Polaris/Locslide Help

[eaglet]

Hi,

I have both of this style of float and fish deep Embalses/Dams in Spain. I like to use these style of floats as I like to look at something rather than watch a tip or listen for an alarm. My query is of late both styles of floats don't seem to want to rise to the surface. I've left slack line for ages and they just don't want to rise. With the Polaris I'm using the correct size line for the 'hole' and the locslide floats, well I don't know as I'm not using heavy line but neither float wants to rise. Any experts out there who could advise please??

Cheers eaglet

[robd]

Hi,

I have both of this style of float and fish deep Embalses/Dams in Spain. I like to use these style of floats as I like to look at something rather than watch a tip or listen for an alarm. My query is of late both styles of floats don't seem to want to rise to the surface. I've left slack line for ages and they just don't want to rise. With the Polaris I'm using the correct size line for the 'hole' and the locslide floats, well I don't know as I'm not using heavy line but neither float wants to rise. Any experts out there who could advise please??

Cheers eaglet

 

 

Throw them away or convert them to a normal waggler bottom, use as a sliding float with a very small bead between the float and stop knot. Either shot the float for its capacity, over shot and lay on tightening the line to adjust the float or float ledger. Could never see the point in Polaris floats, they’re crude and inefficient, they work on a self hooking principle of the fish pricking itself against the buoyancy of the float. I fish sliders in 40 feet and no reason not to go at any depth. You do need to fish fairly heavy float and weights to overcome the friction/inertia of getting the hook down to the fish.

[Grumpalot]

I wonder if your rig is tangling on the cast? Try putting a shot on just over a hooklength's length above your lead/feeder so the float stays well out of the way?

 

Rough, frayed or dirty line? Pull the working end 10 yards or so off, and wind it back through a tissue with a bit of detergent - feel for roughness (discard that bit of the line) and inspect the tissue for crud.

[Phone]

eaglet

 

You say "of late" they (the floats) haven't been working. Did you successfully use them in the past on the same water with the same gear? It is a quandry if all is equal and they just stopped working?

 

Both the previous anglers have touched on my thoughts. One, trust a sliding float with or without a stop and two, the problem is not with the float. On my side of the pond we (I) very seldom use small floats. I've only used "one way" floats once or twice in my life. Probably not a good source for information.

 

Phone

(Be sure you're just not seeing the float. And, it requires a pretty "tight" line as opposed to slack line. When you think you are close to tight give a sharp tug and it "should" bob up - or if you have a bite it can be indicated by bobbing up).

Edited October 13, 2011 by Phone

[Andy Macfarlane]

It's weeds probably, stopping the float from rising up. Locslides and Polaris are prone to this. I'd go for the sliding float and stop-knot suggestions too.

 

Polaris and Locslides are OK but only in clear ground.

[eaglet]

Throw them away or convert them to a normal waggler bottom, use as a sliding float with a very small bead between the float and stop knot. Either shot the float for its capacity, over shot and lay on tightening the line to adjust the float or float ledger. Could never see the point in Polaris floats, they’re crude and inefficient, they work on a self hooking principle of the fish pricking itself against the buoyancy of the float. I fish sliders in 40 feet and no reason not to go at any depth. You do need to fish fairly heavy float and weights to overcome the friction/inertia of getting the hook down to the fish.

 

Thanks to you and the other guy's for taking time out to advise me and sorry for the delaying in replying. I'll persevere and take on board what you advise but have a few Polaris floats it's an expensive game throwing them away. Still not the end of the world and thanks again,

Cheers eaglet

 

 

It's weeds probably, stopping the float from rising up. Locslides and Polaris are prone to this. I'd go for the sliding float and stop-knot suggestions too.

 

Polaris and Locslides are OK but only in clear ground.

