slip bobbers?

I don't use them much but recently read an article about them being used very effectively in the winter on deep, suspended, open water crappie. Anybody on here do that much?

Yes, Good for maintaining depth especially if using minnows. Mostly for casting from a bank though with a jig suspended. I do not use them for deeper than 12'. If they're deeper than that, I'll sit over them and just jig for them. My friend "corks" for Crappie year round, every trip along with over the side jigging. He uses a spring bobber though and is very good at 12' and under casting that dude out there. Most of his fish come from this method.

I have tried slip bobbers but every time the bead gets stuck in my last eyelet or the slip knot won't stay in place. Therefor I leave it alone.

I've done a fair amount of "float and fly" fishing for smallmouth and a little for crappie. I usually restrict that to about 10' or less. I've also used a slip float shallow in the spawn successfully. The article I read was talking of using the slip float as deep as 20-25 feet. I know it's done some that way for walleye up north, also. Never tried that but apparently they have some success with suspended crappie back east doing it. Will take a little heavier weight to get it down quickly but I might try it. Just thought someone here may already have.

Nip, I settled on these in the springtime and don't have that problem. Bass Pro Shops Bobber Stops | Bass Pro Shops

I'm with Nip my knot slips through bead or the bead gets hung up so I leave them on the shelf . I have had luck with them dragging jigs over brush while fishing docks . Way too much trouble for me also.

I slip-corked for crappie all the time for about ten years, before I went to the float tube. In the eighties, Carl J. and I slip-corked Hefner nearly every day. We were onto the 2.5 pounders in the big curve, for about three years. The fish would come in about 4:30 in the afternoon and sit just above the brush at 12-14 feet. Earlier in the day, you had to go deep, as much as 28-32 feet, which is when you want a very long rod, 12-14 feet. You don't need to buy bobber stops. Just get some thin-diameter dacron and tie a knot (don't know the name), but it's the same knot you get when you buy the bobber stops. You lay the dacron along the line and loop the dacron; then run the tag end of the dacron around the dacron-line side of the loop four or five times. Cinch it down tight, and it won't budge.The knot will just about never get hung up in the last guide. Make sure your bead does not have a large hole diameter, so the knot won't pass through the bead. When slipping close to the boat or the bank, you can use a small styrofoam float, rather than the bigger, heavier wood float needed for long casting.
Slip corking has been working very well at Carl Blackwell this winter, and you don't have to be inside where it's elbow to elbow. The corking has been at 14-17 feet, with the small styrofoam floats.
ps If you don't mind getting cold, the float tube gives you a much superior ability to vary your technique, without the movement that you get from a boat that is rocking with the wind. And you are constantly in the strike zone, as opposed to slipping, although slipping keeps you in the zone longer than when you cast, count down, and retrieve
Hope that helps.

IKENI - I will show you how to do it at the Winter Camp. I also make slip floats for giggles occasionally.

Super! looking forward to it.

I've never found out how to make a stop work properly either and they always hang up on the guides if casting.

Reaper,
I almost never have the knot hang up, even with my rod with the smallest size guide. Read my post above. If you ever get to Midwest City or Edmond, look up the address for Carl Jones. He has two stores, and anyone there can show you the best way to rig the slip cork. Better yet, go to the winter crappie camp at Hugo and get together with George.