Fishing with a transparent ball

Water-filling float

Currently, many anglers are keenly interested in float fishing using a round transparent float, and it is important to cover this topic in detail. This is a really interesting method aimed at catching various fish. Moreover, the capabilities of the ball are much wider than its traditional surface fishing for insects and their larvae. The transparent ball-float catches almost everything that floats, throughout the entire thickness of the water, including at the bottom, and even bottom fishers can learn a lot of interesting things from the capabilities of this signaling device.

Transparent balls - floats made of organic glass, have been present in our stores for many years, and recently more carefully made imported models have appeared. A transparent water-filled float appeared in the fishing world as a competitor to classic fly fishing gear, and the method of fishing with a ball, as they say, was a success. The simplest float equipment with it made it possible to make long casts using a reel and makes it possible to quickly fish large areas of water. However, fishermen did not stop only at the possibilities of surface fishing, but increasingly tried to diversify fishing, which began to be carried out in the middle water horizons, and even from the bottom.

Let's look at various options for using a transparent float ball, which is actively used by both domestic and Western European fishing enthusiasts. Based on the information presented below, almost every fisherman can expand his experiments with this float, creating some of his own, sophisticated equipment, or a cunning method of wiring. But to do this, you need to clearly understand what a transparent ball is, what it is capable of, and where it can go wrong.

Water-filled float and artificial fly

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Fishing with a water-filled float seems to almost everyone as some kind of alternative to spinning during the period when the cockchafer emerges. Some people also know that you can fish with a water-filled float in August, when fat grasshoppers, which are held in high esteem by chub and ide, are jumping in the fields. Few people know that a water-filled float for a spinning fisherman is a tool that can turn spinning fishing into fly fishing in a few simple manipulations. With a water-filled float, you can fish not only with live baits, but also use artificial nymphs and flies.

For the first time I tried to use an artificial fly with a water-filled float on the Krasnooskol Reservoir. I stood in shallow water and tried to get a perch. It didn't bite. More precisely, there was a bite, but it was sluggish. About 50 meters away I spotted a fly fisherman. I come over and look. Every now and then the fisherman takes rudd out of the water. And I must say not small ones. I’ve also caught these with spinning rods. I ask permission to stand next to you and also try your luck. Fly fisherman, I don't mind. I'm catching a maniac. Wiring, another, and another... No bites. I replaced the spinner with another one. In 5 trips I got 1 rudd weighing 300 grams. It seems normal, but not like a fly fisherman’s. He drags the fish one after another. The fisherman, seeing that I was unable to catch fish, asked: “Do I have a water-filling float with me?” I rummaged through my backpack. Found one. He gave me a catchy fly and told me to try casting it. I tied the rig. I set the leash long, about 1.2 m. I threw the rig with a fly to the point where the rudd stood. And what do you think: literally immediately after splashdown there was a fish bite. A rudd weighing about 300 grams took the fly! Not bad! I won’t say that it was less interesting than watching a maniac. I take the fish off the hook and throw in the rig. In the final phase of the flight of the float and fly, I slow down the descent of the fishing line with my finger. The fly moves forward and lands at the farthest distance from the float. There is no bite. I make 2 jerks with the tip of the spinning rod. This is quite enough for a bite to occur.

I will not talk further about what is happening. I caught a lot of rudd that day and went home with a satisfied face. And to a greater extent I was pleased because I discovered a new way of fishing. True, I tried it again about a month later, only this time not on rudd, but on chub. Fishing, as they say, was a success! During the whole day I caught about 50 chubs. The largest is 800 grams, and the smallest is the size of a palm. I have never had such success using wobblers and spinners.

For this kind of fishing, I use a spinning rod with a weight of 3 to 14 g, 2.4 m long, although I would be happy to pick up a 2.7 meter rod. Why so long? Let me explain: the trick is that when casting a water-filled float, the overhang of the equipment is about 1.2-1.5 m. Agree, it would be inconvenient to work with a 2.1 m stick. I use transparent water-filling floats. Fish are least afraid of them. But if the current is strong, or you need a long cast, then I use bright floats. Visual control is much better. But if I do this, then I put a very long leash so that the fish does not get scared. I use fluorocarbon leashes, 0.1-0.12 mm thick. The advantage of fluor is that it is recessed and does not lie on the surface. It seems like a small thing. But chub and ide pay attention to this and may not be interested in the bait.