 

 

Thanks to you and the other guy's for taking time out to advise me and sorry for the delaying in replying. I'll persevere and take on board what you advise but have a few Polaris floats it's an expensive game throwing them away. Still not the end of the world and thanks again,

Cheers eaglet

 

 

eaglet

 

You say "of late" they (the floats) haven't been working. Did you successfully use them in the past on the same water with the same gear? It is a quandry if all is equal and they just stopped working?

 

Both the previous anglers have touched on my thoughts. One, trust a sliding float with or without a stop and two, the problem is not with the float. On my side of the pond we (I) very seldom use small floats. I've only used "one way" floats once or twice in my life. Probably not a good source for information.

 

Phone

(Be sure you're just not seeing the float. And, it requires a pretty "tight" line as opposed to slack line. When you think you are close to tight give a sharp tug and it "should" bob up - or if you have a bite it can be indicated by bobbing up).

 

 

Thanks to you and the other guy's for taking time out to advise me and sorry for the delaying in replying. I'll persevere and take on board what you advise but have a few Polaris floats it's an expensive game throwing them away. Still not the end of the world and thanks again,

Cheers eaglet

 

 

Throw them away or convert them to a normal waggler bottom, use as a sliding float with a very small bead between the float and stop knot. Either shot the float for its capacity, over shot and lay on tightening the line to adjust the float or float ledger. Could never see the point in Polaris floats, they’re crude and inefficient, they work on a self hooking principle of the fish pricking itself against the buoyancy of the float. I fish sliders in 40 feet and no reason not to go at any depth. You do need to fish fairly heavy float and weights to overcome the friction/inertia of getting the hook down to the fish.

 

 

Thanks to you and the other guy's for taking time out to advise me and sorry for the delaying in replying. I'll persevere and take on board what you advise but have a few Polaris floats it's an expensive game throwing them away. Still not the end of the world and thanks again,

Cheers eaglet

[robd]

Thanks to you and the other guy's for taking time out to advise me and sorry for the delaying in replying. I'll persevere and take on board what you advise but have a few Polaris floats it's an expensive game throwing them away. Still not the end of the world and thanks again,

Cheers eaglet

 

Try just converting one Polaris to a normal waggler bottom and fish it as a slider. Once you see how easy and versatile it is I'll guess you'll change them all to 'Waggler sliders'

[eaglet]

Try just converting one Polaris to a normal waggler bottom and fish it as a slider. Once you see how easy and versatile it is I'll guess you'll change them all to 'Waggler sliders'

Hi Rob,

Thanks again for your reply. Not sure what I'll need exactly to do this but getting the basic stuff over here can be hard work. Do you know of any vidoe type of info. eg youtube that explains what's needed visually?

Cheers

[robd]

Hi Rob,

Thanks again for your reply. Not sure what I'll need exactly to do this but getting the basic stuff over here can be hard work. Do you know of any vidoe type of info. eg youtube that explains what's needed visually?

Cheers

 

 

Get rid of the ‘line lock thingy’ and adapt/replace the bottom stem of the float to accept a silicone float adapter. The one with a 1” length of tube and a swivel stuck in one end. Tie a stop knot on your main line at desired depth, thread on a small bore bead that will be stopped by the stop knot, then your float via the float adapter, then shot or swim-feeder depending on your needs, hook length. A search of youtube brings up plenty of video’s such as

I didn’t watch them so I don’t know how helpful they’ll be but there are plenty on the tube.

[Vagabond]

There is another reason they stop working.

 

1. Hook a decent sized fish.

2. As you are bringing the fish in, the float gets caught in weed.

3. Now, instead of the float sliding naturally down a taut line, the line is being pulled through the float at an angle, under tension.

4. If that happens a few times, the line cuts a tiny slot of its own diameter through the ends of the tube.

5. Next time you cast, the line gets caught in that slot.

 

Remedy - throw away or convert the float.

 

I won a big box of assorted Polaris floats for free, so I regard them as expendable - no way would I buy more. As other posters have said, a slider is better.