Cigar / Pencil Float
A slim, tapered float that sits low and offers far less resistance than a round bobber - a big upgrade in sensitivity for the same fixed-float simplicity.
Swap a round bobber for a cigar float and finicky fish stop dropping the bait. The cigar (or pencil) is a slim, tapered body that rides low in the water and slides under with minimal drag, so a fish taking the bait feels far less resistance and holds on. It keeps the fixed-float ease - clip or thread it on, set a depth - while fishing more like a proper waggler.
What it is
A slim, tapered fixed float (often with a bright tip) that offers low resistance and rides low, bridging the round bobber and the specialist waggler.
When to use it
Panfish, crappie and trout that peck at a round bobber, slightly deeper or windier water than a ball handles, and anglers ready to upgrade sensitivity without new tackle.
How to set it up
Fix it top-and-bottom or via a float-stop-and-bead so it rides upright; shot it down until only the coloured tip shows. Set depth so the bait hangs at the fish's level.
Reading the bite
The tip dips, holds under or lifts (a 'lift bite' when a fish takes bottom bait and rises) - all readable because the low-riding tip telegraphs the lightest touch.
Sizing & shotting
Match the float's shot rating to conditions; shot it so just the tip shows - a properly cocked cigar shows takes a ball would never register.
Cigar and Pencil Floats to Buy
One maker's range covers both the fixed snap-on cigar and the slip pencil, which you want once the fish sit deeper than your rod is long. Each is described from Eagle Claw's product page, checked on 26 October 2026; we have not tested them against one another, and there are no prices here: the Amazon link searches for the exact product, and we may earn a commission if you buy through it. They suit the fish this float is for, such as crappie on a live minnow.
- Eagle Claw Unweighted Foam Cigar Snap-On Floats: 2, 2-1/2 or 3 in, a foam body that Eagle Claw says resists cracking and fading, snapped onto the line for quick rigging and depth control with live bait or small lures. Maker's page · See on Amazon
- Eagle Claw Balsa Style Pencil Slip Float: 3/8 x 2 in or 1/2 x 2-1/2 in, fluorescent yellow and orange, a slip float for quick depth changes in deeper water; Eagle Claw names panfish, crappie and trout. Maker's page · See on Amazon
- Lazer Sharp Balsa Float Pencil Slip, 1/2 x 5 in: a longer balsa pencil slip float with little resistance, for live bait or finesse rigs in calm to moderate water. Maker's page · See on Amazon
- Eagle Claw Balsa Spring Stick Floats: real balsa in cylinder and pencil shapes with a spring attachment, a fixed float with a small weight threshold for light bites. Maker's page · See on Amazon
Where float fishing goes wrong
Under-shotting so it rides high and loses sensitivity, over-shotting so it sinks, and using it in current where a river float would ride better.
Float-fishing kit
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