Float fishing in the sea from the shore
Explainer · Last reviewed 2026-10-25
How to float fish in the sea from piers, harbour walls and rocks: which fish, which float, fixed or sliding, how to set and reset the depth as the tide moves, the tackle and baits, and the mistakes that cost fish — with where the sources differ.
Float fishing in the sea is suspending a bait at a chosen depth under a float, cast from a pier, breakwater, harbour wall or rock mark with deep water close in. It catches the fish that feed off the bottom — mackerel, garfish, pollack, coalfish, wrasse, mullet, bass, scad — which a bait on the seabed misses.
The whole method turns on one number, the depth between float and hook, and on the fact that at sea the tide changes the depth of the water under the float all the time. Everything below follows from that.
Which fish, and where to stand
THE FISH are the ones that feed above the bottom. The angling sources list mackerel, garfish, pollack, coalfish, wrasse, bream, mullet, bass and scad; flatfish too, on a bait trailed just above the bed.
THE MARKS are those with deep water close in: piers, breakwaters, jetties, harbour walls and rock marks. One source puts float fishing at depths down to about 10 m close to the shore. Fishing tight to a rock face or a wall often works, because many species feed along it.
PERMISSION comes first. A pier, harbour or breakwater belongs to someone, and being able to walk onto it does not mean fishing is allowed there; an owner can restrict or forbid it. Each place page on FishingHQ says what its owner's rules say where they have been read.
What experienced anglers do — why, and the sources (3)
Widely and independently recommended by experienced anglers and specialist sources. This is real angling knowledge, not proof: controlled evidence for it is limited, and FishingHQ records it as convention rather than as a demonstrated effect.
- British Sea Fishing: float fishing — British Sea Fishing (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: The species, the marks and fishing close to rock faces.States this directlyPassage read and verified
- Talk Sea Fishing: float fishing techniques — Talk Sea Fishing (Phil Arnott), 2008 (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Depths to about 10 m, harbour walls and deep rock marks, and the species.States this directlyPassage read and verified
- Sea Angler: how to use a sliding float — Sea Angler, 2021 (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Mackerel, garfish, mullet, pollack, scad and bass on the float.States this directlyPassage read and verified
The float, and fixed or sliding
THE FLOAT at sea is usually a cigar float, 4 to 8 inches long in British Sea Fishing's account, with the line through its centre. A clear bubble float, part-filled with water for casting weight, is used for livebaits and for shy fish. Bigger seas and greater depths need bigger floats; one source shots the float so only the tip shows, another lets about an inch stand above the surface. Match the weight to what the float is made to carry: about half an ounce for a small float to two ounces for a large one.
FIXED OR SLIDING. A float stopped at a fixed point casts easily only while the hook length is short: Sea Angler puts the practical limit at about 12 ft, and Talk Sea Fishing fixes the float only in calm water under about 3 m. Deeper than that, a sliding float runs on the line to a stop knot set at the depth, so the rig casts compact and opens out in the water. The sliding float rig page shows how it is built.
What experienced anglers do — why, and the sources (3)
Widely and independently recommended by experienced anglers and specialist sources. This is real angling knowledge, not proof: controlled evidence for it is limited, and FishingHQ records it as convention rather than as a demonstrated effect.
- British Sea Fishing: float fishing — British Sea Fishing (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Cigar and bubble floats, sizes, fixed and moveable stops, casting weights.States this directlyPassage read and verified
- Sea Angler: how to use a sliding float — Sea Angler, 2021 (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: The 12 ft limit for a fixed float, and the sliding float's build.States this directlyPassage read and verified
- Talk Sea Fishing: float fishing techniques — Talk Sea Fishing (Phil Arnott), 2008 (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Fixed under about 3 m, float size with sea and depth, shotting to the tip.States this directlyPassage read and verified
Putting the rig together
ON THE MAIN LINE, from the top: a stop knot at the depth — power gum or slightly finer mono in a four-turn grinner, trimmed so it passes the rod rings — a small bead so the knot cannot jam in the float, the float, a bullet or ball weight heavy enough to cock it, and a swivel. Below the swivel, a hook length: about 4 ft in Sea Angler's build.
OVER ROUGH GROUND make the hook length weaker than the main line, so a snag costs the hook and not the float and weights. If the hook length tangles round the float on the cast, a split shot above the weight holds the bait away from it.
THE HOOK depends on the bait and the fish. British Sea Fishing gives a size 1 or 1/0 as a general choice; for garfish, with their narrow beaks, the sources go down to a size 4 to 8 Aberdeen.
What experienced anglers do — why, and the sources (4)
Widely and independently recommended by experienced anglers and specialist sources. This is real angling knowledge, not proof: controlled evidence for it is limited, and FishingHQ records it as convention rather than as a demonstrated effect.
