Types: luminous float for night fishing, nod float for summer fishing, electronic float. DIY fishing float. Types: luminous float for night fishing, nod float for summer fishing, electronic float Float type

Fishing in unimproved reservoirs with a high concentration of vegetation is always interesting for fishermen. After all, schools of peaceful fish like to hide in such places and predators like to hunt. But often casting a rod in areas with algae ends in the gear breaking and the bait being lost.

And so that such fishing does not lead to a spoiled mood and losses, folk craftsmen have found a way out of the situation - this is a nod for a summer fishing rod, which can be easily assembled at home. Let's look at all the nuances of this invention in more detail.

What is it and what is it for?

This piece of equipment is an interesting replacement for a float. Allows you to lure fish even without bait. Attaches to the top of the rod.

Another name for a side nod is a summer jig or a bite alarm. In terms of activity, the fishing process is second only to spinning.

The tackle is thrown with a nod into the open window between the algae.

From the purchased options, it is worth choosing products made of hard material so that the equipment does not react to gusts of wind and does not give signals of false bites.

A side nod for summer fishing should be used in reservoirs with weak currents or in standing water.

As a nozzle-free jig you must use:

  • ant;
  • goat;
  • drop;
  • damn.

Experienced fishermen note the good performance of the combined version: a hook with beads (pendants) and a devil.

What types of nods are there?

Depending on the raw materials used, the following types are distinguished:

  1. Plastic (polycarbonate). This side nod is easy to do with your own hands. You can use an ordinary plastic bottle as a basis. However, a significant disadvantage of the product is low strength. This nod is unlikely to be suitable for repeated use.
  2. Lavsan.
  3. Durable material with high reliability. Has good elasticity. Suitable for both winter and summer fishing. There is no point in imitating the factory version at home. At best, a homemade lavsan nod will last a season.
  4. Metal. Has good rigidity. Perfect for fishing in the depths of rivers and other bodies of water with strong currents. Indispensable in winter fishing: it provides the jig with active play. It’s easy to make a working nod yourself.


The type of nod determines its seasonality of use and fishing tactics. The material from which it is made, service life, cost of the product.

Separately, it is worth noting the spring guard: the second name for the nod for winter fishing. They are good at catching large trophies on the balancer.

Choosing the right fishing rod


Replacing the float with a nod, the tip becomes the main part of the rod. It should be quite rigid and reliable so that it does not bend under the weight of the nod with the jig.

The rod is equipped with a small inertial reel. The fishing line is taken as thin as possible with a diameter of 0.1–0.25 mm and must be transparent.

The side attachment of the nod is due to the convenience of observing bites, since the tackle can be located at a great distance from the fisherman.

Mount the nod on the side of the tip of the rod on a special rubber band - a coupling.

The nod to the summer fishing rod should be brightly colored so that it stands out against the background of the water surface and surrounding vegetation.

If you decide to hunt a predator, do not forget about the use of vertical spinners and balancers.

At the preparation stage, it is necessary to unwind the rod. Then rotate the line around the blank several times. Thread the end of the fishing line through the signaling ring, and attach the jig to the same tip.

The use of a summer side nod allows you to use several fishing methods in practice. Among them:

  1. Bottom game. The jig is allowed to sink to the bottom of the reservoir. After a few seconds, raise it 10 cm and twitch, imitating movements. Then they are lowered to the bottom again.
  2. Tension. This method is only suitable for fishing in strong currents. The jig is immersed to the bottom and slowly begins to rise to the surface of the water. At the same time, the fishing line remains taut.
  3. Fall - rise. The jig falls to the bottom in free fall. Then gradually, with interruptions, it is raised to its original position. And this is repeated many times.
  4. Calm state. The required depth is set. The rod is cast to the desired point and a bite is waited for.
  5. Jerking movement. The jig intermittently descends to the bottom and then rises sharply to the surface of the water.
  6. Drawing. The rod sets the movement of the jig along the bottom so that the bait slowly drags along the ground.
  7. Finger play. The jig is twitched in the water column, lightly tapping the rod body.
  8. Bottom game. The lowered jig is set to forward movements. The bait should not come off the bottom.


Experienced fishermen note that the jig should be moved in the direction of the water flow. The game of the jig will create an imitation of the natural movement of the insect in the water. Fish reacts more readily to such techniques.

Choosing a nozzle

In addition to baitless jigs for fishing in the summer, you can use:

  • worm;
  • bloodworm;
  • maggot.

