Fishing with floats

Last weekend I was fishing in 24 ft of water and the fish were at 12 ft. I rigged up a couple of floats and set the depth at 12 ft. Using fresh cut shad and 1 ounce egg sinker with 12 inch leader, 6/0 circle hook. These are the floats I was using http://www.wildwolfproducts.com/index.html

As soon as the float would hit the water the fish were on the bait and it was fun. I caught 4 channels in the 5 pound range and then noticed that the fish would hit the bait and push it to the surface. As soon as the bait hit the surface the catfish would drop it and leave.

What was causing the missed runs, too big a bait or too big of hook? Changed the bait size to about 1 inch and did not have any hits. I thought about adding a trailer hook to the rig. I never seen that before and was wondering if any of you all have.

That would be similar to a jug line I would think. You might want to try putting the weight below the hook. Might also try a shorter leader.

My thinking was as similar to a jug line but on rod and reel. You can cast that rig a long ways, made them old Garcia 6500's smoke.

I never thought about the sinker next to the hook as my intentions were to give the bait more of a drifting look. But I could see that the sinker closer to the hook may give a little more resistance and better hook set.

try a map shot on the leader above the hook. those that were pushing the bait so the barber would lay flat were most likely blues

I will go out tonight or tomorrow weather permitting and try the weight on the leader. It does make sense.

Chemdawg- you think the blues were doing that because there mouth's are different or they come at the bait in a different way?

Sounds fishy to me. Never had catfish carry a bait to the top and drop it. If you were casting so far to make the reels smoke I would wonder how you saw. Sounds like turtles or gar to me.

When I first got the floats rigged up and casted them a few times, I tried to see how far it would go, water mist would come off the line looking like smoke. The phrase was intended to be light hearted.

Once I baited them and cast where I had marked fish, was maybe 30 yards or so. I was in my boat in 24 ft of water with bait depth set at 12 ft .

I doubt they were turtles as to the depth of the water and how fast the bait would surface. Could have been gar I suppose. Still would think I would have hooked one.

Someone Showd that to me and every time my cork layed flat and i set the hook it was a blue on the other end I am not sure why but it proved to be true every time it layed flat there was a blue. i alway used round bobber but now i use a pencil cork he made. Now there is no way to know for sure what is down there with out setting the hook but from my experience every time my cork layed down there was a blue on the other end and i use punch bait so know it was not a gar