As anglers, we know that there’s no such thing as a “bad day of fishing”. Even when things don’t go our way, we have fun and make the best of being out on the water. A lot of the time we go to our local pond or lake just to get ourselves a fix, and for many anglers who do this, they'll usually fish off a dock or the bank. For these anglers, float fishing is the ideal way to enjoy both the adventure of fishing while taking in the sights and sounds of nature. Each location offers a unique fishing experience and float fishing allows you to enjoy each to its fullest! In this blog, we’re going to take a look at some mistakes to avoid while float fishing.

Picking The Wrong Spot

Picking the right spot comes down to many things. There are pros and cons to every location, so you need to make sure you do your research. Know the kinds of fish, what structures they typically hide in, what baits they eat and how that changes with temperature, light, and time of year. Scouting your spot properly can be tough. Most of the time you're continuing to change baits and lures or changing spots you're casting out to in order to see what will work, but luckily now there's many tools available to help anglers make decisions and gain insights quicker. Things like the Deeper Fish Finder or GoFish Cam can really help you to understand structure, types of fish, how they're interacting with your bait/lure, and more right away with a live stream camera accessory.

Choosing The Wrong Float

Something that's really important, that a lot of anglers don't know to focus on, is picking the right float. A float serves several purposes: suspending bait at a predetermined depth and allowing you to have a visual indication of any bites. There are a large variety of floats that all have different uses. For example, stick floats are great for river fishing whereas waggler floats are ideal for stillwater. In addition to the type of float, you’ll need to take into consideration several other factors like choosing between a fixed or slip float, the size, buoyancy, and weight.

Not Choosing A Prime Fishing Hour

This can go for any type of fishing, however, it’s an important thing to note before you go float fishing. One way to ensure you hit these prime times is to camp out next to the spot you’re fishing (as long as it’s legal to do so). Ideal fishing times vary based on a multitude of factors, but in general, late afternoon fishing is the time to shoot for. Camping out near the water will allow you to fish up until it gets dark and again in the morning when they’re biting too. There's several mobile apps available to know best bite times in your area.

Not Taking The Right Gear

When you’re float fishing, it’s important to take the time to compile a nice kit. Make sure you have several types and colors of floats, hooks, and different baits so you can keep testing until you find something that really works in those waters.

Consider taking an underwater fishing camera with you when you go float fishing. These cameras are designed to attach directly to your line and can help you scout out areas before you fish it. Attach one right under your float, or in the case of the GoFish Cam fishing camera, it comes with its own float to turn the camera into a bobber. Contact us today if you have any questions.