The animal bait neatly clings to the hook. You can experiment with colored threads, beads, and silicone parts. But in order for such a bait to be interesting for a predator, it is necessary to ensure active play.

Making a nod yourself at home

When starting to assemble this part of the equipment, you need to understand that the design for each season has significant differences. We will look in more detail at how to make a working nod for each season yourself.

For summer fishing

The raw materials for the alarm can be any available means:

  • springs from old watches;
  • part of a construction tape measure;
  • broken rod knee;
  • a cut strip from a plastic bottle with a minimum capacity of 1 liter;
  • plastic tape for packaging furniture or cargo.


When preparing for fishing, experienced fishermen advise having several nods of different sizes in your arsenal. The material used to create it should also be different, because a hard nod is optimal for a heavy jig, while a soft and elastic one is for a light bait for crucian carp, roach, and perch.

The easiest way to create a nod is from a bottle. We will look at its production step by step:

  1. Using scissors, a piece 20 to 30 cm long is cut out with a top width of 0.5 cm and 1 cm at the other end.
  2. Irregularities and burrs are smoothed out with a needle file.
  3. Take a standard paper clip and bend it to create a piece of straight wire.
  4. After which a ring with a diameter of 0.5 cm at the ends with two legs is formed from it. They are needed for fastening to the top of the future nod.
  5. The ring is wound to the body of the nod with threads. Treated with waterproof glue.
  6. The finished product is painted with varnish or paint in different colors.

An alternative to a plastic bottle is a broken rod leg. The body of the signaling device of the required length is cut out of it. Sanded with a file. The manufacture of the ring and fastening to the body is similar to the first option.

For fishing with a side rod

To create a reliable side nod for a summer fishing rod with your own hands you will need:

  • a piece of thick rubber;
  • thin soft spring;
  • a small piece of foam;
  • waterproof glue;
  • scissors.


You can simplify the process of fishing from a boat using an onboard nod. This is a good option when hunting for a predator.

The work order is as follows:

  1. Using scissors, we try to cut out a neat ball from the foam. We make a hole in it for the spring.
  2. Fill the hole with glue and immediately attach the spring there. Let the glue dry for two minutes.
  3. We cut out a retainer for the nod from a piece of rubber. The size of the workpiece must be at least 2*1 cm. We make 2 holes in it so that the spring can be threaded and secured to the fishing rod.
  4. We fix the rubber fastening. The bite alarm is ready.

If you don't want to use rubber, you can simply thread the spring into the top ring of the side rig. Attach its end to the fishing rod and seal it with electrical tape.

For winter fishing

The creation algorithm is as follows:

  1. Take a knitting needle and wind the fishing line along its entire length in tight turns. It is better to do this in several layers so that there are no gaps between the turns.
  2. We hold the fishing line on the knitting needle by both edges and hold it for half a minute over the gas burner. It should heat up, but not melt. This will strengthen the connection of the turns, and they will be more tightly compressed together.
  3. Then we lower the knitting needle into cold water.
  4. Remove the workpiece from the knitting needle. You should get a spring from the fishing line.
  5. From it we cut out a nod of the required length.
  6. We attach the alarm to the rod and pass the fishing line through it. Ready.


To make a working nod in winter fishing conditions, it is recommended to use not wire, but fishing line with a thickness of 0.3 - 0.4 mm.

For fishing on a feeder


Side nods have become popular among spinners who use the rod as bottom tackle. The nods clearly convey bites of varying strengths, which increases the fishing efficiency significantly.

You should not use a silicone blank or thin plastic as a base. In intermittent strong winds, such an alarm will swing in all directions, and it will become more difficult to see the bite.

The best option is to purchase an inexpensive factory version, adjust it, or, if necessary, reconstruct it to fit a fishing rod.

The nod for bottom tackle should be easily removable so as not to interfere with casting.

We will consider the nuances of fasteners below.

The easiest way is to make a rubber mount. 2 holes are cut out in a piece of rubber, located parallel to each other. The tip of the tackle is threaded into one, and the nod into the other. But such a retainer is best used for lavsan and plastic nods.


The photo clearly shows an example of fixing the nod to the rod using a nail and electrical tape.

For metal ones, it will be more reliable to use a nail 5 cm long or a piece of thick wire. Remove the head from the nail with pliers. In the center they bend at an angle of 45–600. After this, the workpiece must be carefully wrapped with thread. Coat with glue. Give time to dry.

Wrap the mount in this form tightly at the tip of the rod with electrical tape, then to the nod.

For many fishermen, a hand-made nod has become an excellent solution for fishing in the thickets, bringing not only pleasure from the fishing process, but also many large trophies.

