„float fishing“

Spin fishing and surfcasting are the most popular fishing methods used to convince the sought-after knights-errand to come on land.

During European sea bass season, when water temperatures approach levels of the bathtub back home, this exceptional predator develops a passion for gathering: prawns, worms etc., his favorite menu items.

During this time, float rigs and live bait are most effective fishing methods.

The best spots for fishing are found at coasts with a lot of structures, such as for example: fixed breakwaters, pier heads, jetties, and stone bank reinforcements, etc.                                                              

Some Float fishing tips: a small lead split shod on the leader is very helpful for keeping lure at desired depth during strong tidal currents. It is recommended to vary the depth of the fishing rod because fish also look for food at different water levels. 

Easy catch

Rigs should be kept as simple as possible, fish become less suspicious and you save precious fishing time re-rigging after a rig is lost. Sliding float, sliding lead or rather bean lead, swivel, leader (at least 0.30 mm nylon line),worm hook size 1/0 for ragworms or a thin-wired size1 carp hook for prawn.

Fishing rod

The rod should be long enough to guide the rig safely over obstacles like shell-covered rocks. A 2.5lb carp rod of 3.6m with fast action is precisely what we need. A reel (size 5000) spooled with a 0.35mm nylon line perfectly rounds off our float rod. Important: it should have a flawless drag system.

Best baits, ragworms and prawns

Ragworms are put on head-first until the entire shank is covered, leaving some tail free to still wiggle about. Bass tend to ignore sagging worms.

Live prawn is put on by piercing the carp hook through the second-to-last vertebra. In order to enhance the bait’s attractiveness, additional prawns can be added on one hook.

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“Big Baits”

Ragworms are generally known to have a length of 15cm. But, they can be even longer, ragworms with a length of up to 30cm- truly big baits -are perfect for fishing with floats.

ragworm < 15cm; Big bait, absolutely perfect for fishing European sea bass      

                                    pennel rig                            

With this size, however, a pennel rig has proved to be of value to avoid failed bites. An additional hook of about 15cm is rigged above single hook rig. Since the European sea bass tends to grab big baits in the middle, the upper hook is pierced through the head and the lower hook through the middle part of the worm. The bottom tail of this mega-worm is left to wiggle freely, enticing the European sea bass to take a bite.  

Not every fishing shop has these mega-worms in stock. It’s advisable to call in advance.

Where?

Breakwaters, stone heaps, and kelp-covered rocks: these are all places where crabs, prawns and ragworms feel right home

                                           a float between rocks                                     

                                  a European sea bass chasing prawns

European sea bass are also aware of it, especially when waters become warmer and fish more lethargic, the predators begin to feed heavily. The float, that is the rig, should be brought as close to the schools as possible. The squiggling worms and prawns work like magnets on the aggressive saltwater fish.

Very often, you get bombarded with all kinds of bites without catching even one European sea bass on your hook.  Smaller fish (wrasse and sea scorpions) also appreciate catching an easy worm. There’s only one thing you can do: find another spot where there aren’t as many thieves out for your bait.                                    

pier: basalt blocks as bank reinforcement When water flushes food through bigger gaps between the basalt blocks, European sea bass can’t be far off.

 

Float at night

Daytime is not the only time a float and a ragworm lead to success, the European sea bass also enjoys eating the squiggly worms at night.

Since European sea bass concentrate on the surface of coastal waters in search for food, lightweight lures simply cannot be topped. The best rigs for this have a surface float. The so-called Dutch “geepdoppers” used in the Netherlands for catching garfish are absolutely great.

A three-way swivel, on which the float and leader are tied, reduces the danger of hanging up on snags while casting.

The length of the leader is about 1m of 0.35 nylon line.

Ragsworms are the better bait compared to almost transparent prawns.

In order to bring the float or the geepdobber into just the right light a snap light lightstick is attached to the top corners by a rubber strap.

Here’s a tip: keep rod in hand while fishing, you don’t want to miss a bite.