Float fishing with slip floats is a great technique for target fish sitting in deep holes (9ft plus) and deep water in fast current. Because the name of the game is to get your bait down deep and fast...there is no time to mess with fancy shot patterns, break out the sliding egg sinkers.
Blood Run Fishing Balsa Slip Floats are the "Fast Extra Deep" Models available in 7 gram, 10 gram, 16 gram and 24 gram configurations.
Sliding egg sinkers come in popular sizes of 1/4, 3/8, 1/2 and 3/4 ounces. Match those sinkers with the appropriate sized slip float (7gr, 10gr, 16gr and 24 gr.) to ensure perfect balance and performance. The yellow/white band line on the float should be right at the water line when the float is perfectly balanced.
To rig up a slip float, first slide a rubber bobber stop up onto your mainline, then slide on your float. Last, slide on the appropriate sized egg sinker and tie on your micro swivel.
We recommend using the size 12 Micro Swivel when using sliding egg sinkers. Sliding egg sinkers tend to travel downstream at a rate slower than the top water float it is attached to. Surface currents are generally faster than the bottom currents, not to mention the egg sinkers are bulky, heavy and create drag.
What can often happen if your float is not trotted correctly, your float can pass further downstream quicker than your egg sinker and bait, and as a result give no indication of a snag below until it is too late. Once the egg sinker hits the snag...its game over for your mainline which will have to be broken in order to free the setup.
By using the small size 12 Micro Swivel, the snagged egg sinker will in most cases slide over the micro swivel and down your leader...breaking off your hook. By pulling straight back with your rod (not up!), the sinker will slide down and over the swivel with force.
The result is you will lose the sinker and the hook, but retain the swivel, float and mainline. Be sure to cut back a little mainline like 10-15 feet when you thread a new sinker on your mainline, just to remove any potential stretching or knicks that occurred to the line.
Another trick when using slip floats is to push down the plastic insert inside of the balsa float, so the top of the insert is flush with the top of the float. Many times you will notice that your bobber stop will not always move to the top of your float, allowing for the exact depth you are trying to attain. This is caused by the bobber stop being trapped on the water ahead of your float a few feet because it cannot "rise" to get up to the top of the float.
By pushing down the insert, the bobber stop easily slides right up to the top of the float, ensuring proper depth of presentation.
To push down the insert on the float, tip the float upside down and push down against a hard surface until the glue pops inside the float. The plastic yellow insert will remain in the float, but will have some play. Push it down until it is flush with the top of your float.