How to Cast the Pole while Float Fishing

(Music Playing) To cast the float rod is relatively easy really. The only difference is you have a reel to worry about, but all things is practice that makes perfect. So we start the cast by having the float about half the distance of the rod, trap the line with one finger, open the bail arm which releases the line to allow the cast. Bring the line slowly behind you until you reach about your 2:00 o’clock position. Bring the rod straight, look forwards and just cast releasing the line at about your 10:00 o’clock position. Once the line hits the water, just put your tip in the water and wind a couple of times and you sink your line. I will do that again. So, wind in until your float is about half the distance of your rod, trap the line with your first finger. Open the bail arm to allow the line to flow freely. Bring the line carefully behind you to about 2:00 o’clock position. Straighten the rod up and cast, releasing the line and at a 10:00 o’clock position. Close the bail arm, wind the line in until you sink your line, and that is it. I would do that again. Again, start with the float half way down, trap the line, open the bail arm, bring the line right behind you, just stop and pause if you feel more comfortable. Cast over your head, releasing at 10:00 o’clock. Sink the line—a perfect cast. Now, you do need to practice this and practice makes perfect, so practice as much as you can and you will improve and be a very good caster. (Music Playing) Another thing you have to learn to do when float fishing is learn how to strike because when we get a bite or the float goes under, we need to know how to connect with the fish. Striking is fairly easy but we do need to use in a controlled way that the best way to strike with a float rod is probably to the side and outwards. You can strike straight up if you wish but you have to be very careful because you can overdue this and pull the whole of the float after the water and if you do it too hard, it can come out and actually hit you and you do not want that. Let me cast in again and I would demonstrate the strike again. Once a float registered a bite and it is gone under, the strike is a rapid sideward and outward movement until we connect with the fish. Once we connect with our fish, then we stop. We allow just an even tension on the fish and then we gradually play the fish into the net keeping attention on the fish all the time. Now, one other thing when float fishing, because you got quite a lot of line between the tip of your rod and float especially if your fish is in a distance, then you have a lot more line to pick up on the strike. What the end result would be is that you need to strike and bring your rod higher up to actually connect with the fish. And, the fairly you are fishing at, the father you will actually have to bring that rod up, but that all comes with practice. So, that is striking. And remember—practice will actually put a lot more fish in your net.