» Ramblin’ Outdoors: Slip float fishing tips

Sick and tired of trolling sticks? Perhaps bottom bouncing crawler harnesses for walleyes is becoming monotonous.

Albeit, the technique may indeed be using a “bobber,” so to speak. It is far from the typical bobber fishing we all once did when we were little kids. In fact, it is a super precise way to suspend bait right in the strike zone.

Slip float fishing, in a sense, reminds me a little bit of ice fishing. Minus the ice, of course. As in ice fishing with tipups, a set amount of line hangs down from your tipup, holding your offering a foot or two above bottom; but the water is 22 feet deep — how can I effectively fish this with a float?

The answer to this question all comes down to your “bobber stop.” Which is a small barrel knot of dacron or other heavier braided type line that is affixed to your main line that goes directly to your reel. Essentially it is half of a Uni-knot tied with a loose piece of Dacron around your main line.

Pre-fabricated stops are available, and they work fine, but, in my opinion, the material they are made with is just a touch too thick and does not slide well through rod guides and tends to get hung up within the spool moreso than ones you tie yourself.

My preferred material for tying stops is 20-lb gel spun Dacron; it seats and grips the mainline very nicely, yet is small enough not to impede casting. A quick Google search of “bobber stop knot” will yield an easy step-by-step process to tie your own. This knot only takes a few seconds to tie once you have done it a time or two.

The order from the reel will go stop knot, followed by the actual float itself, which will be threaded onto the line smallest hole facing the stop. Next will come a small bead and then the main line will be tied off to a small barrel swivel.

Tie a two- to three-foot piece of 8- pound Fluorocarbon leader to the other side of the barrel and finish off with a hook tied onto the end of the leader. Weight will be added approximately a foot above the hook as well to get your bait to depth quickly, but not so much weight as to impede the floating abilities of your bobber.

Once in a likely fish holding area, or where you are physically marking fish holding near bottom, you need to set your depth.

This process is very reminiscent of sounding the depth through the ice and setting up a tip up. Simply clip a heavy sounder onto your hook and send it down to bottom. It will pull the float under without a problem. Keep adjusting your stop knot until the bobber is a foot or two under water when the sounder is on bottom.

Now that your depth is properly set you can reel everything up, and the stop knot will wrap right onto the spool without any issue. Remove your sounder. Bait your hook and send it back down. The line will slide through the float until it reaches the stop knot. When it does, your float will tip perfectly upright and now you are fishing, just waiting on a strike.

Setting the hook on a take is also easier because the line slides right through the float, so there is absolutely zero resistance of the float in the water when you go to set.

If you are able to control the drift of your boat fairly well, you will be able to achieve a perfect, and subtle, presentation throughout the duration and it is possible to cover a fair amount of water this way. It is also possible to anchor up just off a key location and drift your float over prime fishing holding areas or structure.

The possibilities are limitless; minnows hooked just under the dorsal fin are my preferred bait while using slip float techniques. I hook them this way because it is essentially a vertical presentation, so this hooking location will yield the most natural movement of your minnow. Leeches and crawlers will also work well.

Once you get dialed into an area, it can be very productive means of fishing. I suggest giving it a try. The supplies will only cost a few bucks and you could discover a new method of filling the freezer with walleyes!

Hudson River Fish Count

This Saturday, Aug. 5, the NYSDEC will host its annual Hudson River Fish Count. Capital Region residents are invited to explore the variety of creatures usually hidden below the river’s surface.

Harboring fresh water upriver, and salt water at New York City, the Hudson River Estuary and watershed are home to more than 200 fish species, including several species that migrate into the river from the Atlantic Ocean each spring to spawn.

Nine sites along its length are offering in-person opportunities to join the fish count. In addition, the DEC will be live-streaming the fish count from the Lemon Creek Staation on Staten Island, which will be featured on the DEC’s Facebook Live feed at 5 p.m. on Aug. 5.

During the fish count, participating organizations encourage visitors to help collect fish using seine nets, minnow traps or rods and reels.

Seining involves pulling a 30-foot net through the water and checking out the fish, crabs, and other river life caught in its mesh. Participants may watch from shore or jump into waterproof waders available on site and help pull in the net. The fish are released after everyone has a chance to see them up close.

Participating groups may share their catch results by posting to the @NYSDEC Twitter feed with the hashtag #hudsonriverfishcount. Comparing notes builds an understanding of the diversity of fishes and habitats in the Hudson River.

Fish count programs are family friendly and totally free of charge. The event is sponsored by the DEC’s Hudson River Estuary Program and Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve in partnership with other environmental organizations.

Two of the nine station sites are relatively close to our locale. The first being held at the Schodack Island State Park in Schodack Landing from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the River Haggie Outdoors/Rensselaer Land Trust Center, the next (and closest) being Peebles Island State Park in Cohoes from 9 a.m to 3 p.m. presented by the Region 4 Fisheries team. Feel free to just show up and enjoy the fun, learning experience. No registration is necessary.

Pine Bush 20 Mile Challenge

The Friends of the Pine Bush Community will be holding a special recognition event at the Albany Pine Bush Discovery Center’s Nature Night Out, on Wednesday Aug. 16.

Stop by 195 New Karner Rd. between 6 and 7:30 p.m. to meet some fellow hikers, vote for your favorite trail area and purchase a special 20 Mile Challenge commemorative patch for just $5. Enjoy all the other Nature Night Out programming, including food trucks and live music.

The 20 Mile Challenge was created as part of the effort to encourage people to get outside and enjoy nature. People are invited to hike all 20 miles of the Albany Pine Bush Preserve trail system and enjoy the full range of landscapes, flora, and fauna that the globally rare pine barrens has to offer.

To date over 160 people have completed the Challenge. All of the preserve trails are now open. Finish the Challenge, drop off your completed form that evening and get instant recognition.

Categories: Sports

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