downstream. I tie my own float stops with dacron around an old WD-40 nozzle straw thinger. The ones you buy at the store, slip way too much on braid, and I can't get 'em tight enough without damaging them.

 

[steelhead_stalkers]

Its cheap to make your own bobber stops and there is a video floating around here somewhere that shows you how to do it

 

[JeannaJigs]

Its cheap to make your own bobber stops and there is a video floating around here somewhere that shows you how to do it

if I had time I could probably find the video to post it, but alas, slacking at work, I have to at least pretend I'm working They're real easy to make though, I can tie up about 20 of them in less than 10 minutes.

 

[fish_4_all]

I know how to tie them, not hard at all. I have been doing the same technique for tying egg hooks for years so nothing new there. I just didn't like them because they slipped so much. Maybe some of my embroidery floss will work well or maybe some heavy duty thread I have might do it. I also had a problem with them catching on the line guides but it might be because I was either using the wrong stuff or I was making them too long.

What #test Dacron do you use?

 

[JeannaJigs]

I know how to tie them, not hard at all. I have been doing the same technique for tying egg hooks for years so nothing new there. I just didn't like them because they slipped so much. Maybe some of my embroidery floss will work well or maybe some heavy duty thread I have might do it. I also had a problem with them catching on the line guides but it might be because I was either using the wrong stuff or I was making them too long.

What #test Dacron do you use?

I find that the Dacron doesn't slip a whole lot, and it doesn't get caught in my guides. I use 30#

Also, I trim the ends down pretty close too once it's on my line, leaving just enough to pull on with pliers if I need to adjust it, so that might help with it not getting caught in the guides.

 

[steelhead_stalkers]

I know how to tie them, not hard at all. I have been doing the same technique for tying egg hooks for years so nothing new there. I just didn't like them because they slipped so much. Maybe some of my embroidery floss will work well or maybe some heavy duty thread I have might do it. I also had a problem with them catching on the line guides but it might be because I was either using the wrong stuff or I was making them too long.

What #test Dacron do you use?

I use 20lb Dacron and it works very well. Sometimes for larger floats for salmon I will use 50lb Dacron but most of the time 20lb works fine.

Good luck!

 

[fish_4_all]

That is a little different than I do it but is the exact same thing. I use a piece of line that is doubled over to pull the line back through the wraps like I do with my egg hooks.

I appreciate all the help, summers are the only fish that give me trouble so hopefully I will get this figured out and start catching them more than once every 5 trips. This will also give me a lot of information for winters and salmon when it is time to go after them.

What weight jigs do you guys use? I am gonna get a picture of some I have been tying to see if they should work. I know they "should" but I always like input on them.

 

[steelhead_stalkers]

With steelhead presentation is the most important part, with that being said better jigs will hook more fish in a given hole than crappy ones. I have caught steelhead with just a pink hook so they will hit anything presented properly. Most jigs will work fine and micro jigs might work better for summers but who knows. I use them for everything and do alright

 

[fish_4_all]

Okay, but what do you consider a micro? When I hear micro jig I am thinking a 1/100th ounce jig head and a size 10-14 hook. Granted I know steelhead will hit that size jig but I don't know if it gonna work well under a float in swift water. I think fly fishing when I head "micro jig".

Let me get the pic and you can tell me if they qualify as micro.

 

[fish_4_all]

These are a little longer than a quarter and either 1/8 or 1/16, I don't remember, I think 1/16 because they are lead free.



These are the exact size of a quarter from hook bend to top of head. Actually fits rather nicely on one.

Would it do any good to go smaller or is it gonna be more important to get my presentation down than to try and match sizes perfectly?

Oh and I think I know why they hit the dark colors. I once was watching a fish rising about 20 feet down stream of me one day. Every few minutes an insect casing of some sort, dragonfly or caddis fly would float past and it never failed, a steelhead would rise just about when it should have floated past. If I could have snagged them and then tied it on to look the same I would have had a field day.

 

[steelhead_stalkers]

Very nice jigs, the micros I tie up are around 1/64th and are on size 8 and 10's. I would say you could catch summers and winters on thoese and the dark colors. People catch fish all the time on 1/4 oz and 1/16 oz jigs so you are in the right ball park.

 

[fish_4_all]

sounds good, I have a massive number of sickle jigs tied up but I am afraid to use them because I don't think they will be strong enough for a steelhead. I guess if you can land one on a #12 light wire fly hook they should hold up but not ready to try them until I get a couple.

 

[steelhead_stalkers]

sounds good, I have a massive number of sickle jigs tied up but I am afraid to use them because I don't think they will be strong enough for a steelhead. I guess if you can land one on a #12 light wire fly hook they should hold up but not ready to try them until I get a couple.

The thing you have to be confident in is your gear when using small jigs and fly's. I have two custom made micro jigs rods that I use a lot and they were built for throwing small micro jigs on 4 and 6lb line. They are matched perfectly for this presentation and allow me to put as much pressure as possible on the fish and use the whole rod and line to my advantage. I'm excited to get my new custom 13'0" rainshadow xst float rod from the rod builder in a few weeks!! This will be one sweet summer steelhead rod for bigger rivers like the McKenzie and Willamette.

 

[davep]

copolime leader

copolime leader

First, I only use copolimer for leader...too much memory to use as a spin casting line...the brand is izorline...I first used it as a field testor and now I wouldnt use anything else...very tough stuff and is really resistant to nicks...

 

[chodathug]

JeannaJigs;
Lol...Well, now I don't feel quite so dumb. I did like you said,the difference is that I must have used a different bead somehow. The string didn't stop anything. The bead and the bobber kept slipping past it. I got so frustrated,I nearly had a Thill bonfire! Glad I didn't,those things aren't cheap. I do like them and will learn to love them with the right sized bead. Thanks,Jeanna!
Be safe.
Barb

What I first tried would actually qualify as dumb...or much worse.
I threaded my line THROUGH the black plastic tube at first and then wound the ends of the tie around my main line several times, then tied them together to create a big embarrassing mess...lol, and wondered if the eyelette at the tip of my "custom" steelhead rod was a special kind that was too small to use with bobber stops...:redface: - I thought to myself..."Jeez, I'd rather not use these things, someone should invent a better bobber stop" Haha. I'm not usually such an idiot I swear...

 

[JeannaJigs]

What I first tried would actually qualify as dumb...or much worse.
I threaded my line THROUGH the black plastic tube at first and then wound the ends of the tie around my main line several times, then tied them together to create a big embarrassing mess...lol, and wondered if the eyelette at the tip of my "custom" steelhead rod was a special kind that was too small to use with bobber stops...:redface: - I thought to myself..."Jeez, I'd rather not use these things, someone should invent a better bobber stop" Haha. I'm not usually such an idiot I swear...

Lol it's been a horrible day at work, and I needed that. I never did that, but..well...when I've had hectic crazy days, with way too much on my mind, have forgot to slide the stop off the tube, and proceeded to tie up the rest of my float rig....and then realize crap...i've gotta cut it and start over.