bobber fishing? what type and how? recommendations?

bobbers or floats??? Some springs I find myself using an old style round bobber to catch crappie. Not a big deal, but always felt I could improve,

Just saw a video on crappie fishing where they were using floats. It looked like Thill floats, but I am not sure. They adjusted the float level by the split shot under the float.

Although I seldom use floats, I would like to know more about how I can use them more effectively. I assume the floats are most critical to the smaller jigs/baits. I wonder what size of bait is best worked with a float or bobber.

I just feel I am missing out by using some of the old bobbers. So, are there any bobber experts out there who are willing to educate me on bobber fishing?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by kcbrown

We called it bobber trolling, usually done weekend nights on the strip, look for ladies dressed provocatively. Some will charge a nominal fee.

---

Gordon, I had no idea anyone would change my topic into what your comment suggests. Sounds like you must have scored good in your book with a nominal fee some time in your past. I wonder how much you had to pay for your pleasure. Perhaps you get slapped by those on the streets that hand out cards for your pleasure. Hope a crappie bites you in the butt.....

When I use a float, it's always a slip float. It allows quick depth adjustment in a second. As a stopper I use the rubber stops, seemes to work just fine for me. I use 6lb Hi-Vis Vicious and the smallest, thinnest pencil type slip float, that provides the least resistance for those finicky light bites.

Hey, I'm sorry for my previous comment. I just got upset about a response that I felt was out of line. I'm 71 years young and interested in gaining more information to improve my crappie fishing. This site offers a lot and was hoping others could share how and when they use bobbers to catch more crappies.
Thanks in advance to others who are more interested in crappie fishing than their personal pleasure that they put a price on.... or can't find unless they have to pay...

Sorry to the highjack. I will report it myself for deletion. I too use a slip float, that way you can go from 2' to 15' in short order.

Happy fishing.

I love to slip bobber fish myself. Simply adjust the bobber knot to how deep you want to fish. One of the largest crappie I ever caught was a three pounder I caught out of a farm pond that was 1/2 way iced over, she was caught 17 feet deep, caught it on minnows.....that pond is now part of a golf course. And that's a pity, it was a fantastic fishing pond.

If your fishing shallow, the length of your rod or less, a fixed bobber works fine or if you want to make a little action by twiching your jig. When you get deeper then you need to go with the slip bobber to be able to get proper placement of where you want your jig, easier without so much line out on the end of your pole to cast or flip it out there, at least that is how I do it

Slip bobbers are the way to go. Very easy to set-up, very versatile when it comes to presentation and adjusting for depth, and they
are easy on the pocketbook. Might check Youtube for some good instructional videos on slip bobbers. Good luck and good fishing.

I don't do it much anymore unless I am with the kids or guiding but it is a fun way to catch fish in the spring and in the dead of the winter. I use two different styles. One for spring spawning fish and one for winter and during cold front spring days. The 3" balsa style is what I use in winter and slow spring days to detect light bites easier. It will lay over on its side when they come up under the bait and just "mouth" it. I use two different retrieves with this style bobber to see which they want. I will just slowly retrieve it back to the boat or will use my rod movement to drag it 6"-8" and let it pause then repeat back to the boat. The other style I use is a 3/4" foam snap bobber with weight attached to the lower snap. It allows fish to pull it under easier. I use these 90% of the time with a Charlie Brewer crappie slider which is Texas rigged "weedless". With it being foam and the bait being weeless I can then cast it all the way on the bank with out it breaking and then drag it into the water with very little disturbance to the shallow spawning fish that hold close to the bank. When fishing it I will twitch it 3 to 4 times pretty quickly and then let it pause for 4-5 seconds. Each twitch will move the bobber about 4". It will actually make the slider rise in the water and then pendulum back down during the pause between twitches. 90% of the time that is when they will drag it under. Here is a couple pics of the two styles. Many companies make these. I use the Betts and Eagle Claw brands because that is what is available at my store. Walmart sells a nice weighted foam bobber called "The unbreakable bobber" that works well also.

