Float & Fly Leader Length

[mhall]

Suspended smallmouth generally look forward or up to feed therefore 10 to 12 feet will usually get most available fish even the deeper ones at times. I've seen guys try and throw a 14 to 15 foot leader with some success and several rounds of bad words to...lol

[roadrunner]

Suspended smallmouth generally look forward or up to feed therefore 10 to 12 feet will usually get most available fish even the deeper ones at times. I've seen guys try and throw a 14 to 15 foot leader with some success and several rounds of bad words to...lol

mhall if you try the 15 ft leader and need any help I know a lot of bad words just let me know.

[kstonich]

First let me admit that I don't do F/F fishing, but couldn't you use a bobber stop. Their are times when I do a wacky rigged 3" sinko on a bobber . I'll use slip bobber and a bobber stop. Not sure if one of those small flies could sink with the drag of the bobber stop on it.

[mhall]

First let me admit that I don't do F/F fishing, but couldn't you use a bobber stop. Their are times when I do a wacky rigged 3" sinko on a bobber . I'll use slip bobber and a bobber stop. Not sure if one of those small flies could sink with the drag of the bobber stop on it.

Slip bobbers do not impart the action of the jig correctly............... as it needs to be a fixed bobber to make it work right.

[GeoFisher]

Slip bobbers do not impart the action of the jig correctly............... as it needs to be a fixed bobber to make it work right.

Not only that, but the weight of the fly is not enough to pull the line through the float up to the stop if you have ANY wind.

Been there, done that..........

I actually experimented with a few very, very, very small bobbers, drilled them and made my own with stops, trying to "emulate" the same type of action you get with the fly bobbers. .......

I can get close, but there are a whole lot of bites that you'd miss with a float that was not "fixed" to the line.

1). Impossible to impart the same action, due to the fly freefalling and not being fixed.

2). In grass, getting the bobber to pull through it without tangling is a definite skill. Adding a free floating jig on the
end would make it really hard to tell if you / where you were in the grass and water column.

3). Bites where the bass simply relieve the pressure of the fly, an the float simply bobbles or turns sideways would be impossible to tell....

4). Fishing in the wind would be impossible.......maybe requiring more weight, which would defeat the purpose of the light system.

5). Most important. The Fixed bobber allows you to know when your on teh bottom. The FNF bobbers are weighted in such a way that they are neutral in the water, but upright under a dangling fly. If the fly is on the bottom or grass or a ledge, the bobber sits sideways, clearly indicating it is on the bottom.

Now, if your bobber is completely happy, sitting exactly how it is supposed to, and you jiggle, jiggle, and the bobber lays sideways...............SET THE HOOK.......that could be a biggun. .

Have Fun.

Later,

Geo

[stripernut1]

The fish that you are talking about seeing suspended 25-30 feet deep arent really good targets for the FNF. So being the livebait "cheater" that I am I fish the FNF to the fish that are in the 8-12 foot zone and down line a 3" alewife with 4lb test and a splitshot JUST BIG ENOUGH to keep the bait down there. Its the perfect technique for both methods, you fish the fly slow enough that the live bait rods have plenty of time to soak in the deeper fishs face. This works for smallies for sure, but Im betting that most of those fish I see on the screen that deep turn out to be big obese spotted bass.
And if you cant get shad or keep them alive, small shiners will work on certain days.

[know1]

Suspended smallmouth generally look forward or up to feed therefore 10 to 12 feet will usually get most available fish even the deeper ones at times. I've seen guys try and throw a 14 to 15 foot leader with some success and several rounds of bad words to...lol

I'm late to the party, but I agree with this.

I think, even if the fish are in 30 feet of water, they are looking up at the sky and basically seeing a shadow that looks like a suspended, struggling minnow. They'll come up from 30 feet to get it.

I'm no expert, but because of that I think the leader dept and even the color of the fly are not all that important. If anything, I'd go shallower before I go deeper.

[stripernut1]

not to start an argument but....if you think color doesnt matter hop in the boat with "bassmaster" aka Tim, fish whatever color you want and let Tim fish his "go to" fly....it wont take long before things get ugly lol. he will take you to school with his longtime "go to" little fly

[Fishin is life]

not to start an argument but....if you think color doesnt matter hop in the boat with "bassmaster" aka Tim, fish whatever color you want and let Tim fish his "go to" fly....it wont take long before things get ugly lol. he will take you to school with his longtime "go to" little fly

Ive said it before, he could catch a fish in a bathtub. When i grow up i want to be just like Tim.

[bassmaster]

Ive said it before, he could catch a fish in a bathtub. When i grow up i want to be just like Tim.

Listen, you have got along way to go young man! LOL you and stripernut are crazy! Merry Christmas!!

[Fishin is life]

Listen, you have got along way to go young man! LOL you and stripernut are crazy! Merry Christmas!!

Ill see ya in march and attempt to live up to the expectations. Merry Christmas to you and yours as well

[stripernut1]

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