- Sea Angler: how to use a sliding float — Sea Angler, 2021 (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Stop knot, bead, through-float, bullet lead, swivel and a 4 ft trace.States this directlyPassage read and verified
- Talk Sea Fishing: float fishing techniques — Talk Sea Fishing (Phil Arnott), 2008 (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: The weaker hook length on rough ground and the split shot against tangles.States this directlyPassage read and verified
- British Sea Fishing: float fishing — British Sea Fishing (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: A size 1 or 1/0 as a general hook.States this directlyPassage read and verified
- British Sea Fishing: garfish — British Sea Fishing (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Size 4 to 8 Aberdeen hooks for garfish.States this directlyPassage read and verified
How deep, and why the tide keeps changing it
START SHALLOW AND GO DEEPER. Begin a few feet down and move the stop knot deeper until the fish are found. As a guide from the sources: garfish near the surface, often in the top 2 m; mackerel and scad from 3 to 4 m; big pollack and coalfish deeper; and for fish that feed near the bottom, the bait about a metre above it.
THE TIDE MOVES THE BOTTOM. A float set to the same depth fishes a different part of the water at every state of the tide. British Sea Fishing's example is a rock mark where 10 ft from float to hook puts the bait in mid-water at high tide, and half that is needed at low water; some marks fish only around high water. So reset the depth through the session, and if bites stop, check the depth before changing anything else. A float that will not stand up has its weight or bait on the bottom: the depth is too great for the water.
What experienced anglers do — why, and the sources (3)
Widely and independently recommended by experienced anglers and specialist sources. This is real angling knowledge, not proof: controlled evidence for it is limited, and FishingHQ records it as convention rather than as a demonstrated effect.
- British Sea Fishing: float fishing — British Sea Fishing (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Starting shallow, depth by species, and the 10 ft and 5 ft example.States this directlyPassage read and verified
- Talk Sea Fishing: float fishing techniques — Talk Sea Fishing (Phil Arnott), 2008 (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Depths by species, a metre off the bottom, and resetting as the tide moves.States this directlyPassage read and verified
- Sea Angler: how to use a sliding float — Sea Angler, 2021 (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Mackerel and garfish within about 6 ft of the surface, and the tide changing depth.States this directlyPassage read and verified
Tackle and bait
THE ROD in British Sea Fishing's account is a light spinning rod of 8 to 10 ft casting 1 to 2 oz, with a bass rod as the heaviest needed; Talk Sea Fishing prefers 11 to 13 ft, a light carp rod for most work and a heavier carp or pike rod for big wrasse and pollack. A fixed-spool reel that resists salt water, and main line of about 10 to 18 lb across the sources; lighter for shy mullet. A float rig is light enough that no shock leader is needed.
BAITS: ragworm, a strip of silver mackerel belly, sandeel, sprat and squid strip; mussel, cockle, limpet or crab for wrasse. A little groundbait of chopped oily fish draws fish, but only where the float is fishing, and sparingly, so it does not compete with the hook bait.
What experienced anglers do — why, and the sources (2)
Widely and independently recommended by experienced anglers and specialist sources. This is real angling knowledge, not proof: controlled evidence for it is limited, and FishingHQ records it as convention rather than as a demonstrated effect.
- British Sea Fishing: float fishing — British Sea Fishing (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Rod, reel, 12–18 lb mono, no shock leader, baits and groundbait.States this directlyPassage read and verified
- Talk Sea Fishing: float fishing techniques — Talk Sea Fishing (Phil Arnott), 2008 (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: 11–13 ft rods, 10–15 lb line and lighter for mullet, groundbait where fishing.States this directlyPassage read and verified
Bites, and what goes wrong
Wait until the float has gone fully under before winding into a fish, so it has taken the bait. If a fish is missed, leave the bait where it is: it may come back. Re-casting now and then can bring a bite, as fish come to investigate.
THE USUAL MISTAKES: a float weighted so heavily it is dragged under, or so lightly it lies flat; a hook length so long the bait and weight lie on the bottom; too much groundbait, or groundbait away from the float; and letting the float drift into weed, rock or other anglers' lines.
What experienced anglers do — why, and the sources (2)
Widely and independently recommended by experienced anglers and specialist sources. This is real angling knowledge, not proof: controlled evidence for it is limited, and FishingHQ records it as convention rather than as a demonstrated effect.
- British Sea Fishing: float fishing — British Sea Fishing (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Waiting for the float to go under, leaving a missed bait, and the mistakes.States this directlyPassage read and verified
- Talk Sea Fishing: float fishing techniques — Talk Sea Fishing (Phil Arnott), 2008 (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Re-casting, groundbait placement and resetting depth.States this directlyPassage read and verified
Safety on piers, walls and rocks
Float fishing is done where deep water comes close, and that is where the shore is most dangerous: swell over low rock, wet weed, and a rising tide that cuts off the way back. Read the place's safety section and the tide times before going, and the pages on rock-mark fishing and on tides and being cut off. On piers and walls, keep the cast clear of other people and look up for overhead lines before swinging a rod.
What experienced anglers do — why, and the sources (2)
Widely and independently recommended by experienced anglers and specialist sources. This is real angling knowledge, not proof: controlled evidence for it is limited, and FishingHQ records it as convention rather than as a demonstrated effect.