Access from the shore is often difficult in some places due to dense vegetation. It is sometimes impossible to throw the tackle exactly into the “window” or onto the demarcation line between open water and plants. This is where a fishing rod with a side nod and a jig comes to the aid of fishermen. A long rod, the absence of a float that clings to algae, and a clear signal about a bite are not all its advantages.

In this article we will look at where and how the side nod is used, as well as how to make your own tackle for summer jig fishing.

What is the essence of a summer fishing rod with a side nod?

In the minds of most, using a jig is an exclusively winter activity, because the essence of such fishing lies in the correct placement of the bait. It is almost impossible to carry out such a procedure with a long summer fishing rod. But in reality there is nothing complicated about it. It is enough to have a long and light rod that you can hold in your hands for a long time, a set of jigs, as well as a high-quality nod that will not only signal a bite, but also play along with the bait.

Conventional fishing rods for summer fishing, equipped with a float, do not allow fishing in places densely overgrown with aquatic plants, especially when it comes to casting over a long distance. Even if the equipment sinks to the bottom, the float will definitely get stuck or snagged.

A fishing rod with a side nod is a completely different matter. The long rod allows you to “bring” the equipment to the right place, the jig falls to the bottom without any problems, and the nod helps it play with the slightest sway of the form.

Where to fish

They are caught with similar gear on rivers with weak currents, as well as in standing water. As for the location, you can fish for the summer side nod anywhere, both from the shore and from a boat. In the latter case, of course, a long rod is not required.

This tackle is great for fishing in snags and in places where there are flooded trees. It is also suitable for fishing from a cliff for hunting such cautious fish as chub.

What kind of fish can you catch with a jig in the summer?

You can fish with a jig in the summer for any fish, including predatory ones. If it is an ordinary jig with an addition in the form of maggots, bloodworms or caddis flies, it can be used by roach, crucian carp, perch, and even pike perch. When using a reelless reel, you can safely count on a bite from chub, roach, crucian carp, carp, and perch.

Rod for summer jig fishing

When choosing a fishing rod, start with the material it is made of, because one of the main factors here is the weight of the blank. The smaller it is, the more comfortable the fishing will be. It is best to use carbon fiber for these purposes. The weight of the longest fishing rod made of this material does not exceed 350 g.

Now about the design. Fishing with a side nod in summer involves the use of a telescopic form. Neither plug nor solid fishing rods are used here. As for the length of the form, it must be at least 5 meters.

Pay attention to the formation. Fast action rods with a long, hard whip are more suitable.

Coil

There are no special requirements for a reel for this type of fishing. Some fishermen generally use a reel, but for catching large fish such as bream or crucian carp, it is better to use a spinning reel. Take some inexpensive branded model with a spool size of 2500-3000, which has a friction brake.

fishing line

Both monofilament and braided lines are suitable as the main fishing line. The recommended thickness for the thread is 0.2 mm, for the cord - 0.15 mm. The reel must have at least 30 meters of fishing line wound on it.

Nod Requirements

But the requirements for the nod are the most stringent, because the entire success of fishing depends on it. It must have sufficient elasticity to signal even the most careful bites, as well as a certain elasticity that clearly corresponds to the weight of the jig.

As for its size, it should be proportional to the rod: the larger it is, the longer the nod should be. For example, for a 6-meter form, a guard 20 cm long would be ideal.

And one more mandatory requirement - it must be clearly visible due to its bright color, contrasting with the color of the environment.

Making a simple plastic nod

A side nod for a summer fishing rod can be purchased at a fishing store, or you can make it yourself. You just need to determine what bait it will work with. Ideally, it will be straight without load and bend at an angle of 90 degrees under the weight of the jig. Such tests, of course, need to be carried out after its manufacture.

The simplest side nod can be made from an ordinary plastic bottle. To do this, select a bottle of the required length and cut out a longitudinal blank measuring 20x0.7 cm from it. Next, we narrow one of the ends of this strip to 0.3-0.5 mm and process it with fine sandpaper in the cut areas to remove burrs. Now we take a thin paperclip and form it into a loop with two ends brought together. This will be our end “tulip”. We wind this loop to the narrow end of the future nod with threads and cover the joint with waterproof glue. It is recommended to paint the end of the nod red or orange so that it is better visible. This can be done with regular nail polish.

