(This is part 1 of a 2-part Pro Fishing Tip about why, how and where to use the float 'n fly technique.)
BassFans may have heard that one of the important techniques at the Travis FLW Tour was the float 'n fly. That was a surprise to many, because float-fishing and high-pressure tour events don't exactly go hand-in-hand.
But the truth is, the float 'n fly technique is deadly in certain, specific situations.
Perhaps more important, it's a technique that still dwells in relative obscurity outside its birthplace in East Tennessee, but is on the cusp of exploding across the country.
Word's getting around. California big-bass hunter and Big Bass Zone co-author Bill Siemantel recently designed the Spro Phat Fly, which he pairs with a float on lakes throughout California.(Note: To read a Big Bass Zone column about the float 'n fly, click here.)
And of course the Travis event showed it can be deadly on Texas fish. The magic ingredient at Travis may have been the Guadalupe bass that act more like smallmouths or spots, but the fact remains, it worked and was a sound way to combat the pressured, offshore bite.
For BassFans unfamiliar with the float 'n fly, the premise is simple. You take an ultralight hair jig (typically 1/16-ounce), suspend it 5 to 7 feet below a float, and throw it out on spinning tackle.
More On Travis
Mark Mauldin, an East Tennessee guide and pro, fishes the rig probably as much as anybody. About its use at Travis, he said: "It was mostly an East Tennessee thing. Everybody I stayed with threw it. Ott Defoe, who finished 6th, and Jack Wade, who was Top 50 – we all stayed together. I know Wesley Strader (threw it), and I think Andy Morgan, and consequently Luke Clausen, because he and Andy room together."
According to Mauldin, the Travis situation was a little unique because water temperatures were in the low-50s. Typically, the float 'n fly applies when water temps are in the low-40s.
"I don't care what you're throwing, when the water's 42 degrees, it's hard to get bit on anything," he said. "So in that situation, the float 'n fly is often the best thing you can be throwing.
"When we got to Travis, it was 53 or 54 degrees. The only thing I can figure is that 50-degre water in Texas must be like high-40s water in Tennessee. That was really cold for those fish. But there was also the pressure, and the low water, and suspended fish – any number of factors could have (made it so effective)."
All of which brings up the point of where else the float 'n fly could be applied. Lake Erie suspended smallmouths? Maybe. More on that in part 2. For now, here's more from Mauldin about when and where it's traditionally fished.
Early Application
Maudlin said the float 'n fly is "one of the best techniques you can use from winter into the early pre-spawn. The main ingredients are cold and clear water. You can catch them year-round on it, but when it gets warmer, there are usually better things you can be throwing.
"I think the biggest reason (it's so effective in cold water) is that fish do suspend more when it's cold," he added. "Plus, they're not active. That's the whole premise with the float – it keeps the bait in one place for a long time. You maybe could catch the same fish with a jerkbait, if you figure out the exact retrieve they want, or let it sit for 45 seconds, but it's a lot easier to watch a float go under."
The necessity of clear to clearer water is obvious – fish just won't hone in on a tiny jig in muddy or overly stained water. Or to rephrase that, they might, but the time you'd spend matching the jig to fish position would be counterproductive.
He therefore most often throws the rig at lakes like Dale Hollow, Norris, Boon, South Holston, Ft. Loudoun and Tellico – all relatively deep, clear, highland impoundments with a variety of bass species.
"Loudoun and Watts Bar are both on the Tennessee River, and they're not crystal-clear, so you'll get the majority of bites within 5 feet of the bank," he noted. "At a lake like Norris or Dale Hollow (which are clearer), you'll get a lot of bites way off the bank."
Notable
> The origins of the float 'n fly are a matter of question, but one thing everyone seems to agree on is that its modern look and feel was developed in East Tennessee. Mauldin noted: "The guy who gets the most credit is from upper East Tennessee – the Bristol area. I believe his name was Charlie Nuckols. You'll hear old timers who say, 'Remember that one time we were fishing crappie, and those big smallmouths wouldn't leave us alone,' but (Nuckols) gets the biggest credit for it."
– End of part 1 (of 2) –
