European or American

[shipahoy41]

Many people just think of a float as a bobber to just suspend bait in front of a fish. I think of them as sensitive bite detectors. There are a lot of refinements in the "System" for delivering a bait to the fish. My question is do you prefer European or American floats? The best are the tiniest possiblewhich barely hold up your bait. Have you ever put "Fish oil" on the artificial bait you use?

My personal favorite is a "Waggler" floatation system.:D:D:D:D

[Prybis]

I actually prefer the European type floats for UL float-n-fly for gills and crappies. They seem to outdo any of the american made floats and seem to be of a higher quality. I am gonna try and make some of my own on my lathe that compare to the european type.

Mike P.

[Ken Kinser]

I like the thill wangglers

[backtocrappie]

I thought this was a joke on us ole crackahs. I saw the words European and American in the same sentence, and I thought: whats that ole ship up to now?

Mike, I'll take a Thill slip cork any day!

[deathb4disco]

Really, it's English not European. The English invented the waggler, and the Europeans learned from them. However, the French taught the English (and everybody else) how to use their pole floats. Now the Hungarians have come out with their Cralusso floats, so everybody over there is learning to fish with them. The English are still the best in the world at float fishing, though.

American floats are crap, IMHO.

[IceWarriorGill]

European style seems to be more Sensitive for the very slow, light-biting, finnicky panfish!

[redear]

when I was 13-14 years old dad was stationed in germany, and once in a while we'd go into their stores. they had bobbers like nothing I'd ever seen before or since. they where works of art. people, if the thill bobber is the only ones youve seen, that ain't it. there are a few companies handling the real deal, but I havent chased them down either. they bank fish over there for the most part, and I remember seeing them throwing a handfull of dyed maggots over by their bobber, to attract fish. sorry ship, I got to ramblin. anyone know a good source?

[deathb4disco]

when I was 13-14 years old dad was stationed in germany, and once in a while we'd go into their stores. they had bobbers like nothing I'd ever seen before or since. they where works of art. people, if the thill bobber is the only ones youve seen, that ain't it. there are a few companies handling the real deal, but I havent chased them down either. they bank fish over there for the most part, and I remember seeing them throwing a handfull of dyed maggots over by their bobber, to attract fish. sorry ship, I got to ramblin. anyone know a good source?

Ditto. I walked into a tackle shop in Hungary and saw the same thing. They have a float for every occasion. I think the Thill wagglers are good floats and are very useful for American fishing but, like you say, they are the tip of the iceberg.

Fishusa.com and Wackerbaits.com carry a limited supply of Drennan floats (a very fine English float.) Still, I get most of my English/European floats directly from Mick Thill or from Mike Stone in England. Mike's website is:

TackleShop.co.uk - Fishing tackle - Online - Worldwide

[shipahoy41]

I thought this was a joke on us ole crackahs. I saw the words European and American in the same sentence, and I thought: whats that ole ship up to now?

Mike, I'll take a Thill slip cork any day!

Now, would I yank your chain?:D:D:D:D I just had a fellow swear up and down to me about American bobbers and I noticed he was using a Thill and I was using a Waggler. I had to set the record straight and tell him the origin of Thill floats...even though he bought them at Wal-mart. Me personally , give me a Waggler or slim cigar type float any day! :D:D Weight them right and the fish feel no resistance and they are extremely sensitive. :D:D I see too many dads using the old red and white ball floats because that is how they grew up fishin.

[Fatman]

I like the Betts floats the best. they have all the different kinds you could use.

Fatman