The sliding float rig
A sliding float rig presents bait at a set depth over deeper water and shows takes cleanly. The float slides freely on the line up to a bobber stopper, which sets how deep you fish, so you can fish water far deeper than your rod is long and still cast and land easily. It is a perch rig for the bank.
| Component | Spec |
|---|---|
| Main line | Braid, PE 0.8, or mono on a simple float rig |
| Bobber stopper | A bought rubber stopper, slid on to set the depth (no knot) |
| Bead | One small bead below the stopper |
| Float | One sliding float, ~11.5 g |
| Split shot | Small assortment, enough to cock the float |
| Swivel | Small, size ~10–12 |
| Leader | Fluorocarbon 0.22 mm (≈10 lb) |
| Hook | Float hook, #6 |
| Bait | Maggot or worm |
What it's for
Perch, from the bank. This is the rig for presenting a bait at a set depth over deeper water, especially along the deeper edges and off the fishing pontoons, where a fixed float would be too deep to cast or land. It shows a take cleanly, the float dipping or sliding away, so it suits quieter bait fishing for perch at first or last light.
The rig at a glance
Read top to bottom. The main line comes down from the rod to a bobber stopper threaded onto it, which slides by hand to set the fishing depth, with no knot to tie. Below the stopper is a small bead, then the sliding float (about 11.5 g), which runs free on the line. Below the float a few split shot cock the float. Then a small swivel, then the fluorocarbon leader (0.22 mm), and the hook (#6) at the bottom with maggot or worm. The float runs down to the swivel for casting, then slides up to meet the bobber stopper at the depth you want.
How to build it
- Thread a bought bobber stopper onto the main line near the rod-tip end. It grips the line but slides by hand to set the depth, so there is no stopper knot to tie. This is the part that sets how deep you fish.
- Thread a small bead onto the main line below the stopper, then thread on the sliding float. The bead stops the float sliding up over the bobber stopper.
- Pinch on enough split shot below the float to cock it, so it sits upright with just the tip showing. Add or remove shot until the float rides correctly.
- Tie the main line to one end of a small swivel with a Palomar knot, then tie the fluorocarbon leader to the other end with a Palomar too.
- Tie the #6 hook to the bottom of the leader with a Palomar knot. Bait it with a maggot or worm and you are ready.
How to fish it
Set the bobber stopper to a touch deeper than you think the fish are holding, so the bait hangs just off the bottom, and cast out along the deeper edge or off the fishing pontoons. Let the float settle and cock, then watch it. A perch take shows as the float dipping under, sliding away, or lifting flat. Give it a moment, then lift into it. If you get nothing, slide the bobber stopper up or down by half a metre at a time to find the feeding depth.
Where this rig works
Right now this rig is fished on one water: Lac du Bourget, in France, for perch from the bank over deeper water. As the atlas grows, every new water that uses it will link to this same page.
Sliding float rig questions
Presenting bait at a set depth over water too deep for a fixed float, and showing takes cleanly. The float slides freely on the line up to a bobber stopper, so you can fish deep water but still cast and land the rig easily. It is a good perch rig for the deeper bank edges and fishing pontoons.
A bobber stopper slid onto the main line sets it. The float slides down to the swivel for casting, then slides back up until it meets the stopper, so the bait hangs at the depth the stopper is set to. Slide the bobber stopper up the line to fish deeper, down to fish shallower.
No. A bought rubber bobber stopper threads onto the line and grips it, then slides by hand to set the depth, so there is nothing to tie. A pack of around fifty lasts a long time. The only knot on this rig is the Palomar, for the swivel and the hook.
Yes. Split shot below the float cocks it, so it sits upright with only the tip showing and registers a take cleanly. The shot also helps the bait sink and settle. Add or remove shot until the float rides correctly; an uncocked float hides takes.