Introduction
A while ago, I posted a thread explaining the empty hook half-water drift adjustment method: adjusting to level water and fishing 2 meshes. I used a float with a lead consumption of about 5 grams and Izu No. 5 hook. At that time, both hooks would reach the bottom, but many masters said the float’s lead consumption was too large. They claimed that if a single hook presses 3 meshes, then adjusting to level water and fishing 2 meshes would result in both hooks not reaching the bottom. Of course, some anglers argued that adjusting to level water and fishing 2 meshes would still make both hooks reach the bottom. So, is this really the case? Let’s do an experiment tonight in the drift bucket to find out!
The Experiment Setup
This time, I used a float with smaller lead consumption and Iseni No. 6 hook. The goal is to see the state of both hooks in the water when using the half-water drift adjustment method: adjusting to level water and fishing 2 meshes. Are the hooks off the bottom or on the bottom? The experiment will give us the answer.
Step 1: Find the Bottom with Heavy Lead and Double Hooks
First, I used heavy lead with double hooks to find the bottom. Then, I started cutting the lead skin. I cut it little by little, several times, until the float tail was parallel to the water surface. When the float tail was parallel to the water, both hooks were off the bottom. This was the adjustment mesh, which is adjusting to level water without bait on the double hooks.
Step 2: Test How Many Meshes the Double Hooks Press
Next, I lifted the line group and removed the double hooks to test how many meshes they pressed. After removing the double hooks, I put the line group into the water, and the float sank. After the float body sank, it stopped when it reached 11 meshes. This means the double hooks pressed 11 meshes, which is far more than the single hook pressing 3 meshes mentioned by those masters! Then I reinstalled the double hooks and threw them into the water. The float sank again, and the float tail was parallel to the water surface once more. This again confirmed that when adjusting to level water in half-water with double hooks, the double hooks press 11 meshes.
Step 3: Adjust the Fishing Mesh with Bait
Then came the step of adjusting the fishing mesh. I hung bait on the double hooks-here I used blue rubber instead of real bait. After hanging the rubber, I put it into the water. Due to the weight of the rubber, the float sank into the water. I then lifted the rod and pushed the float up until 2 meshes were above the water surface. At this point, I checked the bottom: the lower hook was lying on the bottom, and the upper hook was touching the bottom. Both hooks had reached the bottom!
Step 4: Test the Weight of the Bait
After that, I lifted the rod and removed the rubber from the upper hook, then cast the rod into the water. The float sank again, and the upper hook was about 1.5 cm off the bottom, with 3 and a half meshes above the water. Just now, with rubber on both hooks, there were 2 meshes above the water; after removing the rubber, it became 3 and a half meshes. This shows that the rubber pressed 1 and a half meshes.
Final Thoughts
Let’s summarize the experiment results: When adjusting to level water in half-water with double hooks, the double hooks press 11 meshes. When we fish 2 meshes with bait, both hooks reach the bottom. This is completely different from what those masters said-they claimed that if a single hook presses 3 meshes, adjusting to level water and fishing 2 meshes would make both hooks not reach the bottom. But in our experiment, even though the double hooks pressed 11 meshes (way more than 3 meshes for a single hook), both hooks still reached the bottom when fishing 2 meshes with bait. So, the statement that “single hook presses 3 meshes, adjusts to level water and fishes 2 meshes, both hooks don’t reach the bottom” is not true at all!
Through this experiment, I realized that sometimes what others say may not be correct. We need to do experiments ourselves to get the real answer. Fishing is a process of continuous exploration and practice. I hope this experiment can help you better understand drift adjustment and avoid being misled by incorrect statements. If you have any questions or different opinions, feel free to leave a comment below and discuss with me!
