Float fishing for Cats
- Thread starter Skuimkop
- Start date
Skuimkop wrote:
Caught lots and lots of cats on floats , in fact the 1st 2 years that I fished for cats I only used floats simply because I didn't know any better .These days I still fish this way if I see a lot of cats just cruising along the surface , nothing gets your heart going faster than seeing that float make a sharp directional change and disappear under water.
Plattie , chicken gizzards , smallish fillet on one of those old school red and white floats have worked well . I normally fish the bait between 30 cm and a meter under the float .
Caught lots and lots of cats on floats , in fact the 1st 2 years that I fished for cats I only used floats simply because I didn't know any better .These days I still fish this way if I see a lot of cats just cruising along the surface , nothing gets your heart going faster than seeing that float make a sharp directional change and disappear under water.
Plattie , chicken gizzards , smallish fillet on one of those old school red and white floats have worked well . I normally fish the bait between 30 cm and a meter under the float .
The rig tubing would be for stopping line tangles or maybe it is used for the very same reason specimen anglers use it to protect their catch. Now I know cats dont have scales but still they do have a layer of slime protecting their body... Anyhow, this rig would be more suitable for smaller cats as trying to float a 2 or 3kg carp of the bottom would be near impossible.
Personally, I think this rig is way to much work for what its worth...and I would also be happier if my bait stayed on the bottom except for when like Antjar said the cats are cruising near the surface.
Personally, I think this rig is way to much work for what its worth...and I would also be happier if my bait stayed on the bottom except for when like Antjar said the cats are cruising near the surface.
Makes sense. But now the question arrises and this is where my theorie comes into play: when and why does the Cats sometimes move close to the surface and other times at the bottom? Oxygen shortage in the water? Are they then making use of there lungs and not there gill rakes during these times they circle the surface? If so are we not targeting them during this time at the wrong place. Shouldn't we then make use of float fishing?
Float fishing definitely works as I have caught plenty of cats that way but I must admit that 99.9% of the time I was fishing for other species such as kurper. I have actually very recently tried float fishing for cats where they dart up to the surface for oxygen, and then straight down to the bottom, without success. As a matter of fact, this particular dam doesn’t even produce that well on bottom baits! I found that artlure again works much much better.
Another problem I find with float fishing is that you struggle to keep it in one place especially if the wind is blowing - bait moving around could have its benefits, but then we have established that cats don’t like wind...
There is also with float fishing a possible disadvantage when distance is required...
But there will definitely be a time and place where the float will outfish the old lead at distance.
Instead of the rig in your pic above...How about a simple shad trace if you want to fish just off the bottom?
Another problem I find with float fishing is that you struggle to keep it in one place especially if the wind is blowing - bait moving around could have its benefits, but then we have established that cats don’t like wind...
There is also with float fishing a possible disadvantage when distance is required...
But there will definitely be a time and place where the float will outfish the old lead at distance.
Instead of the rig in your pic above...How about a simple shad trace if you want to fish just off the bottom?
Skuim you hit the nail on the head. We are missing some serious fun with floats. Ive been trying a simple rig with great success. In my talks with the guys in the states ive got some ideas ill go into later. It works for them but not on all species.
FThe barbel moves in the water because of its swim bladder. Our barbel has a very useless swim bladder and uses the air it breaths in both for oxygen and to hold itself in the water colum. So it uses its lung as a swim bladder. Temp will play a role in the movements both for temp of water amd oxygen content in the water. Both are governed by the temp. Ive spent some time adapting what the eroupen guys have been talkign to me about with what the yanks recon. Will try post some of our conversations. Had a hard drive crash and lost 2 years of info, just getting it back now.
FThe barbel moves in the water because of its swim bladder. Our barbel has a very useless swim bladder and uses the air it breaths in both for oxygen and to hold itself in the water colum. So it uses its lung as a swim bladder. Temp will play a role in the movements both for temp of water amd oxygen content in the water. Both are governed by the temp. Ive spent some time adapting what the eroupen guys have been talkign to me about with what the yanks recon. Will try post some of our conversations. Had a hard drive crash and lost 2 years of info, just getting it back now.