Plastic nod from the knee of an old fishing rod

A tighter nod can be made from an old or broken one for summer fishing. To do this, disconnect one of the thinnest elbows and cut a strip of the specified dimensions from it. Adjust its width to the specific weight of the jig. Attach a loop from a paper clip to the end of the guard, as indicated above. Color the end one of the bright colors (red, yellow, orange).

How to make a summer side nod from a tape measure

Heavier jigs will require a stiffer nod. It is best to make it from thin spring steel sheet. But where can you get it, you ask? A good side nod can be obtained from a regular construction tape measure. Here you don’t even have to measure the length - use the existing scale as a guide. Using metal scissors, cut the workpiece to the dimensions indicated above and carefully sand it with sandpaper. The width of the strip can be made smaller, because the density of steel is much higher than plastic. Test the nod by attaching a fishing line with a jig to the thin end. If the guard bends under its weight, then you are on the right track.

After sanding, attach a paper clip loop to the thin end and paint it a bright color.

How to attach a nod to a whip

Now that we have figured out the design of the nod, it remains to determine how to fix it on the top. The easiest way is to attach it to the whip perpendicularly and wrap it with threads, filling the connection with waterproof glue. But this method is absolutely inconvenient, as it will cause problems when transporting the rod. Let's consider several alternative options.

You can take a piece of rubber insulation, which is used for gluing doors and windows. At its core, it is a thin elastic hose with a rectangular cross-section. After cutting off a piece of seal 3-4 cm long, we put it on the tip of the rod. If it does not fit tightly, we wrap electrical tape under it.

After this, in the upper part of the seal, using a scalpel or a knife with a sharp and thin blade, we make horizontal cuts 0.5-0.8 cm long. We insert our guard into them, orienting its end in the desired direction.

If there is no “tulip” at the tip of the rod, you can use a dropper tube or any other similar tube instead of a seal. If the whip is equipped with a “tulip”, take a cocktail tube, cut off a piece 3-4 cm long from it and insert it into the hole between the ring and the tip. We insert the nod into the tube and get an almost ready-made tackle.

Bait

Fishing with a side nod in the summer will be effective only if the bait is successfully selected. Four factors play a major role here:

  • form;
  • size;
  • color.

When choosing jigs, keep in mind that summer models are slightly larger than winter ones, so there is no need to be shy about the size, unless we are talking about fishing in the current using tungsten models. But, since ours is not used for strong currents, we will limit ourselves to jigs made of lead and its alloys.

For ordinary baits, we will omit the description of the shape, since most of them have round or oval shapes. For them, the main thing is not the appearance, but what is on the hook.

But for summer reelless jigs, shape and color are the decisive factors. During this period of the year, you need to focus on the natural diet of fish, because summer is not the hungriest time for it.

Summer fishing for bream and roach with a side nod will be more effective when using reelless baits of red, orange and yellow colors, as well as their combinations with black. Dark colors are more suitable for chub: brown, gray, black.

Crucian carp will react better to a side nod if the bait still contains bait of animal origin, so it is preferable to use ordinary jigs to catch it.

It’s impossible to say anything definitely about the shape of the bait, because in summer all fish are very picky. It’s good if you have a set of summer jigs on hand, including both conventional models for fishing with bait and a variety of reelless jigs: “devils”, “ants”, “goats”, “drops”, “uralkas”, etc.

Methods of fishing with a summer fishing rod with a side nod

If there is a universal tackle for fishing in the summer, it is a summer jig. The side nod allows you to fish from the shore, wading, or from a boat. Wading fishing is considered the most difficult, as it requires endurance and patience from the angler. In addition to the fact that you need to stand in the water, constantly holding a long rod in your hands, you also need to try to carry out the correct retrieve. Fishing from the shore is a little easier; here you can at least lay out your gear and bait.

The easiest way to fish is from a boat: it’s easier to choose a suitable place, and there’s no need for a long rod. For such fishing you will need a short form (1.5-2 m) of fast action with a rigid tip. All other requirements for tackle are the same as for a long fishing rod with a side nod.

Fishing technique with a side nod in summer

There are several types of fishing for summer jig fishing:

  • simple vertical;
  • vertical tension;
  • playing with fingers;
  • jerk;
  • bottom horizontal;
  • drawing wiring;
  • passive.

With conventional vertical wiring, the equipment is brought into the desired place using a fishing rod. Then it is slowly lowered to the bottom. The jig is lifted with light vertical movements directed upwards, with a pause of 1-2 seconds every 10-15 cm. After this, the equipment is returned to the bottom again and the process is repeated.

