Brainstorm for my floats

[Jubs]

If you're worried about burs or whatever else on the eyelets you could find a Dremel bit of some sort to clean them out and smooth down the surface. I have huge kit for mine and I have several types that would work. Another idea roll up a piece of emery cloth and run it through or even super glue it to some spring steel wire or something if the eyelets are too small to get a rolled up piece through it.

[fish_4_all]

It looks like that is the only choice short of shoving swivels in the end so I will do both and see which works better.

I am thinking about using a quick change clevis on my line for changing them out but no one has one locally so I have to rely on finding the right size and style online.

[WiCrappie]

Have you looked at something like this yet?

Removable Slip Bobbers

or

Cabela's -- Betts® Mr. Crappie® Twist-On Twist-Off Bobbers

Like you I find myself in a variety of conditions over the course of a day on the water. I might not even need to change the size of my jig but more or less weight and a different style/size of float is called for.

I've used the floats above for several years now off and on. I do not recall who exactly makes them. I know Betts is listed on the Mr. Crappie floats but I think another company makes the red/white ones. But I will have to look the next time I'm at the tackle shop to be sure and get back to you on it. I've got them in several sizes in both pear and cigar shapes. I have also seen them weighted but didn't buy those.

One thing I have done to all my floats the last several years is paint them to make them easier to see. I first take a float and mask off the areas I don't want painted and give it a light coat or two of the cheapest flat white spray paint I can find. After that I hit it with a couple coats of either flat Fluorescent red or green spray paint depending on if I want a bobber for full sun or for use in shade/low light. The standard hot yellow/orange combo on many floats hurts my eyes, especially in full sun. Those 2 flat colors do not bother my eyes and are easy to see.

The upside to all that messing around is that the bobber is now weighted ever so slightly and is much more sensitive. I can get away with using less weight than if I hadn't painted it. It will often also ride a bit lower in the water. While that does push some of the bright color underwater sometimes, it also alters the resistance the fish has to overcome to get the float down. Rather than pulling past the widest part to sink the bobber. It is now under the surface tension of the water. The fish bumps the hook with his snout and the bobber will jiggle.



One word of caution. Normal spray paint will melt a foam bobber if you are not real careful. I have painted a bunch, some worked and others melted....

[shipahoy41]

I want a quick change ability with as little play as possible. I fish in so many different condition for for so many species here that I can go from using a 1/64 on a super small float to using a 1/4 ounce on a really big one. I just want to have a full arsenal for changing conditions and not have to retie, ever if possible.

Maybe I am making it too complicate but when I fish for 20+ species with the same floats I need them to be easy to use and fast to change. For now, I put the swivel on the float and either put on a sliding snap on my line or fix it in place with the swivel on my line already.

I just take a heated needle and make a hole at the bottom of the tube on the floats. Tie a #12 snap swivel on your line. Leave along tag end to attach your jig on. Attach your float to the snap swivel and fish it "Waggler" style. Easy to change size of floats or fish without a float without rigging everything again. A side benefit is that you do not lose as many floats either.