If I fish 3 rods I float out one in the wind in mid summer on hot afternoons when barbel cruise the surface. It has got me out of jail a good few time. I float the bait 30cm down with a large split shot or piece of tungsten putty half way 15cm down to keep the plattie down yet light enough for it to get some air when he needs it.
deisel wrote:
I make use of condoms, yes it sounds funny hehehe but it works a charm and because of the elongated shape you can clearly see if there is any action at your baits. Only problem with this method if you are fishing from the bank is you must wait for the wind to blow in the right direction. You can use condoms as a weight by filling it with sand which will brake open as soon as it gets snagged. So then it is one on one.
I make use of condoms, yes it sounds funny hehehe but it works a charm and because of the elongated shape you can clearly see if there is any action at your baits. Only problem with this method if you are fishing from the bank is you must wait for the wind to blow in the right direction. You can use condoms as a weight by filling it with sand which will brake open as soon as it gets snagged. So then it is one on one.
deisel wrote:
When we talk about barble fishing and how they do it in Europe . We always used wasserkugel ( type this on goggle to see what ii looks like.) A biggest size of wasserkugel around 8 cm in diameter was the best . We would fill it with few small round ceramic beads ( must be dry inside) and then on a 25 cm leader tie hook straight to one side of wasserkugel and use swivel too .
Other side goes to main line. Then you hook a garden frog. Frog wil try to jump / climb all the time on top of wasserkugel and it will then fall back in water . Splashes followed by rattling of beads inside the wasserkugel brings barble to see what is happening on the surface. I dont think plattie will work in this case as it wont try to jump out on the float - but garden frog will do .
my 2 c
I also tried on Vaal Dam on float but did had success mainly at evenings and night and in shallower water. Tried in deeper water and no success .
When we talk about barble fishing and how they do it in Europe . We always used wasserkugel ( type this on goggle to see what ii looks like.) A biggest size of wasserkugel around 8 cm in diameter was the best . We would fill it with few small round ceramic beads ( must be dry inside) and then on a 25 cm leader tie hook straight to one side of wasserkugel and use swivel too .
Other side goes to main line. Then you hook a garden frog. Frog wil try to jump / climb all the time on top of wasserkugel and it will then fall back in water . Splashes followed by rattling of beads inside the wasserkugel brings barble to see what is happening on the surface. I dont think plattie will work in this case as it wont try to jump out on the float - but garden frog will do .
my 2 c
Agree with what you are saying. PErsonally skuim i would not use that rig you posted. Far to complecated for me. I have simplified all my rigs down the bare minimium. I use to methods of floating baits. One i float from the bottom the other under a float/bobber. With the bobber fishing i use a standard polistirine float, usually with a small tilapia as bait. Sometimes it may still be wriggling. I than take about 2m to 1m leader, this i attch to a swivel. My float runs up the leader and uses the swivel to stop it. This i find makes my bait presentation more natural as it is not being pulled around by the set float. Increased my strike rate. I do use a plattie on this rig, works really well. Once he has realised he cant swim down the plattie uses the float when it trys to breath. Often gripping it and rolling it around. Also creats some commossion and attracts mr barbel. I vary my leader based on water temp at times, and if i have a decent fish finder will set the bait in the thermocline. Works very well. The other way i float bait is an american style, or what i call the american style, the british use it to. I fish it on a sliding rig, standerd issue. Than my leader is around 1m long. On this is attached a floatation device, cant remember what the guys call it. This can be fixed on the line or allowed to run free. Its basically a small cylinder. This floats the bait. Iuse it mainly on fish fillets and where the bottom is muddy. I like these rigs in summer, as the temo heats up it changes the oxygen levels in the water, so if you can find the band where the fish are hanging and out a bait at that depth its game on. Ill try post some pictures of the rigs. Im still working on it, but so far im really enjoying this type of fishing.
Sorry, read my last post before I posted. Think I need to slow down when I type, lol. The rig is very similar to skims picture, just not as bulky. Will get some pics and post. There will be alot more applications of this method. I'm thinking of modifying it so I can choose exactly where in the water column I want the bait. But still thinking that one through. Off the boat I drift with suspended bait and it works well. So want to explore this from the bank.