The 3" style below is what I use.
http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/m...ps8d41a06e.png

Here is the foam style.
http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/m...psd0bfc549.png

I like using bobbers especially during spawn or with kids. Just about any small bobber will work fine. The selections Jared has (above) are about all I use. I've used both jigs and minnows under the bobber.

Some situations call for bobbers. For example, I was fishing in Minnesota one time. This lake had a lot of "emergent vegetation"....tall reeds that would grow up out of the top of the water in summer. So...in about 6-8 fow, the reeds would come up above that yet, and the crappie were stacked thick in there. Lots of people would cast to the edges, but the fish were usually in a little ways. Some would cast into it, but would constantly be getting hung up during their retrieve.

So I put a bobber on about 4' up and cast into them. Then sloooooowwwly retrieve. That jig beneath that bobber would just maneuver it's way through the reeds and I was getting bit every time.

Couple tips from my experience with bobber fishing.

1:> Those rubber bobber stops are the bees knees when using slip bobbers.
2:> Those rubber bobber stops get cut pretty easily if you're using braided line!! Use mono!
3:> If you're casting with the slip bobbers, make sure the rod you're using has large eyelets at the tip or that bobber stop doesn't go through very well.
4:> If you're casting with the slip bobbers, make sure you're using an open faced reel or a baitcaster. Bobber stop comes off the reel a lot easier.
5:> When casting with bobbers, watch out for trees!! :biggrin

i use a 6" pencil bobber in shallow and a drop shot rig in deep water [ 40 to 60 ft deep ]

Try the ESB slip floats.

Fishing with floats can be as technical as any. When i traveled the upper Midwest some of the real good guys up there had an assortment in their boxes that was huge; different styles, sizes, etc, remarkable. They used them all seasons, even thru the ice when the fish were 10' or less, used em for walleye, perch, crappie, used em with live and artificial bait alike. Saw a guy just last week catching some under a slip float set probably 12' or more, and in 36 degree water. It's an underutilized technique. One tip i got a few years ago was using unwaxed dental floss using a hard knot instead of a standard bobber stop, works pretty good. Works with mono not so good with braid. Overall i don't care for braid here, braid will sink above your float, mono will not.

Hey, thanks for the support, especially to crappie.com I can see why this site is considered to be one of the best

As to fishing the floats, I think a Thill Shy Lite Float was being used where split shots were added to adjust the depth for fishing in the video. Since I use to enjoy trout fishing with small jigs, I thought this type of float along with smaller jigs might be really effective in the spring.

I am anxious to experiment with a new material to me, which is called Microlon. It is very fine and is not suppose to matt, which I like. Although it may be more expensive, it may be good for crappie jigs. It is really fine and may be difficult to work with, but it looks good to me. I will be making some jigs, etc with it this spring.

http://www.hedroninc.com/products/fl...bers/microloan

As to the shy bite float.... Cabela's has the following...

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Thill...h-All+Products

I see where they make split shots too. I'm not advertising for Thill or whoever they are. I am merely wanting to see if others fish for crappie with smaller, light jigs using floats or bobbers.
Thanks for your advice and suggestions.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Joedog

So I put a bobber on about 4' up and cast into

---

the tops of trees..............Did you mean 40'??? Need a lot of line dangling from of the trees!

Bobbers Are for kids – Strike indicators for professionals!

Many, many moons ago I used to take some styrafoam and use a arch punch and punch out a nice little 1" dia by 1 1/2" sleeve then run a small rod through the middle and insert a small red hollow stir stick through it , so you could thread the line through it, spray painted them flo. orange and they worked great, stole my stir sticks from Casey's so they were free...... didn't use sugar in my coffee but I did for awhile........

:biggrin:biggrin:yikes Joe and his tree fishing