It all depends on conditions. If there is a lot of vegetation (hydrilla) growing from the bottom, you almost have to use floats. If there is a strong current or wind this can make float fishing very aggravating and nearly impossible. I fish on Roanoke Radips Lake which has a dam at each end. I prefer fishing on the bottom most of the time, but in mid to late summer, the vegetation grows out of control. At this point I stop fishing with rod and reel and jugfish or floatfish. This can yield some huge cats (see my pics) and keeps you busy. I also believe that the really big cats come out at night. The biggest cat I've caught during the day was 23lbs. I've caught 7 citations after dark. One being 50lbs.

Good Luck and Better Fishing