When I started trying to fish like this, I bought flies. I recently realized that this is at least not profitable. I bought myself a knitting kit and some material. I'm trying to knit myself. It turns out. The process is fascinating. I think I'll take up fly fishing eventually. The prerequisites for this already exist: more and more often I fish with flies and water-based ones.

Everyone should try this type of fishing. It's not too expensive, the results are amazing and you'll be impressed for another week. If I managed to interest you, I'm glad. I think that someone’s report from such an outing will soon appear.

Bad alarm

It should be noted right away that the ball is very bad as a bite alarm; it can’t get any worse. The diameter of the ball reaches 4-5 cm, and even if you paint it in a bright color (which can alarm large fish, especially in shallow waters), we will not see a bite “on the rise”, and when there is a “flood” and “moving to the side” the fish will immediately will feel the inertia of the massive float, and if self-hooking does not occur, it will simply spit out the bait. It is for these reasons that the ball is made transparent - there is nothing to look at it, because practically nothing is visible from it.

Wide possibilities of water-filling float

But any float is not only a simple bite alarm, but also a float tool with which wiring is carried out, and the ball has wide possibilities here. It also plays the role of a sinker, and a wonderful sinker that easily allows you to change its weight depending on the amount of water inside. In parallel, as the mass changes, the degree of its buoyancy also changes. And, for example, a ball completely filled with water will slowly sink. A great advantage is its significant weight, which makes it possible to use not only spinning reels, but also inertial reels for long-distance casting. So, for example, a ball with a diameter of 4.5 cm, even unfilled with water, weighs about 10 g; half filled with water – 30 g; completely filled – 50 g.

It is worth noting that transparent floats can also be oval, more streamlined when guiding, or sbirulino floats, which generally cut through the water column like a knife through butter, but we are not talking about them today, but about the classic of the genre - a round, transparent float.

But let's try to build several float rigs, and we will try to avoid the influence of the negative properties of the ball in them, using its advantages to the fullest.

The process of fishing with a water-filled float

In principle, there are no very big differences between conventional fishing and fishing with water-filled floats, except for the most significant: the ball will need to be filled with water before casting. To do this, the side plugs are opened, the tackle is immersed deep into the reservoir and filled with liquid to the required level. At the end of the procedure, all you have to do is tightly close the holes in the case with rubber plugs.

The weight of the equipment and, naturally, the casting distance will depend on the amount of water poured. The moment the float touches the surface of the water, a loud slap will be heard. The fish will blur from the noise (in some cases, vice versa), but after some time it will swim back to the fishing spot.

The larger the volume of liquid inside the vessel, the deeper the float will plunge into the water. Another advantage of the large mass is the reduction of windage when casting. This means that in a strong wind the ball will fly in the right direction and will not be blown away by the wind, which is a tangible advantage compared to conventional tackle.

When fishing on rivers, the float will be carried down by the current, and the fisherman will only need to gradually release the line on the reel. On lakes you can sometimes move the bait while playing with the fishing line in different directions.

Although the “bulb” may seem rough, this is not entirely true - the tackle signals a bite very well. The principle of its operation: the fish touches the leash, the movement is transmitted upward, and circles begin to disperse through the water. By their size, an experienced fisherman can recognize whether the fish is interested in the bait, and even with a high probability is able to determine the weight of the fish.

Classic version with blind equipment

This is the most common “fly fishing” option (Fig. 1), standing at the very origins of the use of a transparent ball. The float rig is simple: the main line is tied to one eye of the ball, the leash with bait is tied to the other eye. The equipment is good, allowing the bait to approach the fish before the float on the river during surface fishing, without scaring it away. But the equipment also has several disadvantages.

