Pole Float Confusion - Tying Your First Pole Float Rigs

Keeping things simple

Tying your own commercial / lake rig.

 

As we have already touched on there are many types / combinations of rigs for fishing all maner of waters, baits and conditions.

There is a real joy to making your own rigs and using them. So where to start.

Lets keep things simple no fancy shotting patterns or float styles just something you can easily put together and go and catch fish on.

We’re off to our local day ticket lake that holds carp roach tench and the odd bream. It is around 4 to 5ft deep and the fishing is generally with pellets corn and maggots.

We want a bit of a one rig catches all to get ourselves started.

Items to make the rig:

Main Line 0.14mm – 0.16mm round 4lb – 5lb in old money

A round or rugby ball shaped body float in a size 4×10 0.12g or 4×12 0.20g

Some pole float silicone tubing that fits the float stem snugly

Shot in size No’9 (slot shot or styles are best)

Pole float winder to suit the float (just wants be slightly longer than the float)

Pole float rig anchor

Sharp scissors

Shot pliers

An empty 2lt drinks bottle with the top cut off.

Start by cutting three pieces of silicone tube two at about 2mm one at around 5mm.

Thread your line through the top eye of your float or if it’s a line through type thread through the body. Next tread the two small pieces of tube on to your line followed by the slightly longer bit, threading the float stem through all three pieces.

The float will now be mounted on the line.

Now we’re going to mount the shot loosely on the line, this can take a little bit of practice but by using slot shot you will find this a lot easier.

To start with only lightly nip the shot on the line as we’re going to start by make sure the shotting capacity of the float is correct. If we have selected a 4×12 or 0.20g float then that should take 4 x No9 shot as these are 0.5g 4 x 5 = 0.20g

Loosely place the 4 shot on the line leaving a small tag end below the bottom shot. Slide the float down to the shot this should give you a rig that is only a few inch’s long. 

Fill your old coke bottle to the top with water this should give you enough depth to test your rig in. Bounce the float up and down in the water a few times to help wash off any dust etc. By lightly holding the line up the float should sit nicely in the water with preferably with about ¼ of the bristle just under the water and the rest showing above.

If the float sinks then there is to much shot or if it is siting to high the there is not enough. Fingers cross the float is sitting just about nice. If not you will need to add or remove shot, this bit is quite important as it tends to be where people fall foul of seeing or not seeing a bite.

If your float sinks you will need to remove one of the shot, side one off the bottom of the line. Then retest, in theory the float should now either sit nicely or sit a little to high in the water. If it is to high you will need to add another but smaller shot than a no’9 add a no’10 shot bellow the other no’9’s hopefully will be correct. If it is still sinking then Huston we might have a problem float, sinking fast definitely a problem, only just sinking we can work with this be repeating the process on removing and adding shot. If the float is sitting slightly to high then add a No’11 above the no’9 this is what we call a trim shot. Depending on how high the float is sitting will determine the size or number of trim shot to add. Always place trim shot above the main shot.

Don’t worry if this all sounds a bit much, you should find most floats shot correct to their quoted capacity. We can take an in depth look at trimming floats another day.

This is where a dosapiombo comes in to its own for checking floats.

We will assume all is good and 4 no’9’s are just perfect.

While the line is still wet from testing carefully slide the shot one by one up the line enough for you to tie a hook link loop at the bottom of the rig.

Now slide the first shot so it sits right above the loop knot.

The next shot wants to be about 6 inch’s above that, then around 3 inch’s above the second shot we will but the remaining two shot, one after another so they are nearly touching each other. This creates a small bulk and two droppers, The reason for the different distances between the first couple of shot is this help to kick the lower shot away from the bulk thus cutting back on tangles.

The bulk shot will help set / settle the float quickly where as the two dropper shot will give a slower fall to the final part of the rig.

This can be adjusted by moving the second shot up towards the bulk, or you can spread the bulk shot out giving a longer fall.

All that is left to do is to measure 6ft of line from the hook link loop to the end loop where you’ll connect your pole to. Why 6ft?

This is just a guide that allows you to cut the rig down to suit the venue. Most commercial lakes are 

around 4 or 5ft deep, this is more personal preference but ideally you want a short line between pole tip and float. May be only a ft long this lends to almost an instant hook hold, almost self hooking as the line it tight to the rig. The downside it if it gets windy a short line will have you pulling the rig all over the place as you try and control your pole.

As I say the length of line between pole and float is something that you will find is best for you.

Well I hope the above is of help in to how to make you own pole rigs,trying to keep things as simple as possible but give you something that will work.

Yes there is a whole other world to it of which we will take a step in to next time.