Vertical pulling wiring is mostly carried out in the presence of a small current. This is what helps the jig produce vibrations that attract fish. To do this, the equipment is sent to the bottom, after which it is slowly raised to a distance of 7-10 cm, and held for 5-10 s, after which the procedure is repeated.

When playing with your fingers, a similar process occurs, however, during lifting, the angler additionally “stimulates” the bait with small finger strikes on the fishing line extending from the reel or reel, pulling it up and releasing it.

Jerk fishing involves lowering the jig to the bottom in two stages: first halfway, and after a few seconds completely. After this, a sharp rise of 30-40 cm is made, followed by repeating the cycle.

Bottom horizontal wiring involves vibrations of the jig along the surface of the bottom at a distance of 10-15 cm from it, carried out by small-amplitude twitching of the rod in the horizontal plane.

Dragging the bait along the bottom is possible only in areas of the reservoir that are open to aquatic plants. The jig is lowered to the bottom, after which the rod is slowly moved to the side, dragging the bait along the bottom surface.

Passive retrieving is intended for lazy fishermen who do not want to contribute to the action of the jig. Here you can use two options: lower the bait to the bottom so that it just lies there, or half-water so that the gentle current sways it.

Conclusion

The given recommendations regarding the choice of jig, method and technique of fishing cannot be mandatory. Any fishing is a kind of experiment, during which a fisherman, even the most seasoned one, gains certain experience that will be useful to him next time.

Therefore, do not hesitate to experiment with baits and fishing techniques. Only in this way can you understand all the secrets of this fascinating activity called “fishing”.

1 year ago

Good evening. Thank you very much, Rybatsky ". You explained everything simply and intelligibly, now, it’s just a matter of small things" - where to find a suitable material (fiberglass spokes from umbrellas, I haven’t seen these yet, they are usually made of stainless steel), but I found a core made of optical cables like this... (black and beige, about 2-2.5mm), I’ll try to make them. Your option with passing the line only along the edges under the cambrics - Suppper, “I passed it under the cambrics and under the body of the float (honestly, I didn’t like this option, it holds the line too tightly and changing the depth is a whole problem). Your option It’s easier and more convenient. You can, of course, put a jig at the bottom, but if the fish bites carefully, then it takes the hook more willingly than the jig (where I fish, so... the larger the fish, the more it bites very carefully). I make some of my floats according to the principle of a goose feather, but the feathers are not goose feathers, but from or, crows, or magpies (they are both thinner and smoother). Special thanks for the close-up video! Shoot more, it’s always nice to see how someone “, wants and knows how to do something interesting with his own hands”!

We make a self-cutting nod float with our own hands.

Greetings to fishing lovers!

This time I decided to make and test a float nod with a self-hooking function due to the impact of the flat tip of the nod when biting on the water. I’ll say right away that during testing there were small fish in the video - roach and bleak, but without a camera (as always happens) when larger fish bit, the self-hooking function worked.

In my case, it consists of titanium wire (if you don’t have titanium, you can try stainless steel, but, honestly, I think it will be a bit heavy). You can also use a thin carbon fiber whip, if available.

The weight is a counterweight. It is selected based on the float itself so that the working part is at an angle of 30-45 degrees.

Float base. In my case, it is made from two containers from medical shoe covers. I drilled holes in them and glued in a lollipop stick. It can also be made from dense foam.

The top can also be made of foam. It needs to be given a flat shape for a larger area of ​​contact with the surface of the water when biting.

A small ring so that the limiting stops do not slip through it.

That's all, actually. After the photos I attach a video of the float being tested on a pond.

Thank you for your attention and good luck with your fishing!

Greetings to fishing lovers!

This time I decided to make and test a float nod with a self-hooking function due to the impact of the flat tip of the nod when biting on the water. I’ll say right away that during testing there were small fish in the video - roach and bleak, but without a camera (as always happens) when larger fish bit, the self-hooking function worked.

In my case, the float consists of titanium wire (if you don’t have titanium, you can try stainless steel, but, honestly, I think it will be a bit heavy). You can also use a thin carbon fiber whip, if available.


The weight is a counterweight. It is selected based on the float itself so that the working part is at an angle of 30-45 degrees.
Float base. In my case, it is made from two containers from medical shoe covers. I drilled holes in them and glued in a lollipop stick. It can also be made from dense foam.

The top can also be made of foam. It needs to be given a flat shape for a larger area of ​​contact with the surface of the water when biting.

A small ring so that the limiting stops do not slip through it.
That's all, actually. After the photos I attach a video of the float being tested on a pond.



Thank you for your attention and good luck with your fishing!
gastroguru 2017