Firstly, tying by the ears, especially if the holes in them are not perfectly processed, is not very reliable - thin fishing lines can fray under load, which threatens an offensive breakage. But this problem can be easily solved - you can either carefully polish the holes of the ears, or knit a fishing line through thin, soft plastic cambrics. In good, high-quality balls, brass bushings are pressed into the holes of the ears, which are gentle on the fishing line. However, if the fish is not very careful, then the leashes can be attached to the eye of the ball using metal fasteners (to which it is good to add a swivel), which, in addition to the reliability of the fastening, allow you to quickly change the leashes.

A more significant drawback of such equipment is the danger of overlap when casting, especially if the leash is long. And cautious large fish can force us to use a long leash (often exceeding 1 m), because they are often afraid of a large alarm. It is, of course, practically transparent, but if it does not move in the general rhythm of the flow, then the fish is perfectly recognized as something foreign, and what is not visible is even worse: an incomprehensible, invisible danger is always alarming. But the problem of overlap is only a problem of casting technique. Here we can recommend the traditional “counteraction”: at the final phase of casting before splashing down the equipment, it is worth slowing down the run of the fishing line from the reel spool, while the leash will “overtake” the float and, stretching out in a straight line, will lie on the water without tangling.

It often happens that a fish (primarily a small one) completely ignores the ball, treating it completely indifferently, and sometimes even plays with it, pushing it with its nose, which is especially typical for small, bold chubs. In this case, it is better to put a short leash, with which there will be significantly fewer overlaps, and the number of empty bites should decrease. The biggest disadvantage of a blind rig is that there is no direct connection between the bait and the tip of the rod, and the fish, if it is not hooked by a heavy float, can spit out the bait, alerted by the same weight of the ball.

Classic equipment

The sbirulino float is made in the form of an oval shape from plastic or unsinkable wood - balsa. Inside the float there is a plastic tube, the edges of which extend beyond the boundaries of the sbirulino.

The installation is as follows: the main fishing line is passed through the tube so that the thickened part faces the hook. Then a stopper is put on; it can be a piece of elastic or a bead. Then the carbine. The stopper will not allow the carbine assembly to slip inside the float. A leash with any bait is attached to the carbine through a system of swivels, two or three. Several swivels are a necessary condition for installation. This fastener prevents the line from twisting.

The leash length range is very large: from short 15-30 centimeters to 3 meters. But the length of the leash cannot be greater than the rod itself. Fishing in the surface layers requires the use of a long leash; in the bottom layer it is advisable to use a short leash. The size of the leash is also influenced by the type of fish; for predators it is short, peaceful fish are caught with a long one.

You still need to get used to casting a long leash. The bombard itself slides freely along the fishing line. The bombard has an optimal aerodynamic shape, which allows you to make casts with high accuracy; a dart-like tail is attached to it.

Due to its streamlined shape, the bombard flies well even against the wind.

Blind paternoster

Another blind rig with a transparent float ball is a very interesting design (Fig. 2), and practically does not suffer from overlaps. A fastener with a swivel is attached to the main fishing line, and a ball is attached to the fastener. We tie a leash (or several leashes) to the main line above the float. Fishing with a water-filled float will tell you how much higher, it all depends on what we want to get from the equipment in specific fishing conditions. This multi-lead rig allows you to use a wide variety of baits, both natural and artificial. For example, we put a grasshopper on one hook, a maggot or worm on the second, and an artificial fly or a small, light spinning spoon on the third leash. It is worth noting that this multi-hook rig with a transparent ball is prohibited in a number of countries. Apparently due to “too high catchability.” But in our country, so far, fishing is not prohibited.

Now let's look at some interesting sliding equipment that can be made based on a transparent ball with two ears.

Bubble designs

In the factory version, the water-filling float is a composite container with two ears. The end of the main line is tied to one of them, and the leash to the second.

To fill with water and release air, there are two holes in the alarm, which, after completing the procedure, are plugged with soft plastic plugs.

However, despite the modern design, I am more impressed by the float, which I make myself from an ordinary roll-on deodorant and a pen refill. There are several reasons for this.

The first is that it has a matte color, and after it gets into the water, the float looks transparent. Excellent camouflage.
The second is more weight with a small size.
The third is high strength.
The fourth is the ability to pass the fishing line through the body without unnecessary knots, which improves the balance and strength of the equipment.
And fifth, such a float does not have line overlaps, since there is simply nothing for it to cling to, which cannot be said about the factory design.

