Was reading up on this technique the other night after coming back from wally world and was wondering if anyone on here has ever tried their hand at it??

It's supposedly for winter time fishing but I'm willing to try it in the other seasons if I have the chance...

Tux

It's a fine technique when bass are scattered in open water and you have a little wind or current. I've used that method since beginning to bass fish. It could be considered trolling and illegal in some tournaments.

Jim

I have no idea how it could be considered trolling, since you cast it out and let it sit or reel back between pauses???

The only tourny trouble I could think of is some have rod length limits of 8' and my favorite float rod is 9'6"

It does work well if you know where fish are, and play with it a bit.

Works best in really clear water, like I have here at Table Rock and Beaver.

a bobber and a hair jig  illegal in some tourneys ;D       ok  i heard it all

So what size rods are you all using for this??

I was looking at maybe a 10' ugly stik for this, with what I've been reading on the subject.. If not that, then maybe a "BnM" in a 10' ??

Also are you all using the 3' leader, or are you varying it, and have you tried it in the summer?

I have tried soft plastics(usually a wacky worm or power minnow) under a float pitched up in boat stalls and around bridges for spots during the summer, but it's kind of a last resort tactic.

Most of my FNF fishing happens during cold water temps when a suspending jerk isn't working.

I like the 8' (tournament legal) and 9'6" BPS Float N Fly microlite rods. Inexpensive and pretty nice.

I use 4/10 Fireline or Spiderwire fusion tied to a swivel and short 8-10 lb. test flouro leader. The float is above the swivel on the superline.

I live too close to Bass Pro so I wind up with a lot of BPS stuff, so remember that when it seems like everything I use is from there!

Float&fly doesn't always involve casting & reeling. An old favorite technique is to drift a rig, but it could cast & reel it in repeatedly. The rig is cast out and you just let it float behind the boat until bit. It's a trolling method when drifted, only the bait is usually much smaller than regular choices for deep water trolling. I don't know of any tournaments excluding use of floats.

Jim

Not to split hairs but drifting isn't trolling. At least where I have asked. Some summer tournaments on Table Rock are won by dragging tubes behind the boat as the wind pushes you along. When asked about this tournament officials have said: If no motor is used(whether gas or electric) it's not trolling.

It may be different where you guys live. Or did you meaning pulling it along w/your engine in low?

I think I mentioned drifting if wind or current is present. otherwise a little motor assist or rowing/paddling would be required to drift a fly. ifthe boat isn't drifting yu are just soaking a fly under a float, which might not be productive if not put around bass. The object of drifting is to let the jig eventually fing a feeding bass. I doubt any of us would just dunk a fly and keep it in one spot. If you repeatedly cast then reel it in you are not practicing Floatnfly.

Jim

I guess some older hands have many other way of fishing FNF, but I just haven't seen anyone drift like that. But then again, I usually don't see anyone on the lake when I am most likely to use it-winter.

On Table Rock and smaller lakes near where I live it works better to cast to where you have either seen fish on your electronics or know they use for winter. If the fish 15 ft. down I try to set the float so the lure is 12 ft or so. If they are 10ft set it for 8.

Like crappie fishing, it works best to fish slightly above the fish.

And I do cast and let it sit for a few minutes before pulling the float towards me 6-10 ft. and repeating all the way in. This may be in more open water but not too far from cover of somekind-usually trees or large boulders near deep water. Works best when there is some light chop on the water versus dead calm.

And Tuxdad--you don't have to use the little "flies" either. I like using the 4" or 5" power minnows on a 1/16 jighead when the fish have been hitting suspending jerks the same size but a front has shut them down.