Bites and Hooksets: Reading What Your Float Says

When a fish takes the bait it is called a bite, and lifting the rod at that moment to set the hook is the hookset. Most of fishing's excitement happens in that short moment.

Float signals

• Twitches: the float bobs slightly. The fish is circling or nudging the bait. Don't strike yet.
• Rise: when a crucian carp lifts its head with the bait, the sinker lifts and the float slowly rises. This is the moment carp anglers wait for.
• Dip: when a fish pulls the bait down or sideways, the float sinks or slides away. Common in sea float fishing.

Timing the hookset

Strike too early and the fish hasn't taken the bait properly, so you reel in an empty hook. Strike too late and the fish senses something is wrong and steals the bait. For crucian carp, strike when the rising float pauses; for sea float fishing, strike when the float clearly goes under. Use a short, quick lift of the wrist rather than a big swing.

Not missing bites

Keep watching the float. Ripples can make it hard to tell bites from waves, so on windy days try a float with a little more buoyancy.