Float N Fly
 

:confused:Anyone ever use this technique for catching smallmouth in the Winter?

A good smallmouth site http://www.smalljaw.com/

The Float'N Fly is deadly on Smallies in the winter..and really some other times also. You will find that most at Dale Hollow use a setup with a Punisher Jig...with the float weighted for the weight of the jig..so if the fish takes it and moves straight up.....you will see the float roll over to it's side. But there are other jigs...lures that work very well with this. The Trout Magnet fished under a float is deadly for them also. Will be going back during the week of Christmas for some more of that action.

I have heard this "Float N Fly" mentioned on this site and even saw it mentioned in the Tennessee Sportsman Magazine a few times and I have only been in TN for 8 months. Yet I fished in MN for 25 years and never heard of this. What is it??

You fish a small jig..spoon....several things are used but a jig is the most common. You use braided line..and about a 15 foot fluorocarbon leader....with a 9 foot rod. You fish the jig under a float and usually you want a windy day for this..but it does not have to be. Most folks who do this use a garlic or shad scent..on the jig. Do not ever take your eye off of that float...not even one second...the Small Mouth tear it up. There are days when you will catch 50 or more big Smallies doing this. It works for me at Dale Hollow...Center Hill..I don't know why it will not work other places.


Regards

So it is just a small jig under a float?

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Of0tnJlL1fE

or search
Bob Coan float and fly video

Bob is one of the best on dale hollow with this method.

Before I knew this method I used small flys and crappie jigs on split bobbers in small ponds and lakes as a kid. but this method is the way to go as the water temps drop below 50.
Mike Dial

Well...depending on who you talk to..yes. But with a Punisher jig..you can look up one of these used for Float'N fly...the jig may be made from "Bee Head Hair"..or maybe something else. Most that I know that use that..and it is a deadly setup..will put so much scent on it and twist the hair on the jig until it is a very fine point...the jig hair is all waxed up with scent and made to look very small...that is my description. Now if you have ever seen a 1/64 Trout Magnet it is already no bigger than a pencil lead. I have caught Smallies on both setups and I think TK put in a post on here about a lure used that was made by Billy Westmoreland..you may not have heard of him but he was a legendary angler from TN and was a Small Mouth Guru. But yes it is a jig under a float...but I suggest if you try this I would go with a proven method....a 9 foot rod is a must.

Regards

You will get a lot of input on this..and yes I guess there are a lot of experts out there on it. But it is not hard to do at all...and depending on which and how many articles you read this method of catching Small Mouths was discovered by Crappie fisherman that "could not keep the Smallies off their jigs". I know I don't like using the scent at all...it gets on you and that article of clothing could smell for a long time even after washing. I use the Trout Magnet..no scent..it is soft and Smallies will hang on to it for a long time...and I am sure there are other jigs also.

Regards

alphahawk
You are correct the Leland Lures are awesome. I have preached them for many years. Jeff even has a simalr fly out that works like the punisher. My panfish go to (comfort bait)is the trout and crappie magnet. The main thing with fishing any system is comfort and learning where the fish are at a given time of year.Fish where the fish are. There are many variations of the float and fly.
I have caught many smallies while fishing(crappie magnet) for crappie in the spring on the river run as I have caught many crappie on the Hill fishing the float and fly or cranking a warming bank on a sunny winter day. I have used the fly under bobber on wintering holes wading the small streams in the winter(which I do not do much anymore cause the boat is more comfortable in the snow LOL). This site is a great site and one of the better sites of fisher people sharing ideas MNfisher. You will learn a lot. With your break coming up you will have a great time and look forward to your reports.
Mike Dial

At one time years ago when I fished the F-n-F rig it's setup was: main line attached to a threeway swivel, a round or pear shaped float clipped onto one side of the the threeway swivel, then a lighter line running off of the last ring on the swivel down to a small hair jig. Usually the distance was between 10-15ft of set depth depending on what you were fishing around.

I am sure the rig has changed some in years since and been perfected more. This setup was the allow you to rock the jig slighty not moving much laterally while it sat in the water.

It is a great way to catch winter fish and I have used it with success along bluffs on Old Hickory in winter catching more largemouth than smallies. But like any other winter time technique its painfully slow to really fish it effectively. If you like fishing that way it's great if not it will drive you crazy.

Punisher
 

Nice video on the Punisher Lure site as well as supplies for FnF.

http://www.punisherlures.com/

It aint changed much Travis..LOL.