Newbie bead fishing question

[Gonzo]

1st of probably many dumb questions to come but I need to start somewhere.
What's the most effective way to fish beads under a float? Just off the bottom (gliding) like a jig? I met a guy on the river the other day and he set his bobber extra high and was dragging it behind. Thoughts?

 

[Big3d]

I'm not a steelheader yet, but I could see the merits of his rig being much like an egg rolling along the bottom in the current. Suspending the bead should work too, just make it look as natural as you can.

 

[DYJ]

Some days bobber doggin em (setting the float real deep)works best, some days fishing em more like bobber and egg is best. It's a quick slide of the bobber stop to adjust from one style to the other. I normally start in a hole by bobber doggin em.

 

[mikeee2362]

I've gotten a few lessons on the bank by some guys fishing beads, and I've seen quite a few approaches, so I've been trying them all to give as many options to the fish as I can. Sometimes it's letting it do its own thing at the end of a 24" or so leader after my main 1/2 oz sinker under a 1/2 oz bobber, trying to keep my sinker 6" or so off the bottom. Then there is the long leader 3-5' length with a couple, to a few BB splitshot spaced evenly down the leader. I've been trying single beads, double beads, single bead with yarn, small yarnies, corkies, corkies with yarn, etc. I have fought a few fish with these different setups, so they do work, and the guys I was getting schooled by were catching fish.
I'm not sure how the bobber dogging setup is rigged, but wouldn't your main sinker be the thing bouncing along the bottom, or do you weight the leader in such a way that the bead is forced to the bottom?

 

[Gonzo]

Thanks Guys.
I've been mostly spacing bb's down the leader and dragging it but no luck. My thought was that maybe the fish are seeing the egg weight and bb's coming before the bead and get turned off. I'll keep trying both ways.

 

[bigboy70]

i bought some hevi beads to try this weekend there glass i think and im going to drift or bobber dog them

with whatever you fish, a smooth drag free natural presentation is most important IMO because when i hooked up twice last weekend it was drifting a corkie with hardly any weight and i would only put 2 or 3 split shots on my leader and make sure you have 6-10inches inbetween the last bb and the bead

ps youtube is a great teacher!

 

[jhop111]

I would recommend hevi beads for bobber fishing. I find them a bit too heavy for drift fishing in most of my spots. I recommend anything that's more neutral in the water..and... transparent in light. Do peg the bead..don't peg the bead too high as you may increase your chances of foul hooking.

 

[Gonzo]

I picked up some heavi beads and they seem to work great without having to add weight to the leader. Now I just need one of those dam steelhead to think so.

 

[bigboy70]

Had a hevi bead break on me this last weekend shoulda seen my face everything was still there but the bead

 

[OnTheDrop]

i bought some hevi beads to try this weekend there glass i think and im going to drift or bobber dog them

Don't bobber dog a HeviBead. Lol, if you're going to use one of those ridiculous things I would float it under a bobber how you would a jig. 1-3ft off the bottom.

My favorite way to fish beads are under a small float with a few split shots keeping it above the bottom like a jig.

Bobber doggin' has it's time and place but if I can get away without doing it I will. We always have a few bobber doggers set up when we are side drifting on the coast. They don't get near the fish the side drifting rods do though...

 

[JeannaJigs]

Had a hevi bead break on me this last weekend shoulda seen my face everything was still there but the bead

I hate hevi beads for that reason, too fragile. There's so many damn bead companies now, everyone and their mother has some new better shinier bead, it's like bead overload on Facebook, gettin' ridic.

I stick to the old basic trout beads. They're plastic. They're available in the colors that matter not some rainbow brite patten and they work amazingly well.

 

[bigboy70]

What sizes like 8-12mm