Float Fishing
Suspending a bait at a set depth beneath a float to target fish feeding in mid-water or near the surface.
Float fishing is one of the most visual and satisfying methods in sea angling — when a float dips beneath the surface you know instantly that a fish has taken the bait.
Setting Up the Float
For sea fishing from piers and rocks, a waggler float or a sea float (sometimes called a sliding float) is the most practical choice. A waggler is attached at the bottom end only, casting cleanly and reducing tangles. A sliding float is useful when fishing at depth greater than the length of your rod, as the float slides up the line to a stop-knot set at the desired depth.
Thread the mainline through the float’s eye or ring, add a small rubber stop or stop-knot above it, then pinch enough split-shot along the lower line to cock the float upright in the water. Leave just the coloured tip showing above the surface — this makes bite detection easy.
Choosing the Right Depth
Start by setting the float so the bait hangs roughly mid-water. If you are not getting bites, move the stop-knot up to fish deeper (closer to the bottom) or down to fish shallower. Watch how other species behave around the pier or rocks — wrasse often hang in the kelp just below the surface, while mullet drift in loose shoals near mid-water.
Baiting the Hook
A small worm (ragworm or harbour worm) threaded lively onto a size 8–10 hook is ideal for wrasse, pollock, and smaller inshore species. A strip of fresh mackerel or squid cut into a thin sliver works well for mackerel and garfish near the surface. For mullet, bread flake or small pieces of harbour ragworm on fine hooks are the traditional choice.
Keep the bait small and natural-looking. Bulky baits are less effective with float fishing because the float itself creates resistance, and a suspicious fish will drop the bait if it feels the drag of a badly balanced rig.
Reading the Float
Any sudden dip, dart sideways, or lift of the float indicates a fish investigating or taking the bait. Do not strike too early — let the float go under fully before lifting the rod firmly to set the hook.
Target Species
Float fishing from piers and rocky outcrops is excellent for wrasse (especially ballan wrasse around kelp), grey mullet (in harbours and estuaries), mackerel (when shoals are present in summer), pollock (around pier pilings and rocky ledges), and smaller species such as bream, garfish, and rockfish.
Float fishing is an ideal starting point for beginners: the tackle is minimal, the method is simple to learn, and the visual nature of watching the float makes the experience engaging.