Try a float rig for flats?

Anyone willing to try out a float rig for Flats the next time you are out? Im going to I think that could add something to the presentation that might produce big!

Report back what happens!

I’ve got a big Cat bobber, I just need a mini glow stick so I can track it when its floating down stream. Might have to order one from Catfish conn. Been wanting to try it all year but needed to wait for the flow to slow a little bit.

Floats work… I am no pro to catfishing but neighbor went out sunday and today on a little river in our area and he asked me what to try and I said I am no cat guy but use a lead and he asked if a float would work I said try it then we both will know. First day he came home witha 8 pounder the second day a 11 pounder.. Guess they work..
Will post pics in a few..

first pic 8 pounder

second fish 11 pounds..

I the situation arises where I could use one, your darn right I would. When I fish an eddy where the bobber wouldn’t have to be reeled in every 5 seconds. I could watch it circle around and around. I probably wouldn’t after dark though unless I didn’t need a glow stick.

They work and we have talked about this before. In most cases they are too much a pain in the rear. You can’t get them to stay where you want them. If I was bank fishing, I might use a planer board before a bobber. If I had a good spot and wanted to fish one snag down I might let a bobber out. I use nothing but bobbers for lake channel cats.

I’ve been thinking about using a modified rig for a spot I have been hitting. I want to fish this snag from shore, but there is a lot of cement with cracks and rock where the snag is. I don’t want to retie every cast or have my bullhead get pulled into a snag where it is not going to get picked up. I was thinking about a dropshot type rig or three-way swivel with a float. Might have to give it a go this week/weekend.

How about a Wolf River Rig, that way you don’t have to trust a three-way swivel to hold up to a giant flat. Basically it is the same as a three way except you run your mainline through a swivel attached to your dropper line, then a swivel off of that to your leader. Set the slipnot to the right depth and your bobber stands straight up, when the fish takes it your mainline just slides right through the top eyelet of the swivel on the dropper.

Dan do you have any pictures of that. for some reason I just can’t imagine what it looks like from the description.

I am glad you asked, because I was going to try drawing it out.

I gave it a little thought and this is what I am going to try for the area. Here’s what I am trying to accomplish:

1.) A bobber so I can approximate where the bait is in relation to the cover.
2.) A bobber to keep the bait off bottom snags
3.) a heavy weight to hold the line directly up-current from where I want my bait to go.

Starting from the end of the line I am going to go hook, swivel a short distance up to keep the weight of the bully and give it a little room to move. A barrel/egg sinker 1oz-2oz to try and make the bait as vertical from the bobber as possible, the bobber buoyant enough to get to the surface and stay there right after the cast. A slip knot to keep the bait off the bottom, give me reference and indicate a strike, the line through the eyelet of a heavy bank, disk or pyramid sinker.

I predict I become frustrated, find it too much work and give up on it.

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I gave it a little thought and this is what I am going to try for the area. Here’s what I am trying to accomplish:

1.) A bobber so I can approximate where the bait is in relation to the cover.
2.) A bobber to keep the bait off bottom snags
3.) a heavy weight to hold the line directly up-current from where I want my bait to go.

Starting from the end of the line I am going to go hook, swivel a short distance up to keep the weight of the bully and give it a little room to move. A barrel/egg sinker 1oz-2oz to try and make the bait as vertical from the bobber as possible, the bobber buoyant enough to get to the surface and stay there right after the cast. A slip knot to keep the bait off the bottom, give me reference and indicate a strike, the line through the eyelet of a heavy bank, disk or pyramid sinker.

I predict I become frustrated, find it too much work and give up on it.

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You like to complicate things, don’t you?

Yeah. I think I need to see a shrink.

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You like to complicate things, don’t you?

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Keep it simple man.

My experience with bobbers is location is key. There are a couple eddies I’ve fished with bobbers that have a fairly consistent depth to them. They also work great for covering shallow flats, inside bend sandbars, etc.

I wouldn’t rig a bobber any different than if I was slip bobbering walleyes, bluegills, etc, its just the components are much bigger.

When you hook a lively bully on there, he’ll swim all over the place if you are in an area with light current. Bobbers work great cause they cover water, rather than letting your bait sit in one place. Its pretty sweet when that big catfish bobber gets popped and takes off like Jaws.

Keep it simple? I bought a clonk for Pete’s sake!

I can’t do it like a normal slip bobber for walleyes, because I am fishing from shore at this particular spot. I’ll take pictures so all of you can have a good laugh.