The Retract-a-Float is a simple solution to a myriad of problems. Crab pot floats have become synonymous with masses of knots and tangles, ropes being cut by propellers or tangled in mangroves, and boats becoming spaghetti like messes with floats looking like meatballs in a rope infested fettuccine. Retract-a-floats keep 7m of rope neatly coiled under tension within the float itself, only uncoiling enough to keep the float directly above the pot. Pots can be dropped directly into the water with no need for uncoiling or estimating of how much rope will be needed regardless of tides or waves. The Retract-a-Float also keeps the rope free of tangles and knots by internally recoiling the rope as the pot is drawn in.