float depth

hi lads,just wondering what is the adverage depth to fish for pollock,wrasse and codling with a floth rig? i am new to float fishing
cheers ian

for bigger pollack you want to be just in the weeds or further down in them - smaller ones will come higher into open water

if you dont want to lose much gear!

as for the wrasse same again or if you know of a specific hole or crevice that they are hiding in - you want to get your bait there

if you cant see the bottom - drop a lead and get an idea of depth - then set your stop knot accordingly

smaller fish are suicidal - but the bigger ones you need to get the depth right in my opinion

good luck at it - at times it can be great craic even with the smaller ones

cheers,would i set the stop knot at about 5-6 foot?

for instance set the knot at 6 feet if 6 feet is the depth that the hook is going to be hovering over the weed - if you can see it

for deeper depth just set the knot higher up on the line - after a few casts youll know if your getting stuck on the bottom/stuck in heavy weed to shorten it etc.

obviously if your going for more pelagic fish (mackeral/gars) youd want to be higher in the water column

good luck with it

you have to plumb the depth mate, no one can answer your question as they don't know the depth of the water you are fishing. i like to fish between a foot to 2 foot off the bottom with a lively rag when fishing the float. it can also depend on the species of fish you wanna catch.

plumb the depth so you know where you stand first, but theres no one answer. i have had as many 5lbs wrasse at half depth as i have had right at the bottom. as they live in the crevices in the rock they can be anywhere along it, especially if you are fishing right off into deep water.

pollock i find tend to hug the bottom a bit tighter but will rise to chase bait.

for a start i tend to fish around two to five feet off bottom and then chop and change until fish come. but the actual depth depends on how deep you mark is

i have had big fish from the shore fishing as deep as forty feet on the float

Vary the depth until you hit fish starting at the top then changing the depth by a foot until you hit a fish is what I usually do.

Hi Lads - been reading this thread with some interest as I've just started to use the float on a more regular basis but like a few of the previous posts I have found setting the float depth a bit hit and miss.

Question is what method is best to use when plumbing the depth e.g. would you recommend say 2oz weight on the main line (no hook as per Rab01) cast out and then count down the seconds till it hits the bottom - each second representing a foot of line?

Also if using fifteen pound mainline what strength of line would you recommend for the hook length and what is the best hook (strong pattern or one that bends out quite easily if snagged)?

Must admit I really do enjoy this type of fishing.

Cheers
StevieC

hi stevie, i setup without a hook just so i don't catch up on the bottom when plumbing the depth. but i don't count the seconds for every foot method. i simply tie an elastic band on the line at the depth i want to fish, this means i can easily slide the elastic up and down the line to what depth i want. but to plumb the depth i setup my sliding float rig as you say without putting my hooklength on. i continously cast out and adjust the elastic up the line till the float sits flat on the top of the water, this means you have hit bottom and know the depth. simply tie on your hooklength, i usually make it a foot long. then i would slide the elastic back down the line 2 foot which would mean i would be roughly fishing a foot off the bottom. i hope this helps.

PowerGum makes a good adjustable stop knot. Use it with a bead.

if your mainline is 15lb then make your hook length lighter, say 10 or 12lb just in case you have to pull for a break, this way all you lose is a hook and a foot or two of line

as for the hook it depends on what you are fishing for, but i use mainly Aberdeen's

Thanks lads - got the drift (pardon the pun :lol: ).

Much appreciated.

StevieC