Tournament angler Cole Breeden lives in the Ozarks, where cold water is common from late fall through early spring. That’s when he deploys the float-n-fly as a presentation for sluggish bass.
May 09, 2025
By Justin Brouillard
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The Lebanon, Mo., angler leaned on it to win a Major League Fishing tournament at Lake of the Ozarks, proving that sometimes, a subtle presentation is the best way to get bites. While the method itself is simple, Breeden has fine-tuned it over the years, turning it into a go-to whenever bass are tough to catch or conditions are right.
He first picked up the float-n-fly during his college career in Springfield, Mo. — just 45 minutes north of Table Rock Lake. Fishing the area’s clear, deep water, he quickly learned how deadly it is for targeting suspended fish around timber, rock, and other structure, or even near the bottom in 10 to 40 feet.
Over time, his confidence with the technique grew as he had more success with it, and in 2021, it helped him land his biggest bass from Table Rock — a 7-pounder. Now, when conditions call for finesse, he knows exactly what to reach for.
When To Use a Float-N-Fly
While it’s not a regular setup in his rotation when fishing the Bassmaster Opens and Major League Fishing tournament circuits, when the conditions call, he answers.
“I prefer cold water temps — like less than 40 to mid-40 degrees,” he says. “It really shines when bass are slow-moving, and as the water warms, you can swap to faster-moving baits. The other key is water clarity. I really like clean water — those high, sunny skies and calm conditions are optimal.”
Of course, cold and clear water typically means a tough bite. A prime example was at Lake of the Ozarks in late February. Breeden was the only angler to record a five-fish limit all three days, and his consistent 12 to 14 pounds per day was enough to claim victory in the Major League Fishing Toyota Series event.
“When practice began, most of the creeks were three-quarters frozen, which really made the lake fish small,” he said. “In fact, most of the areas where I caught my fish (during the tournament) were frozen during practice, and I knew it was going to be tough. Each of the first two days, I learned which brush held the biggest schools — five to 30 fish in some areas.”
Breeden uses his live sonar to detect brush piles that holding fish and then hovers this float-n-fly rig a few feet above the brush depending on the water clarity.
Where To Fish a Float-N-Fly
Typically, in late February, especially in the Midwest, common pre-spawn areas are a good place to start. Breeden looks for brush and structure around gravel flats, secondary points, and gravel banks, all at the halfway point into the creeks.
At Lake of the Ozarks, he started finding fish on flat, secondary points. As the ice melted and the tournament began, he ran a mixture of areas, searching for fish within brush piles.
“You can find fish and the right cover, but you need the visibility and water clarity for the float-n-fly — at least 5 feet — to get their attention and get them to come up on the bait,” he says. “With most of the bass either on the bottom, within brush, or suspended in the upper portion, they have to see the bait to get interested.”
How To Fish a Float-N-Fly
The reason a float-n-fly is deadly in cold water is because it lacks action. When bass are lethargic and don’t want to move, you need the bait to stay in the strike zone with as little action as possible.
“I could see the big schools of bass around the brush, and at first, I could catch a few on a jerkbait,” he says. “I’d get it just over the brush and fish it very slow, but after you caught one or lost one, they got smart. The fly sits just above the brush and has no action until action is needed — it was the perfect follow up.”
Once in position, Breeden observes the bait using forward-facing sonar and tracks movement from the bass. As one shows interest and moves closer to the bait, he slowly moves it, keeping it horizontal in the water column, to get the fish to commit.
Breeden employed the float-n-fly tactic during a recent tournament win at Lake of the Ozarks in his native Missouri.
“You want them to see it. In 5 feet of water clarity or more — sometimes even 20 feet — the cleaner the water, the farther the fish will travel. In dirty water, you have to get the bait closer to them,” he explains.
“With most baits, they want it moving away from them,” he added. “If they come up to it, I reel it slow, keeping them interested and matching their pace. It takes a while to get one interested, but a slow reel and horizontal movement are all it takes.”
Depending on the depth of the brush and how high it sticks up off the bottom, Breeden adjusts his bobber stop accordingly. His goal is to keep the bait about a foot from the cover—close enough to draw attention from bass but high enough that he can see it on his electronics.
“In timber, they move vertically more than in a laydown or smaller brush pile. Hovering the bait at the top is easy, and I adjust the bait depth differently for each piece of cover.”
How To Rig a Float-N-Fly
The float-n-fly originated in the East with fixed bobbers and set leader lengths, but it has evolved over the years, especially for highly pressured Western fisheries. Rigging it is easy—the hardest part is determining the leader length, which depends on the depth of the water column and the height of the brush.
To rig it:
- Using a bobber stop, slide the tag end of the braided mainline through the pre-tied bobber stop.
- Pull the tube off the knot and slide it off the line.
- Tighten the knot by pulling both ends so it stays put and keeps the bobber in place.
- Cut the tag ends, leaving enough to retighten later.
- Slide on a bead ahead of the bobber, then slip on the bobber.
- Connect the braided line to the fluorocarbon leader material and cut to length.
Given the right set of conditions, smallmouth, like largemouth and spotted bass, can fall victim to the classic float-n-fly technique.
For the fly, there are plenty of options, but Breeden prefers the Picasso Smart Mouth Jig.
“I typically run a long fluorocarbon leader so I can slide the knot and bobber up and down as necessary,” he says. “I adjust the location and bait depth at every spot. Two other important things to consider are the bobber and the bait.”
For the bobber, you need a long one that stands up correctly. With light line and finesse gear, the bobber acts as an indicator above the surface. When the fly sinks to the bottom, the bobber should stand perfectly straight, signaling that the bait is stationary. On the fall, the bobber will lay sideways.
“The key here is that I have total control over the bait based on the bobber,” he says. “When I see a fish coming up to the bait, the bite is often extremely subtle. When one bites, they keep coming up, so the bobber doesn’t always go down. The indicator is that the bobber will fall to the side as the weight of the fly is removed. That’s typically when I know I have a bite.”
For the fly size, Breeden starts light and increases weight as needed, typically using 1/16- to 1/8-ounce jigs. The bait must stay horizontal in the water column, not rise. Lighter heads tend to lift when reeled, while heavier ones stay in the strike zone longer.
“With a 90-degree line tie, I prefer a loop knot, which gives the bait action and allows it to stand straight up,” he says. “When I first started out, I used smaller crappie jigs, but I’ve since moved to higher-quality baits with better hooks. The Picasso Smart Mouth Head has a great hook for bass fishing. I add my own hair and materials, and the overall length is around 2 inches.”
Float-N-Fly Gear
Breeden prefers a longer spinning rod for a couple of reasons. First, the length helps with precise casting when using finesse baits. Second, the action allows him to keep big fish pinned around the boat.
For a reel, as important as the longer rod is for landing fish, the drag is equally critical in getting them in the boat. He often experiments with different line sizes but finds that the 8-pound test is the sweet spot.
The float-n-fly is a killer way to catch bass when the water’s cold, and they don’t want to move. It takes some confidence and patience, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll put more fish in the boat. Give it a shot, and you might be surprised how well it works.