IceShanty.com's Ice Fishing Community
Ice Fishing Tips -Check your local regulations! => Jigging => Topic started by: walliceman on Nov 01, 2003, 07:22 AM
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Hey guys,
This year im starting to fish for panfish and crappie. I was wondering If you guys think i need a spring bobber? I plan on using and ultra light jigging rod.
-Evan
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absolutely!!
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On 2 of my ultra lights I don't use one but the rest I do. Fishing without a vex I absolutely would use them. Main reason I don't use spring bobbers on 2 rods is because I mainly use minnows on them and the minnows moved the spring bobber too much for my liking. I don't think it is quite as needed fishing for crappies as it is with perch. This is just from my few years experience.
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walliceman, I don'T care if a guy has 20 ice rods and there all expensive ones :o,BUT.... it is manditory to have at least 1 set up with a spring bobber. It will be the difference between getting skunked and catching fish on those hard days, or nights.
Crappieloo
Wayne Co. N.Y. :'(
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Ditto the previous post! I always fish one rig with a spring bobber and two lures; usually a small maribou on the bottom, and a teardrop 10-12" above that. This is my primary panfish rig, but it also does well on trout. You can change baits(waxies, mealworms,etc.) easily, and cover two depths as well.
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I don't use a spring bobber. I have two micro-lite rods, thay are as small as a spring bobber. I bought one and made the other one. Just wish I could find more of them. Quantum made them I got it at Wal-marts. :'(
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I have a micro-light as well and I agree....it's as sensitive as any spring bobber!
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Never used one. How's it work?
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Hi all! Never heard of using spring bobbers for icefishinguntil I came on this site. maybe it is because there is only a few secluded almost private lakes with crappie or just that everyone fishes for pike and walleye. anyway would someone be willing to to explain how they work and maybe post a few pics to show me how to rig it? I really don't even know what a spring bobber looks like.
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Used spring bobbers for years and loved them but this year i have bought a 12" micro-light rod and I will be using that instead. For starters, I now have a Vex and I would rather look at the Vex than the spring bobber ;D I also think you can jerk faster with feel than by sight. My .02. I did way better with spring bobbers than with norma bobbers. I know that.
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I learned to ice fish without any type of bobber and that's the way I still ice fish. I'll fish head to head with anyone that says they're a must.
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Dr. Bluegill.....
just a comment on your picture.... 1st of all... i dont know what to comment on 1st. as far as... how ya got that deer through the hole in the ice.... or... is ur dog really that good of a shot with the bow? LOL... just kiddin... looks like a nice deer!!
Melbs :'(
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That's what them gaffs are for ;D
Ruby is quite a shot I have to say. She is such a great dog and it was so easy to get that picture that I could not resist. She absolutely loves it when dad comes home with a deer and better yet she won't run em.
Nothin like you get in Wisconsin but for NY - not too bad. Nice to meet you.
Rob
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EYEDOKTR I AGREE I ALSO FISH WITHOUT BOBBERS.I FIND THAT WITH BOBBERS YOU MISS THE LITE HITS.ONCE YOU LEARN HOW TO FISH THAT WAY YOU'LL NEVER GO BACK TO BOBBERS I THINK.I ALSO CATCH MORE FISH WITHOUT THEM.
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I use a Genz Series Lighting Rod (28" light action) with 2# Micro Ice & 2 size 14 Marmooskas tied a foot apart. I watch my line & Vex (no spring Bobber). This is my main setup and works great for me.
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Recently purchased a couple of spring bobbers. They came with small pieces of heat shrink tubing to mount on rod. Tubing didn't shrink enough to hold, they also recommened using electrical tape, very difficult to get a good wrap on thin diameter rod tip. Would love to hear some advice on an effective way to mount the !*%$ thing. Thanks for the help.
