BODIED WAGGLERS.

Many anglers when faced with fishing at distance on a wind ruffled stillwater, will often opt to fish with the feeder, anchoring the hook bait on the bottom, however there will many occasions when using a float is going to be more productive and enjoyable. The float to use in these situations is without doubt the bodied waggler, it’s length gets below the surface drift, at the time the shot carrying capacity gives easy accurate casting and stability.

Most species like roach, chub, ide, carp and even tench will quite happily take a bait that is dropping through the water, especially when using loose feed, or ground bait that breaks up soon after hitting the surface. Remember that fish will come to investigate bait hitting the water, whether to the splash ground bait or the plopping of loose feed, so it won’t belong before fish are in the area.

UNLOADED BODIED WAGGLER (SWINGER).

[Go to the unloaded bodied waggler [swinger]]

Best suited for depths ranging from 4 feet to 10 feet, it’s the ideal float for dragging the bottom when there is a tow on the water.

WINDBEATER BODIED WAGGLER.

[Go to the windbeater bodied waggler]

The same as the unloaded float, but with the addition of a buoyant sight tip, even better for dragging the bottom in a strong tow.

LOADED BODIED FLYER.

[Go to the loaded bodied flyer]

Allows for less weight on the line, at it’s best fishing on the drop or at dead depth, being that the float is weighted it will tend to dip easily if dragged on the bottom.

LOADED ONION.

[Go to the loaded onion]

An extremely stable float for distance fishing in light wind conditions, suitable for depths from 3feet to 7 feet, the fine long antenna will allow you to read every ’shot drop’ as they descend though the water, giving perfect bite registration.

TACKLE.

A rod of 12ft. Or 13ft. With a flexible tip action is ideal, it will aid casting and pick up the line quickly when striking. Main lines should be from 3lb to 5lb depending on size of float and species of fish targeted, heavier lines may well inhibit casting distance.

SETTING UP.

On to the main line thread a silicone float adaptor along with two or three inches of very fine pole float silicone tubing, place your bulk shot onto this tubing and either side of the adaptor, with most of the bulk below. The tubing will protect your main line from shot damage, it will also make altering the depth your fishing at much easier. Always place a match micro swivel between the main line and hook length, this is important as it will eliminate line twist caused by the baited hook spinning, most baits spin and without the swivel line twist can be a real nuisance.

Plumb the depth so that you have around ½ inch of float tip showing, less would be better, it depends on what your comfortable with, do this without to much shot on the line as setting the float will be more positive. To get the best from these types of floats a ‘shirt button ‘ style of shotting is required, place No.8,s or No.9,s about 12-15 inches apart between the float and the micro swivel, with one No.10 between the swivel and the hook, All other shot should be placed under the float. this shotting pattern will give a slow steady fall of the bait through the whole depth. Once you’ve set the depth correctly mark it on the rod, then if you alter the depth for any reason you will always be able to return to the original, here’s a tip worth remembering, if you change your float for one 1 inch longer, you will need to reduce the depth by that amount, vice-versa for a shorter float.

FISHING THE BODIED WAGGLER.

Feeding, as in most disciplines should be little and often, loose feed by catapult is fine providing you can reach the target area with ease, if using ground bait ensure it is mixed to a constituency that breaks up soon after impact, both will fall down through the swim slowly and enticingly, attracting the fish.

Choose a float that will you to easily cast just past your chosen fishing area, if you have to force the cast, then you probably need to change the float to the next size up. Always cast in a straight line, aiming at a fixed point on the far bank, slow the line down over the last couple of yards, the line between float and hook will straighten out with the float landing lightly.

When the water is fairly calm you can fish ‘on the drop’ and at full depth, but more often than not there will be wind, which in turn produces a tow in the opposite direction to the wind, these conditions may dictate that you need to fish a few inches over depth. A stronger tow may call for the need to reduce some of the shot loading, giving the tip of the float extra buoyancy and doesn’t drag under, to slow down any movement of the bait caused by dragging, it may be necessary to increase the amount of line over depth, so long as the hook bait is not moving to fast, it can be an advantage, as quite often fish will readily take a slow moving bait in preference to a static one.

If conditions get rougher, move three or four of the No.8’s down to around two feet above the hook, this will help stabilize both the float and the hook bait, all other shot should be pushed up to the bottom of the float, it mean you’ll only be fishing ’on the drop’ over the last two feet or so. This shotting set up can also be used at any time if your hook bait is being intercepted by small fish in the upper layers.