Floats & bobbers, decoded.
A float does two jobs: it suspends your bait at a chosen depth and it shows you the bite - and the difference between a red-and-white ball and a shotted-down waggler is the difference between spooking fish and catching them. Here are all 10 types, when each wins, how to set it up and read it. Tie the rig beneath it from the rig catalog.
Fixed floats Clip-on and pre-loaded floats fixed at one depth - where most anglers start.
Slip floats Slide freely to fish any depth yet cast compact.
Specialist floats Wagglers, river sticks, popping corks, ice and balloon floats for specific water.
The float is only the indicator
What hangs beneath it does the catching - pick the hook from the hook-type guide, build the business end with the rig catalog, and read the water with reading the water.
Float-fishing kit
Slip bobbers Fish any depth with the same cast-friendly float. Check price Bobber assortment Fixed floats for quick, shallow presentations. Check price Lighted night floats Dusk and after-dark bites, still visible. Check price Bobber stops The tiny part that makes slip floats work. Check price
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