Sliding equipment

This is also a very catchy installation (Fig. 3.). We pass the main line through one eye of the ball. Then we pull a round rubber stopper onto the fishing line, the role of which can also be performed by a suitable piece of plastic insulation from various wires. Now we tie the main line to one eye of the swivel, and tie a leash to the second eye. A soft stopper in the rig is very desirable, because it prevents the massive float from hitting the swivel when casting, which can threaten to break the eye of the float and seriously load the line assembly that holds the swivel. This equipment is good because the fish does not feel the resistance of the float when biting, because the fishing line slides freely through the eye of the ball. However, for the same reason, the fish will not be able to hook itself and hooking is required. The same free passage of the fishing line through the float will help you not to miss a bite. The bite itself is clearly visible, or it is “heard” by the finger holding the line near the reel.

You can fish with such equipment not only on the surface, but also in the middle horizons, and in shallow waters even at the bottom. To do this, you just need to load the leash with one or more lead pellets. Thus, fishing is good in shallow, fast-flowing waters with an “irregular” current and often “jumping” depth. That is, in those fishing conditions, where no matter how you choose the shape of a traditional float, no matter how you load it, you still won’t be able to clearly distinguish a bite.

How to make a float with your own hands at home?

What you will need for production:

deodorant ball. They come in different sizes, but it is best to choose the smallest one, since its dimensions correspond to the actual size of the bubbles that appear on the water. A large ball is suitable for making equipment that you will use in the dark with poor visibility;
an awl is necessary for making holes;
a refill from a regular pen for writing;
silicone stoppers.

Manufacturing procedure:

Take a deodorant roll and wash it off the smell and deodorant residue.
Using an awl, make symmetrical holes all the way through, comparable in diameter to the handle shaft.
Melt one end of the rod with fire and slightly flatten it to form a “cap”.
The other end of the rod must be trimmed, giving it a cone-shaped shape. Thus, it will act as a plug, as well as a tube for threading the fishing line. If you need to fill the float with water, you can simply pull out the tube.
Limit the movement of the ball along the fishing line using silicone stoppers.

Below we will talk about how to equip your fishing rod with a factory float.

How to properly equip a fishing rod with such tackle:

To begin, take the main fishing line and place a carabiner on it.
Then attach the spherical float to the carabiner.
A leash must be connected to the second eye. The best way to do this is in a loop-to-loop manner.

Shot clamp on fishing line

Here it is appropriate to make a small digression and dwell on this important topic. It is not without reason that in all the “floating times” the main disadvantage of all lead pellets was the “pinching” of the fishing line, as a result of which the fishing line was deformed and lost its strength. And this drawback is all the more significant, the thinner the fishing line. Therefore, the thinnest lead tape, twisted and slightly compressed around the fishing line, was considered a more correct load. But today, few of the fishing fraternity are engaged in such loading, still preferring pellets, especially since there are well-calibrated sets of soft lead pellets on sale. And there is no problem in clamping such a pellet on the fishing line and, moving it higher, securely fixing it. But if during the fishing process you constantly change the location of the pellets on the fishing line (and sometimes you actually have to do this, adjusting to the fish’s bite), then the pellets no longer hold securely and slide out of their places, or even fall off the fishing line altogether. Problem? Yes. An interesting solution was suggested to me by an experienced fisherman - a floater. He suggests clamping the pellets on the fishing line through a small piece of thin cellophane; after clamping, the excess cellophane is carefully removed with scissors. After such an operation, the fishing line is not deformed, and the pellet moves up and down without problems, tenaciously holding on to the fishing line. The option itself is somewhat labor-intensive, but interesting and justified for a floater who wants everything in his equipment to go without a hitch. After all, success in fishing often depends on this.

But let's return to our transparent balls - floats, namely to a very cunning and effective equipment.

