Thread: To float or not to float.....for pompano

While Im on a roll, what's your opinion on floats on pompano rigs. I've read everything, floats for pompano, no floats for whiting. I've not got the numbers to put anything into perspective. I'll simply say that I had decent success with neither beads nor floats. As a fisherman the first time I saw the blinged out rigs at Wally world, I figured they were either tourist traps or saltwater fish were a lot dumber than the fish I caught at home.

I've caught them on both.. I don't buy them with floats usually... it's much easier to just use a carolina rig , shrimp and tip of orange fish bites...

I've had success with both at times.
It seems to me the floats work better (best) when the water is rough and dingy.
Likewise the 'no-float' versions when it is calmer and clearer, or to target whiting.
When it is flat calm and crystal clear, I go with the even 'stealthier' Carolina rig on a sinker slide ;-)

Using pompano rigs, I nix-nix the floats too. If using live sandfleas or other live bait, I believe floats inhibit their natural movement somewhat. I do believe an orange bead or 2 helps.
My opinion only and not necessarily of the pompano.

I’m no pro but doing surf for 35 years. I like floats with shrimp, sand fleas, fish bites, etc and this is my theory: fish are attracted color, consequently, the bigger the float the better. In fact I tied up some juicy rigs with large spin n glows in orange, green, red, and pinks, also, in my opinion it may eliminate some of the crab action. I guess it depends on your confidence. If you run three rods mix it up, with and without. Tight lines all

In rough surf the floats on my drop rigs seem to make the loops wrap around the main line. I stopped using them and didn't seem to catch any less or any more.