How to Fish a Slider Float

By Alex Clayton · Updated 23 October 2026

A slider float runs freely on the line and is stopped at fishing depth by a small stop knot. On the cast the rig folds down to a short length, and once it lands the line runs through the float until the knot halts it at full depth.

That matters because a 12ft or 13ft rod cannot comfortably cast a fixed float set at 15ft or more. On deep pits and reservoirs, the slider is how you keep float fishing instead of reaching for the feeder.

The steps below run in bankside order, from choosing the swim to fixing a tangled slider float rig.

Step 1: Decide When a Slider Float Beats a Fixed Float

One test settles it. If the swim is deeper than your rod is long, set up a slider. A 12ft rod in 15ft of water is the classic case.

Sliding float fishing earns its place on:

Reservoirs and gravel pits with 15ft to 20ft of water
Tidal rivers
Swims tight to islands or lily beds, where a long hooklength swinging from the rod tip is a liability on the cast

The second reason is bite detection. In deep water a big float registers small knocks that a feeder can miss, which makes it a real alternative for silver fish at range.

Skip it in water shallower than your rod, where a standard waggler set-up is quicker, or when the wind is too strong to cast gently.

If the plummet says deeper than your rod, tie a stop knot.

Step 2: Choose Your Rod, Reel, Line and Slider Float

A slider rig can fail before the first cast. The stop knot catches in small rod rings, the float never reaches depth, and the method gets the blame.

Start from this spec and adjust for range:

Item	Starting point	Why
Rod	Pellet waggler or stepped-up float rod, around 13ft, with big rings	The knot has to pass through the guides cleanly
Reel	Standard fixed-spool float reel	Nothing special needed
Mainline	5lb to 6lb for general use; 8lb with heavier floats at range	Matches float size and casting load
Leader (optional)	About 1m of 0.25mm fluorocarbon, loop to loop	Cuts twist and tangles with a heavy float
Stop knot line	8lb to 12lb, or 0.17mm; never above 12lb	Grips the mainline; for more hold, use two knots
Float	Large-capacity bodied waggler, 4AAA and up; 10g to 15g for distance	Heavy enough to pull line through itself
Float attachment	Swivel float adaptor	Less twist, quick float changes
Hooklength	12in of 0.13mm to a size 16	A silver-fish starting point

Mainline advice varies with range. Lighter line suits smaller floats closer in; heavier line suits big floats cast a long way.

Rod ring size matters more than the rod’s price.

Step 3: Tie a Stop Knot That Will Not Slip

Get the stop knot right and two of the four problems in Step 7 never happen. Tie it on the mainline before you thread anything else.

Cut about 18in of stop knot line, either 0.17mm or 8lb to 12lb mono.
Lay it alongside the mainline and fold it back on itself to form a loop.
Wrap the tag end round both the mainline and the loop seven times.
Pass the tag out through the loop, moisten the turns, and pull both ends firmly so the knot bites onto the mainline.
Trim the ends, leaving roughly an inch of tag.

If the knot slides too easily, tie a second knot and butt the two together.

The sea-angling alternative is a four-turn Grinner, tied in slightly thinner mono or power gum with the ends trimmed to about 5cm and a bead between knot and float. For more knots, see the fishing knots guide.

Sliding stop knot: best for most coarse fishing, easy to move when you re-plumb.
Grinner: an alternative if you already tie it well.

Step 4: Thread the Float and Shot the Slider Rig

Many first-cast tangles start on the bank, with the wrong threading order or a busy shotting pattern. Build the slider float rig in this order, below the stop knot:

A small bead, if the float or adaptor eye is large
The swivel float adaptor
The float, pushed into the adaptor
The bulk shot
Two or three droppers
The hooklength

The swivel adaptor reduces twist and lets you change floats without breaking down the rig. Choose one with a diamond-shaped eye, which holds against the knot better. A large round eye can be pinched smaller with pliers.

Keep the shotting simple. A bulk of shot below the float sinks most of its body and takes the bait down quickly, with two or three droppers spread below it. An unloaded float hung off that bulk keeps the set-up easy to adjust. Olivettes are compact, but they are harder to size on the bank and tangle more readily than spread shot. The float shotting patterns guide covers the principles.

Best for: bulk and droppers in most deep swims.
Skip if: you are new to sliders; leave olivettes until the basics feel easy.

Step 5: Plumb the Depth and Set the Stop Knot

Guess the depth in 15ft of water and the bait can sit feet off the bottom all day.

The distance from the stop knot to the hook is the depth you fish. Dead depth in 15ft of water means 15ft.

Put a 1oz lead on a quick-change swivel, ideally on a second rod set up identically.
Set the stop knot at a guessed depth.
Cast and hit the line clip.
Wind about seven turns, then open the bail.
If the float does not appear within a few seconds, move the knot further up the line and repeat.

Once the float shows, you have the depth. One match approach is to fish about 12in shallower than the plumbed figure, to allow for the hooklength.

Knowing the true depth also lets you fish off the bottom on purpose. Slide the knot down when fish are feeding higher in the water.

Note the depth, or mark the line, so you can reset quickly after a tangle.

Step 6: Cast Smoothly and Let the Slider Settle

Leave the bail arm open as the rig lands. Close it too early and the line cannot run through the float, so it never reaches the stop knot.

Make a smooth, gentle overhead cast. Do not punch it.
Feather the line as the float lands to straighten the rig out in front of it.
Keep the bail open so line runs freely through the float while the bulk sinks.
Close the bail once the float cocks.
Take up the slack and sink the line.

Clipping up gives the same distance every cast, which keeps your bait over the feed and your plumbed depth accurate.

When the float cocks and sits at its normal height, the bait has reached depth. A float that stays flat usually means the knot has not reached it yet, or the rig has tangled on the way down. Wind in and check.

Get the cast and the bail right before you blame the tackle.

Step 7: Fix Common Slider Float Problems and Look After the Fish

Some anglers try a slider once, end up in a tangle and give up. Each usual problem has a short fix.

Problem	Likely cause	Fix
Stop knot slips	Knot line too light or tied loosely	Tie a second knot and push the two together; use 8lb to 12lb knot line
Float slides over the knot	Large eye on float or adaptor	Add a bead, use a diamond-eye adaptor, leave the tags on
Knot sticks on the cast	Small rod rings	Use a rod with bigger guides
Tangles	Hard casting, busy shotting, line twist	Cast gently, feather, simplify to bulk plus droppers, add a fluorocarbon leader

Play fish from deep water steadily rather than bullying them up, then net them, unhook them on a mat and return them quickly. If bream are your target in deep water, the bream fishing guide covers them.

If a problem keeps coming back, rebuild the rig in the Step 4 order.

Frequently asked questions

How deep does water need to be to use a slider float?

Use a slider float when the water is deeper than your rod is long, which with a typical float rod means roughly 12ft to 13ft or more. Shallower than that, a fixed waggler is quicker to set up. Step 1 covers the decision.

What is the best stop knot for a slider float?

A sliding stop knot tied from 0.17mm or 8lb to 12lb line suits most coarse fishing, because it grips firmly yet moves when you re-plumb. A four-turn Grinner in thinner mono or power gum also works. See Step 3 for tying.

Why does my slider float slide past the stop knot?

The eye on the float or adaptor is usually too large for the knot. Thread a small bead between knot and float, switch to a diamond-eye swivel adaptor, leave the tags on, or tie a second knot tight against the first.

What size float do I need for slider fishing?

Choose a large-capacity bodied waggler of 4AAA or more, so it carries enough weight to pull line through itself. For fishing at distance, floats of 10g to 15g are a common choice, matched with slightly heavier mainline.