Transparent float with a blade of grass

This equipment can be successfully used when catching the most cautious, distrustful fish that are capricious in clear water. The main idea of the rig is to make the fish's leash completely invisible, eliminating even the slightest suspicion. To do this, some fishermen use a thin reed or some suitable hollow grassy stem that can easily be found on the shore. The equipment is the same as the previous one, only a reed or grass is put on the leash and only then a hook is attached. When retrieving, the picture looks like this: the rig goes upstream along the river, the float goes behind, the leash with the hook in front. A reed (blade of grass) with its edge rests directly on the hook, completely masking the leash. Yes, the fish sees the grass perfectly well, but this is the most ordinary object, which is constantly being chased back and forth by the river current, and it does not alarm the fish in any way. And then there was such a seductively moving bunch of maggots, a grasshopper or a worm clinging to the edge of the reed...

Improved clear float sliding rig

This float equipment (Fig. 4.) is somewhat more complicated in design, but it works clearly, without overlaps, and is even able to hook the fish itself after a bite. A transparent ball is launched through one eye on a half-meter piece of thick fishing line (diameter about 0.4 mm). Then swivels are tied to the two ends of this piece of fishing line. As a result, the float slides between the swivels on a piece of thick fishing line 30-40 cm long. Keeping in mind the shock loads during casting, here too it is better to secure the float with a stopper, installing it on a thick fishing line near the swivel to which the leash is tied. Accordingly, we tie the main fishing line to the second swivel. A thick fishing line along which the float slides behaves more stably when moving, remaining in a straightened state, and the float glides along it better. Self-hooking of the fish occurs at the moment of pulling, when the float rests on the upper swivel, which is the stroke limiter for our transparent ball.

Options for equipping a float rod for carp

What is most perplexing to the author is the desire of some domestic fishermen to use Bolognese tackle as a match fishing rod. This applies not only to carp fishing with a float, but also to fishing in still water in general. Among them, such tackle is called a “long-casting rod.” Usually this is a long, 4–6 meters, telescopic rod, equipped with a spinning reel and a float with a blind mount. With its help, a float is cast over a long distance using a reel.

It is used instead of a shorter, more convenient and specially designed match fishing rod. In this case, the floats are not match floats, but ordinary ones, for a fly fishing rod and a Bolognese fishing rod; the load, accordingly, is the same. The fact is that when casting with a match fishing rod, the float flies in front of the sinker and hook, for this it has a much greater mass. In this case, the equipment is oriented in flight so as not to cling to the main fishing line. When using a lapdog as a “fishing rod for long casting,” the sinkers and float fly inexplicably, the tackle can easily get tangled and the fishing will be over—it will be impossible to untangle the thin float line.

Some will object: “But you can also cast a Bolognese fishing rod using a reel!” Yes, they do, but its length is three to four meters of fishing line released from the reel, nothing more. On a Bolognese fishing rod, the reel is not used for casting, but to be able to release the float downstream far from the angler.

That is why ordinary inertial reels are often used - in this case, you can cast it by first releasing the fishing line from the reel. Therefore, if you want to make long casts, you need to use a match fishing rod, and not a Bolognese or something else.

This article will look at a fishing rod with a running rig, but in no case should it be cast with a reel. Catching carp with a float using match gear is not considered, since, unfortunately, it is not very popular among our fishermen.

Running equipment

A fishing rod is used, 6 meters long, telescopic, with rings and a reel. The choice of reel is made in favor of an inertial one, with a stop-lever. It is not afraid of falling into the water along with the rod, it is reliable, it does not twist or deform the line, the stopper allows you, if necessary, to release the line during a jerk when fishing, without intercepting the rod and doing this with the same hand that holds the handle. At the same time, it is very important to constantly hold the line in your fingers to prevent the fish from pulling too much and to constantly monitor this.

The main advantage of a running rig is the ability to shorten the length of the line from the rod tip if you have to fish too close to the shore or from the angler. To do this, you just need to reel in the fishing line. When hooking, it is very important to back off a little immediately after, so that the fish does not break the rod. The running rig of a float fishing rod for carp uses a fairly heavy rod and is effective when fishing for carp, but in cases when fishing in snags where the fish can entangle the fishing line underwater in bushes or underwater objects, it is better to fish with a blind rig.

Blind equipment

Blind equipment has been used for carp fishing since time immemorial - this is an ordinary fly fishing rod. It is better to have a pair of fishing rods, 5 and 6 meters long, especially when fishing in an unfamiliar place.

