Plumbing the Depths

As a relative beginner I find I am still having problems in accurately plumbing the depth of my chosen swim. The waggler is cocked OK but still seems to sit higher in the water than I'd like. Altering the depth doesn't seem to have any effect. Am I not using enough shot (I usually put on the equivalent of the markings on the float). Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

If you plumb the depth and you are set too deep Mark, your float will stick up more than usual IF some of the shot you use to cock it is also on the bottom.

I prefer to plumb the depth with very little shot on the line compared with what is required to set the float, say 2 no 8's set either side of the float for a 2BB waggler. That way if you are set to deep, the float will stay flat on the water and ONLY the plummet will affect the way the float behaves.

Alternatively you can push a piece of rubber over the float, near the base, and use this to trap the line, or, even loop the line around the float!

Hope this helps!

I usually thread the line through the float eye twice then plumb the depth with no weight other than the plummet. Once I have convinced myself I'm at the right depth then I put the shot on the line. I always seem to have the coloured part of the float above the water and a little bit more. I understand that the less float that is showing the less resistance is felt by the fish and the quicker bites are indicated. When I try and adjust the depth the float still seems to behave exactly the same. Or am I just paranoid?

The markings on the float should be light,(Drennan puts a "+" on his to make the point absolutely clear), so use this as the bulk locking-shot, plumb up light as Eddie says, then put the rest on as trim - just as much as you want down the line to cntrol the bait's fall, the rest tucked up by the bulk shot.

Silly, forgot, - and having found out exactly how much extra the float takes to trim it, write it on the float with the fine, waterproof marker that SOMEBODY must always carry 'cos I can never find mine!

Thanks guys. I must get me one of those pens (or maybe two just in case)