- British Sea Fishing: float fishing — British Sea Fishing (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Some marks fishing only around high water.States this directlyPassage read and verified
- RNLI water safety guidance: cold water shock and Float to Live — Royal National Lifeboat Institution (Water-safety or diver-training authority)Relied on for: The risk of being cut off by a rising tide on the coast.States this directlyPassage read and verified
The same float setting at high and low water: the tide moves the bait, not the float
The same float setting at high and low water: the tide moves the bait, not the float
Reading the ground · Reference linked — a canonical reference is named, the check is not signed off — reference: British Sea Fishing: float fishing; Talk Sea Fishing: float fishing techniques
A canonical reference for this drawing has been identified, but the check against it has not been completed and signed off. Treat the drawing as an aid to the text rather than as an authority.
Describe this diagram in words
Two panels side by side showing the same float setting on the same mark. On the left, headed high water, the surface is high above a flat bottom; the float sits in the surface and the line from float to hook hangs halfway down, labelled bait in mid-water, with the fixed length labelled set: float to hook. On the right, headed low water, same setting, a line labelled high water level marks where it stood; the surface is now half as far above the same bottom, and the same length of line from the float now reaches the bottom, labelled bait on the bottom. Notes underneath give one source's example of 10 ft from float to hook at high water and about half that at low, say to reset the depth as the tide moves and to check it first if bites stop, and say no real depth is drawn and the figure is not to scale.
How this drawing was produced
Drawn from coordinates written for this figure in the site's shared vocabulary, from British Sea Fishing's float fishing page and Talk Sea Fishing's float techniques, read on 25 October 2026. British Sea Fishing's example — 10 ft from float to hook for mid-water at high tide, about half that at low — fixes the proportions: the water in the low-water panel is half as deep, and the same setting reaches the bottom. Nothing was traced; neither source has such a figure.
Where to go next
Fish this applies to
- GarfishThe method most garfish are caught on, in full.
Where it matters
- Float fishingFloat fishing at sea, from piers, harbour walls and rocks.
Gear this affects
- Sliding float rigThe rig in use at sea: which fish, how deep, and resetting for the tide.
Related reading
- Pier and harbour fishingFloat fishing, one of the main ways a pier or harbour wall is fished.
Sources and evidence
- British Sea Fishing: float fishing — British Sea Fishing (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Sea float fishing from the shore.States this directlyPassage read and verified
- Talk Sea Fishing: float fishing techniques — Talk Sea Fishing (Phil Arnott), 2008 (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Sea float fishing techniques.States this directlyPassage read and verified
- Sea Angler: how to use a sliding float — Sea Angler, 2021 (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: The sea sliding float.States this directlyPassage read and verified
Why the 4 connections on this page are here, and the sources
Fish this applies to
What experienced anglers do — 1 connection
Widely and independently recommended by experienced anglers and specialist sources. This is real angling knowledge, not proof: controlled evidence for it is limited, and FishingHQ records it as convention rather than as a demonstrated effect.
Garfish
A link from a float fishing record to the explainer that puts sea float fishing in order.
- British Sea Fishing: float fishing — British Sea Fishing (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Float fishing from piers, breakwaters and rocks for mid-water fish.States this directlyPassage read and verified
- Talk Sea Fishing: float fishing techniques — Talk Sea Fishing (Phil Arnott), 2008 (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Sea float fishing close to the shore.States this directlyPassage read and verified
Where it matters
What experienced anglers do — 1 connection
Widely and independently recommended by experienced anglers and specialist sources. This is real angling knowledge, not proof: controlled evidence for it is limited, and FishingHQ records it as convention rather than as a demonstrated effect.
Float fishing
A link from a float fishing record to the explainer that puts sea float fishing in order.
- British Sea Fishing: float fishing — relied on for: Float fishing from piers, breakwaters and rocks for mid-water fish.
- Talk Sea Fishing: float fishing techniques — relied on for: Sea float fishing close to the shore.
Gear this affects
What experienced anglers do — 1 connection
Widely and independently recommended by experienced anglers and specialist sources. This is real angling knowledge, not proof: controlled evidence for it is limited, and FishingHQ records it as convention rather than as a demonstrated effect.
Sliding float rig
A link from a float fishing record to the explainer that puts sea float fishing in order.
- British Sea Fishing: float fishing — relied on for: Float fishing from piers, breakwaters and rocks for mid-water fish.
- Talk Sea Fishing: float fishing techniques — relied on for: Sea float fishing close to the shore.
Related reading
What experienced anglers do — 1 connection
Widely and independently recommended by experienced anglers and specialist sources. This is real angling knowledge, not proof: controlled evidence for it is limited, and FishingHQ records it as convention rather than as a demonstrated effect.
Pier and harbour fishing
A link from a float fishing record to the explainer that puts sea float fishing in order.
- British Sea Fishing: float fishing — relied on for: Float fishing from piers, breakwaters and rocks for mid-water fish.
- Talk Sea Fishing: float fishing techniques — relied on for: Sea float fishing close to the shore.
How FishingHQ labels evidence is explained in the evidence policy.