The waggler has become a bit of neglected tactic for anglers, especially on commercial fisheries, where the pole seems to be able to do the lot.
But where silvers are concerned, the float can leave the pole for dead when it comes to the speed at which you can catch roach, rudd and skimmers. Here's how to have an action-packed day on the waggler...
GET THE BEST OUT OF THE WAGGLER USING THE BEST FLOAT RODS FOR SILVERFISH, OUR GUIDE HAS THE PICK OF THEM
Go for an insert
An insert waggler is extremely sensitive, allowing you to spot bites on the drop. I like to use a semi-loaded MP Slim.
ALWAYS MAKE THE RIGHT FLOAT CHOICE WHEN WAGGLER FISHING WITH OUR EXPERT GUIDE.
Find the right depth
Although I’m fishing off bottom, there’s still a depth the fish want to be at. To find it, shallow up until you get bites. As a rule of thumb, if you are missing bites shallow up your float, if you aren't getting bites, add some depth to your rig. You may find you have to alter the depth throughout the session to stay in touch with the fish.
THE BEST POLE FISHING LINES MAKE THE BEST HOOKLENGTH MATERIAL, OUR GUIDE DISCUSSES THE BEST OUT THERE.
Shot down the line
Lock the float with a couple of BB shot. Down the line go four evenly-spaced No10 Stotz so the bait sinks quickly. This will not only reduce the time the fish have to look at the hookbait forcing them to snatch at it, but it helps get it through any smaller fish which tend to sit higher in the water.
TRY A WAGGLER FOR COMMERCIAL SILVERFISH, TAKE A LOOK AT OUR GUIDE TO THE BEST FISHERIES FOR COMMERCIAL SILVERS.
Go for a big hook
You need a big hook, especially for casters. A size 16 Matrix MCX-1 lets me bury the hook inside the caster. It also prevents fish coming off when you retrieve them and helps swinging fish out of the water too.
THE BEST FISHING REELS WILL IMPROVE YOUR CASTING AND ALL-ROUND FLOAT FISHING.
Fish casters
Casters beat maggots on commercials. They always produce a better stamp of fish, and make a bit more noise when hitting the water. This helps attract fish which an be important, especially if the fishery is busy or you are in a match and want to drag fish into your swim.
CASTERS ARE A BRILLIANT FOR FISHING SHALLOW ON COMMERCIALS FOR SILVERFISH.
Alter the feeding
I’ll fire 20 or so casters out at a time, but if the fishing is very good, I’ll up the feed to double that amount. My best advice is, let the fish tell you how to feed, if you are feeding too much the fish will follow the bait down and settle on the bottom and you will stop getting bites.
CASTER CAN BE EFFECTIVELY FED VIA THE BEST FISHING CATAPULTS, OUR GUIDE HAS THE PICK OF THEM.
