Float fishing — sometimes called bobber fishing or float and bead fishing — has become one of the dominant techniques for river salmon throughout the Pacific Northwest over the past two decades. It offers unmatched depth control, a natural presentation, and a strike indication system (the float disappearing) that's immediately satisfying and intuitive for anglers of any experience level. If you're learning river salmon fishing, float fishing is arguably the best technique to start with.

This guide covers the mechanics of the float fishing setup, how to select the right gear, and how to fish it effectively in Washington's salmon rivers.

Why Float Fishing Works for River Salmon

Salmon moving through rivers are focused on their spawning migration, not feeding — but they still strike consistently at presentations that drift naturally past them at the right depth. The key word is "naturally." A float rig suspends your bait or lure at a precise, adjustable depth and allows the current to carry it through the strike zone at the river's own speed, matching the natural drift of food items that passing salmon have learned to react to.

Compared to drift fishing (where your rig drags along the bottom) or casting hardware (where you're retrieving at unnatural speeds), a well-set float rig delivers a slow, controlled presentation at exactly the depth where salmon are holding. In cold water — when salmon are lethargic and reluctant to move far for a presentation — this depth precision and natural speed is the difference between consistent hookups and going home empty-handed.

Float Selection

Choosing the right float is the foundation of the system. The float needs to be large enough to support the weight of your rig without sinking, but small enough that a salmon can pull it under without feeling significant resistance.

Slip floats are the standard choice for river salmon fishing. Unlike fixed floats, slip floats allow the mainline to slide through the float freely — you set the depth with a small bobber stop (a piece of thread or rubber band on the line) above the float. When you cast, the float slides to the weight at the bottom, making for compact, accurate casts. Once in the water, the float slides up to the stop, setting your presentation at the desired depth.

Float size: Match float size to rig weight. A common starting point is a float rated to support 3/8 to 5/8 oz. Egg-shaped or cylindrical pencil floats are popular. Experiment with different sizes based on current strength and bait weight.

Color: Bright colors (orange, chartreuse, red) are easiest to track on broken water surface. Some anglers use two-tone floats — bright on top, dark on bottom — to spot the float at all angles.

Terminal Tackle and Weights

Below the float, your rig consists of a weight, a swivel, a leader, and the hook or bead.

Mainline: 15-20 lb monofilament or braid. Mono has some stretch which can cushion the hook set; braid has no stretch and gives better feel and hookset power in deeper or faster water. Many float anglers use braid mainline with a 2-foot mono or fluorocarbon "butt section" above the float to reduce line visibility.

Weight: Pencil lead or small slinky weights on a short dropper attached below the swivel. The weight hangs below the swivel and ticks along the bottom as the rig drifts — it keeps the presentation deep while allowing the bait to swing slightly above the bottom in the current. Use enough weight to keep the rig from "skating" through the drift but light enough that the float still rides naturally.

Leader: 18-30 inches of 10-15 lb fluorocarbon from swivel to hook. Fluorocarbon is virtually invisible underwater and more abrasion-resistant than mono — worth the extra cost.

Hook: Size 2 to 1/0 depending on bait. For egg clusters, a salmon egg hook or octopus-style hook in size 1 or 2 is standard. For beads, a single octopus hook is rigged 1.5-2 inches above the bead.

Bait Options

Cured Salmon Eggs

Cured egg clusters are the most consistent bait across all salmon species and seasons in Washington rivers. A marble-sized cluster of bright orange, red, or pink eggs on a properly sized hook, drifting at the right depth, will catch chinook, coho, chum, and steelhead.

Egg curing is a skill worth learning — properly cured eggs are firmer than fresh eggs, hold on the hook through multiple casts, and release scent consistently. Commercial cures (Pro-Cure, Pautzke Bait, Amerman's) are widely available at fishing shops. Basic sugar cures and borax cures are inexpensive and simple to make at home.

Beads

Bead fishing has transformed river salmon fishing over the past 15 years. Plastic beads in 8-12mm sizes, in colors matching natural salmon eggs (orange, peach, red, pink), are pegged 1.5-2 inches above the hook. When a salmon takes the bead, the hook sits in the corner of the mouth — a secure, safe hookset position that's easy to release.

Beads are incredibly effective, especially for coho and pink salmon. They require no bait preparation, last for many fish, and produce excellent hookup and landing rates. Match bead color to natural egg color in the river — during active salmon spawning, the natural egg color tends to be the most effective.

Sand Shrimp

Whole or partial sand shrimp are highly effective bait, especially in cold, off-color water. Shrimp's strong scent penetrates turbid water where visual presentations are less effective. Thread a whole sand shrimp on the hook, or use half a shrimp for smaller presentations. Available at coastal bait shops.

Yarn

Bright-colored yarn balls or small "eggs" of fluorescent yarn tied on the hook work as attractor patterns that salmon strike out of aggression or curiosity. Chartreuse, pink, and orange are standard colors. Yarn is often combined with a small egg cluster — the yarn provides visual attraction while the eggs add scent.

Reading the Water

Knowing where to float fish is as important as how. Salmon in rivers hold in predictable locations:

Tailouts: The downstream end of pools where water gradually shallows and speeds up. This is where salmon stage before moving to the next holding lie. Float the tailout with the rig drifting at 60-80% of the water depth.

Slots and seams: Narrow lanes of slower water adjacent to faster current. Float presentations through these seams at the exact depth of the slower water.

Deep runs: Consistent current with a flat bottom at 4-10 feet depth. Work these areas systematically — make overlapping casts to cover the full width of the productive zone.

Softer pockets behind structure: Boulders, logs, and other obstructions create slack current behind them. Salmon rest in these pockets. Feeding your float right along the edge of the slack zone is effective.

Drift Control: The Critical Skill

The most common mistake in float fishing is "lining" fish — when your mainline, pushed by surface current faster than the float, drags the rig through the water at an unnatural speed. Salmon can detect this unnatural movement and refuse to strike.

To control drift, use mending — lifting the rod tip and moving the line upstream to reduce drag on the float. Mend frequently and gently throughout each drift to maintain a natural, downstream-only movement of the float. The float should move with the current, not faster or slower.

Controlling cast angle: Casting slightly upstream (10-30 degrees) and mending as needed gives the rig time to sink to depth before reaching the target zone. A downstream cast means the rig drags through the target at a shallow depth.

Rod position: Hold the rod tip high throughout the drift to keep slack line off the water and enable fast, effective mending. When the float goes under, a high rod tip means a quick, efficient hookset.

Setting the Hook

When the float disappears, hesitate for one second before setting — this gives the fish time to fully take the bait. Then sweep the rod firmly upstream with a long, smooth stroke. With braid mainline, a sharp snap set is appropriate; with mono, a longer sweep compensates for the stretch.

After the hookset, keep the rod high, apply steady pressure, and steer the fish away from snags and other anglers. River salmon are powerful — a fresh coho or chinook will make multiple strong runs.

Always verify current river-specific regulations, wild fish retention rules, and season dates at WDFW's fishing regulations page before heading out.