Such a rod for carp fishing is equipped with a fairly thick fishing line, 0.17-0.2 mm. This allows you to pull out the carp quickly, preventing it from reeling in the fishing line and getting away from the angler. The carp can also use a reed stalk or snag as a lever support, so that, by resting its nose, it can free itself from the hook. A similar situation occurs when catching perch on a balance beam, when the fish, resting on the edge of the hole, is freed from the balance beam.

You can equip a fishing rod in two ways: with and without an elastic band. The elastic band is one that can easily pass through the middle of the upper tubular elbow. In this case, the upper part of the knee itself must be varnished on the inside so that the elastic does not wear out, or have another treatment. You can do this yourself by using parquet varnish or simply take some polyethylene, wrap it around the edge of the rod, melt it so that it sticks to the outside, and then use a hot needle to make a hole in the middle for the elastic.

The elastic is taken with a thickness of 0.5-1 mm. It is threaded through the upper knee; there should be a fairly large piece of elastic inside it along the entire length - then it will work effectively. To do this, a rubber band is passed through and several knots are tied one after another at its other end, which together act as a stopper. At the other end, the elastic band is pushed out beyond the upper knee by 10 cm and a small loop is made, having first put on a plastic cambric of small thickness. It is better to take the insulation from the wire - it is flexible and has a strong wall. The fishing line is attached to the cambric loop using a fastener to make it easier to change equipment.

Without an elastic band, the fishing line is attached through two heat-shrink cambrics. One cambric sits at the tip of the rod, the second - 30-40 cm further than the first at the tip. The thinner one is put on a fishing line, and the thicker one is tied to a fishing line. Then they put on a thicker one, make several turns around the tip and fix it with a thin cambric. It is not advisable to attach it through a connector - with constant casting, hooking, and retrieving, the place near the connector will soon quickly break off, the rod will become a centimeter shorter, and the equipment will be lost. Chinese herabun fishing rods have a ready-made loop for attaching fishing line; it is better to remove it and re-equip such a fishing rod with an elastic band.

Proper float loading

The float should be loaded in such a way that only the non-buoyant antenna protrudes above the water. The weight and size of the carp bait is usually quite large, and this is taken into account when loading. In this case, the float should show that the nozzle itself has fallen to the bottom, slightly raising the antenna. The sensitivity should be such that when the nozzle is lying on the bottom, light pressure from above on the antenna with a finger is practically not felt by the hand, that is, the fish would not feel it.

We recommend reading

How to load a float for a summer fishing rod and adjust its sensitivity A detailed guide to loading a float so that it is sensitive to every bite.

Paternoster for the float track

The following equipment (Fig. 5) is considered more suitable for fishing on lakes from a boat, but it has also been successfully tested when fishing from the shore with long-distance casting. The equipment is made as follows. A stop knot is tied on the main line, then a transparent ball (not filled with water) is passed along the line through one eye, then a swivel is tied. We tie a fishing line to its second eye, taking into account the fishing conditions, length and thickness, equal to the main fishing line or a little thinner. A sinker is attached to the end of this line. We tie several leashes on the sides - a regular paternoster.

There are two possible options here.

In the first case , the load is heavy and it sinks the float, which, due to its buoyancy, maintains the equipment in a relatively vertical position. Floaters usually value this type of equipment while rowing, slowly moving around the water area, looking for fish sites. This method is very good for searching for perch, which has a decisive grip and which often hooks itself. On the hooks of leashes you can put not only natural bait, but also artificial things, for example, small, well-playing twisters, Christmas tree rain, strips of inflatable balls and other homemade and branded baits. This method of perch fishing can be successful not only from a boat, but also from the shore: we cast, slowly pull up, the transparent ball acts as an assistant, because it tends to help the equipment take a vertical position, which benefits our paternoster, especially if there are a lot of leashes .

The second version of this equipment implies that the transparent ball remains afloat, which means that we select a light weight, weighing less than the carrying capacity of a ball not filled with water. In this case, the working descent can be varied both by the length of the fishing line to which the leashes are attached, and by the location of the ball on the main fishing line, because the locking unit can be moved up and down.

