Peejay Sodafloats - any practical experience?

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geoffw

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Just wonder if any members here have tried out this innovative float?
I tried mine last week. I was using pellet waggler at about 15" deep, catching with 8mm pellets over catapulted 6mm/8mm pellets.
Swapped over to Sodafloat loaded with 4/5 of the same feed pellets, again at 15". It worked OK and I caught fish on it. I was surprised that some bites were missed. I expected the bites to be self hooking.
Anyhow, only tried for about half an hour or so but it did work as described.
When I got home, I tried an experiment by putting the hook bait inside the float with the feed pellets and dropping into a cylinder of water. Five out of five times the hook bait released with the feed pellets.
Has anyone else tried this float - if so, how did you get on?
 
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fishplate42

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Yes, I have used them and they work really well with dry feed and once I worked out what consistency to mix it to, it delivers my home made corn custard brilliantly and much further out than I usually use it.

Your thoughts about putting the hook in the feeder is interesting. I am not sure about that myself. For me I want the feed to attract the fish and the hook-bait to follow it down with the last remnants of the feed, not to just sink with the rest. I may be completely wrong but if I am missing something, please let me know as I am as new to this style of float, and fishing, as everyone else.

Ralph.
 
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geoffw

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The idea of tucking the bait into the float is to be able to cast closer to the far bank or a snag.
I'm off to Skegness for the weekend on Friday so will try again.

fishplate42 said:
Yes, I have used them and they work really well with dry feed and once I worked out what consistency to mix it to, it delivers my home made corn custard brilliantly and much further out than I usually use it.

Your thoughts about putting the hook in the feeder is interesting. I am not sure about that myself. For me I want the feed to attract the fish and the hook-bait to follow it down with the last remnants of the feed, not to just sink with the rest. I may be completely wrong but if I am missing something, please let me know as I am as new to this style of float, and fishing, as everyone else.

Ralph.
Click to expand...
 
fishplate42

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Thanks Geoff, I see what you are up to now. Have a good time in Skegness, one of my favorite seaside towns.

Ralph.
 
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Ralph,
Have you found the bits to be self hooking, or did you need to strike?
 
fishplate42

fishplate42

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geoffw46 said:
Ralph,
Have you found the bits to be self hooking, or did you need to strike?
Click to expand...

So far, they do seem to self-hook but I have only been catching F1's. I did lose one on my first session because the takes were much more violent than I had expected and I was only using 6lb line.

I now use 8lb line and a longer hook length (18 inches instead of 10-12 inches) of the same breaking strain, which seems to work.

I have only used it on three sessions so far. the first one was a learning curve and both the other sessions were very successful. Pellets or maggots seem to be the best and easiest bait to use. I found that just a few (six or seven) maggots worked well and I was getting bites within seconds of landing. With more maggots it still works well bit it can take 15 - 20 seconds!

Ralph.
 
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fishplate42 said:
So far, they do seem to self-hook but I have only been catching F1's. I did lose one on my first session because the takes were much more violent than I had expected and I was only using 6lb line.

I now use 8lb line and a longer hook length (18 inches instead of 10-12 inches) of the same breaking strain, which seems to work.

I have only used it on three sessions so far. the first one was a learning curve and both the other sessions were very successful. Pellets or maggots seem to be the best and easiest bait to use. I found that just a few (six or seven) maggots worked well and I was getting bites within seconds of landing. With more maggots it still works well bit it can take 15 - 20 seconds!

Ralph.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't recommend using the same bs for the hooklength as the main line Ralph, good chance of losing more floats. Soften off the clutch a bit, that may help with the violent takes.
 
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iannate

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That is a very clever solution to the feeder float.

I hope that he does really well with it.
 
fishplate42

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s63 said:
I wouldn't recommend using the same bs for the hooklength as the main line Ralph, good chance of losing more floats. Soften off the clutch a bit, that may help with the violent takes.
Click to expand...

Sorry, very badly written by me, what I meant to say was the hook length is the same breaking strain as before (6lb), and yes, I have started backing off the clutch a bit more lately... Thanks :). Up until recently I have been relying on heavy gear to just haul 'em in. After two and a half years of experience I think I am eventually learning how to fish...

...Long way to go yet.

Ralph.
 
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I've never caught a F1 and never plan to but 8lb line seems a tad heavy for such a fish.
 
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