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I also purchased those silly spring bobbers with the shrink wrap. Had to resort to electrical tape to hold it on. I now make my own from strands of horse hair. There are good ones and poor ones out there and they do take some getting used too but when you catch on, watch out. Sorry I'm not going to disclose how as am thinking about marketing my horse hair bobbers with some friends. I have yet to see a rod on the market as sensitive as that. When you have a good indicator on you see the indicator go up as the fish inhales the jig then you can set the hook, you don't feel the typical tug that alot of people wait for. I have watched them on camera and they can spit the hook before you know anything happened. Don't get spring bobbers mixed up with those old clunky plastic floats. I don't think they are a must but if you want to catch fish when everyone else is getting skunked then they are. I have frequently gone on the ice with loads of people and the only ones catching are the spring bobber folks. I have also gone on the ice when the bite was strong and everyone was catching. When the fishing gets tough that is when they shine. I'm glad alot of you don't use them cause that leaves more fish for me to catch. Remember those days you went home skunked and said the fish were not biting, well they were inhaling and spiting out your hook and you didn't even know it. ;)
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Terrygonefishing- Don't worry about me taking any ideas that you are going to market, any ideas that you have would be for my use only. I've used the standard floats when fishing shallow water, but fishing deeper water the spring bobber would be ideal. If you care to share any info I would be very grateful. EM at [email protected] THANKS
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I read in the bluegill section were a guy took the spring out of his bic lighter and uses it for his spring bobber...So I took one out and taped it to my rod-tip ran my line through it. Cant wait to use it on the Houghton Lake `gills. Seems very sensitive even on my noodle rod.The spring lets me see the strike just a split second before the ul-lite rod tip moves.Will let you know soon...
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I like the wire bobbers made by K&E. I've tried the ones made by Lakco, and a few others that were made with the flat spring steel that weren't as sensitive as the K&E brand. Another thing that I like about the K&E bobber is you can take it off as easily as you can put it on. No tape or heat shrink tubing.
Fishrmn
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Recently purchased a couple of spring bobbers. They came with small pieces of heat shrink tubing to mount on rod. Tubing didn't shrink enough to hold, they also recommened using electrical tape, very difficult to get a good wrap on thin diameter rod tip. Would love to hear some advice on an effective way to mount the !*%$ thing. Thanks for the help.
I put mine on with electrical tape, but my bro-in-law puts his on with a little nail polish
and string. Sounds fine for the 10 dollar combos I use, but don't know if I would do that
to a nice rig. Good luck.
Bob
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I saw some spring bobbers at www.thornebros.com
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I'll save you time and many tangled lines. Spring bobbers tangle lines, and I can always feel even the slightest bump anyway. DONT USE THEM, IT IS POINTLESS, AND IT WILL TANGLE LINES AND CAUSE MORE PROBLEMS THAN THEY SOLVE
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Thats the problem IceFishingBear. Guys without springbobbers are waiting for the bump. Lots of times a fish will inhale and spit your hook without you feeling even the slightest bump. I have seen this on the aqua-vu and your bobber will rise and if you set the hook you have him. They are a little more finicky though and are not for heavy jiggers.
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The way I mount spring bobbers is this........Temporaril y tape it in place. Then wrap sewing thread around in two places, at the end closest to reel and near rod tip. Drops of Super Glue lock up the thread wraps.
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The best thing I could have done next to getting a vex. when pan fishing I can tell if the fish came up on my bait because the bobber streightens out. otherwise I would have missed all those fish also can tell when they are playing with it because the bobber moves without any feel to the rod. I have increased my take 5fold because of it.
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I've had alot more luck with spring bobbers since I started using a medium/light weight rod for my spring bobber rigs. I used to use them on my ultra light rods and didn't like them. The ultra light rod is already moving around so much with any movement of your hand or wind that it's hard to focus on the spring. With the stiffer rod the spring is more stable and easier to focus on to catch any subtle change that might be a bite.
Pro or con? Definately pro. I'd love to be able to feel everything rather than have to watch the bobber, but I love catching fish more. I think terrygonefishing is right. A spring bobber will outfish the most sensitive rod made when they're biting light. I've got a couple Frabill Amplifier rods, and they're the most sensitive rods I've ever fished. But, if I'm seeing fish move in to the bait on the vex and not feeling any bites on the Amp I'll switch to the spring rig and catch fish. The only better alternative is sight fishing. One problem with spring bobbers though - they slow the action of the bait.
kero