Making a float

Making a water-filling float from a deodorant ball is as easy as pie.

Initially, it is possible to select “raw materials” of the required size. I know of three balls of different diameters used in deodorants, and I consider the smallest one to be the most popular, because its size corresponds to the size of real bubbles appearing in water.

At the same time, its own weight, coupled with the sphere filled up to half with water, makes it possible to fish the coastal zone without effort. Larger balls are good for casting over long distances, especially in poor visibility conditions.

I remove the ball from the used bottle and wash it well to remove the smell. I make a through hole with an awl comparable in size to the rod, since with this option it will subsequently narrow and press tightly. The factory mark at the junction of the two hemispheres of the ball helps to symmetrically punch a hole.

I first melt one end of the rod with a lighter and flatten the end on a flat surface to form a hat. Subsequently, I restore the slightly swollen hole by turning it with the tip of a knife.

Having inserted the rod into the hole until it touches the cap, I cut off the opposite part with a knife, leaving the end a few millimeters long. I cut this end into a cone, so that later it will be convenient to insert and remove the tube when filling the sphere with water.

As a result, the tube simultaneously serves as both a float plug and a channel for passing the fishing line. The water-filled bite alarm is ready, the whole job takes no more than 5 minutes.

To fill the ball with water, simply pull out the tube and lower the sphere into the water. Having collected the required amount of liquid, I close the holes again with a rod-tube. Considering that during fishing such an operation sometimes has to be performed repeatedly, increasing or decreasing the amount of water inside the ball, I do not make blind equipment.

After passing the fishing line through the ball float, I limit its movement along the fishing line on both sides with silicone stoppers. He lifted the top stopper, poured in water and again moved the stopper towards the ball. In addition, the lower stopper also acts as a bump stop, since I tie a small swivel to the fishing line and attach the leash to it.

This design additionally allows the equipment to be used as a sliding one, for which it is enough to move the upper stopper along the line. However, judging by my practice, this only makes sense when fishing with a short cast, when there is good visual control of both the float and the line.

If the bite is weak, it is better to experiment with the length and thickness of leashes, baits, etc.

Source: expo-fish.ru

Bottom transparent balls and suspenders

And about one more very interesting way of using a transparent ball, interesting primarily for donkeys. As you know, when fishing for carp, crucian carp, tench, and large rudd, bottom sinkers fall into the muddy bottom and fishing becomes poorly controlled. But here, too, our transparent ball - a float - can come to the rescue. This time it will perfectly fulfill the role of a sinker, because completely filled with water it slowly sinks, lies on the bottom and weakly gets stuck in the bottom silt. At the same time, the ball is practically invisible at the bottom and has sufficient mass for long-distance casting even with an inertial reel of the Nevskoy type. But it may not be possible to give significant tension to the fishing line (for example, to bend the tip of the feeder), because the ball, although heavy, easily drags along the bottom soil. For the same reason, the ball does not perform well as a blind sinker trying to hook a fish, and it is more profitable to use sliding rigs, for example, those that use lead sinkers, the main thing here is the idea.

If the ball is not completely filled with water, leaving a small air bubble inside, then we can achieve neutral buoyancy from our transparent sinker, for example, sinking as slowly as possible in the water column, which allows us to use a very effective technique in summer - using a slowly-slowly descending nozzle. This technique may be the only one that is able to activate biting even during a period of total no-biting.

Catching chub using a water-filled float.

Chub is one of the most coveted trophies among fishermen. There is probably not a single fisherman who has not seen this beautiful fish at least once. You can find chub almost everywhere. The only exceptions are heavily overgrown standing reservoirs. Here the chub lacks oxygen. But you can find it in any river. This fish is very impressive in size.

But it is not only from this point of view that the chub is valuable for the fisherman. After all, when playing, this fish offers incredible resistance. Therefore, the fisherman has a rush of adrenaline into his blood. The fisherman gets exactly what he went fishing for. He gets emotions! When fishing for chub, you can use almost any tackle. But the most spectacular is fishing with a tackle with a water ball. What this type of gear is and how to use it to catch fish will be discussed below!

Tackle for fishing with a water-filled float.

In fact, there are simply no strict requirements for gear in the case of water balloon fishing. You can use almost any rod. The main condition is that the fisherman feels comfortable working with it. Moreover, it doesn’t matter whether the rod is telescopic or plug-in. Since the bite is determined visually. The same goes for the length of the rod. You should use a form that is convenient to work with. It is for this reason that excessively long rods should be avoided when fishing from the shore. At the same time, on a narrow river, a long rod allows you to perform very precise wiring.

The next item is the coil.

Again, there are no special requirements for it. You can use a multiplier, spinning or inertial reel. Most often, long casting is not required. Since the bait is floated to the fish’s resting place. And almost any reel can handle this task. The main condition is that at least 100 meters of fishing line be placed on the spool. Because you often have to fish at a very considerable distance. And while fishing for strong fish, you may have to give up the fishing line. There must be some stock!

If in the case of spinning fishing a braided cord is most often used, then when fishing with tackle with a water ball it is better to stick to an ordinary monofilament line. This line is not as noticeable in the water as a braided line. In addition, it is capable of stretching, which plays into the hands of the fisherman when fishing for large prey. When fishing for chub, you should use monofilament fishing line with a diameter of 0.2 to 0.25 mm. The specific diameter should be selected based on the size of the intended production. The larger the chub in the fishing area, the thicker the fishing line should be.

But the basis of this tackle is an ordinary water ball (water-filling float).

Surely a person who is far from the fishing world, at the first glance at this thing, will not be able to immediately determine what it is needed for. Instead of the usual float, an ordinary transparent plastic or glass ball is used, which has two valves. Through one valve you can draw water into the body, and through another valve you can drain this same water. Thanks to the transparent body, the ball is almost invisible in the water. This means that the chub is not afraid of such equipment. In fact, the ball functions not only as a float, but also as a kind of tugboat.

A leash with a hook is placed either in front of the ball or after it, or maybe a mixed installation -

It all depends on the specific preferences of the angler, as well as on the fishing conditions. The leash should be very thin and the hook as inconspicuous as possible. Only under this condition can you count on a chub bite. And this whole structure should be quite light. Since a hook that is too heavy can simply drown the bait. And the chub has an extremely negative attitude towards food that is found in the water column, while attacking almost any object that is on its surface.

Sometimes when fishing with a tackle with a water-filled float, foam plastic is used as a bait. It provides the bait with additional buoyancy.

Where and how to catch?

The first step is to establish visual contact with your potential prey. That is why it is best to fish on a sunny day. In this case, polarized glasses will be of great service to the fisherman. You should try not to scare away a school of chub. It is best to take a position several tens of meters upstream, and then float the ball to the flock’s camp site. If the water-filled float is quite light, then you can cast it into the flock’s parking area. Sometimes a splash can not scare away a chub, but attract it. But here everything is very individual.

If you are fishing in a fairly large body of water, you can catch an almost full ball of water. Then the equipment will become heavy and long casting will not cause any difficulties for the angler. But if the fishing takes place in a small body of water and long casting is not required, the water-filling float should be left empty or just a little water should be added to it. There will be no noise when casting, which means that the chub will not have any suspicions about the equipment.

Bait selection

The bait should look as natural as possible. In order to understand what can be used as bait, you should simply walk along the shore of the reservoir. Surely grasshoppers will jump in different directions from you, and various caterpillars will be found on the branches of trees standing near the pond. And from these same trees, fruits periodically fall into the water.

The main bait is insects. You can use grasshoppers, locusts, and various beetles

and dragonflies. In this case, you need to put on bait so that the insect remains alive. In this case, its movements on the surface of the water will cause additional interest to the chub.

In addition, you can use cherries, cherries, canned corn, or even just bread crumbs as bait. But in this case, the effect may not be as strong as in the case of animal bait.

You should also not forget that when fishing for chub, the angler can receive a wonderful bonus in the form of large crucian carp, carp or bream. These fish are very often tempted by the bait that was originally intended for the chub. Yes, and they can be purposefully caught using tackle with a water-filled float on the same bread crust.

The chub can be called an ideal fisherman's trophy due to its beauty and strength. But a tackle with a water ball is the ideal weapon for conquering the perfect fish!