Slip bobbers?

[moonbeam]

Seeing how tomorrow probably will be an inside day, a little retooling will help pass time. So I'm wondering if a slip bobber can be used on short poles used in pullovers. I would think icing would be a killer but if anyone is successfully doing this any ideas would be appreciated.........ti ght lines and batten down yer hatches

[crappie66]

When I first started ice fishing a long time ago I used the little tiny thill slip bobbers.  I caught fish, but not nearly as many as I do know.  If you are using a flasher and see fish lower it will be a pain to move the knot fast enough so you can drop the jig lower.

[Flattop]

I use slip bobbers in my clam kenai and outside of it too.  When outside, use a mini-bob float.  The mini-bob keeps your stop and bead below the surface, keeping it from freezing.

Joe

[FelixD]

spring bobbers are the way to go.

[drake hunter]

I've used them before but had problems with the stop catching on the small eyes of ice rods and changing the depth.  It didn't happen all the time but happened enough to annoy me.

[angolajones]

I'm sure they may have their application.  But, I've seen too many fish bite and not move a bobber to rely on one.  You will miss a lot of fish that you might catch if you use some other techniques.  Ever wonder why sometimes a person will pull a rig with a bobber and say, "No wonder I didn't get bit, I don't have any bait on?"

Jonesy

[moonbeam]

Usually use spring bobber or tightline. Just toying with ideas. Appreciate comments.........

[Ice Rat]

I make some of my own floats on a lave in a variety of styles but the best floats I've found for ice fishing that you can get at a store are the ones made by thill that look like a top. The trick is to weight these floats so just the colored indicator is sticking above the water. They make many sizes and you can rig them as slip or fixed floats. They are very sensitive when rigged correctly but I don't add any split shot I just use the correct float size for the jig weight. Spring bobbers are probably the best you could use it is the most sensitive and adds more action to your jig as well. Keep in mind ice rods with small top guides will freeze easily but will still work well inside shanties. try to use ice rods that have larger guides per ferably fly fishing guides. Their are a few ways to cut down on ice up on your guides and line that i use while ice fishing but mostly for chasing steelies and browns on the rivers. Their is an actual ice off spray that I believe Bass Pro sells, you can also use cooking spray, and the best for river fishing is Gink (fly floatant) used to make dry flies float better. Gink helps keep ice off your guides and helps your line float which is an added plus for mending while float fishing but bad for ice fishing for obvious reasons. basically anything with silicone will help prevent ice up but needs to be applied several time throughout a trip.

Ted

[moonbeam]

For IceRat..just for the sake of asking, would cooking spray on the line at the reel help lessen icing of line (mono) or create other headaches?

[Ice Sergeant]

I have two poles set up with slip bobbers, just for inside the shanty at night while minnow fishing for crappie.  They work wonders in the shanty with the heater on.  You can find real little foam ones at the bait stores.

[farm fattys]

put your back to the wind and make sure your hole dont get wind across it , then u can use any bobber u want.. i prefer the small thill bobbers... with the rubber stop and beed..big eyelets help too..

[Ice Rat]

Ideally for ice fishing you should buy the actual de icing spray but cooking spray is something you can use in a pinch. This was one of the first few things tried by steelhead fisherman with success and isn't really well known. When i used it i sprayed a small amount on a paper towel and wiped it on the guides, this makes it hard for the ice to stick to your guides. All you have to do is flick the guide and the ice falls off which is a god send when fishing with 12 - 16 ft rods for steelhead. I also pull about 30 yards of line off the reel and run the line through the paper towel as i reel it back up. This makes it hard for ice to build up on your line especially above the float. The best product for de icing is the actual spray or gink. Like i said earlier the cooking spray is used when in a pinch and still gets the job done to an extent. The point of de icing spray is to shed ice off your guides and line not prevent it all together.

[popnfish]

use one with minnows for crappie and perch. works great if the shanty is warm enough.

[gillcommander]

When I first started out ice fishing I tried an assortment of spring bobbers and float bobbers. I really liked the "ice buster" bobbers that are made out of foam the best. I also had problems with the bobber stop/thread getting caught on the eyelets of the rod and messing up depth when reeling in. I think they have their place in icefishing...particula rly if you are deadsticking inside of a shanty is an exellent example. In all honesty I wouldn't icefish nearly as much if I had to rely on bobber fishing.

I got my butt kicked too many times by guys with vexilars when I was fishing blind and with bobbers so I had to get one. When I finally got one I forced myself to get more "in tune" with the rod tip and get better at detecting bites...even lite ones.

If I had to fish with a bobber...foam "ice busters" way to go!!!   

[Da_Roc]

HI gang!
  There is a trick I use in Da-Hut.  I get to the depth I want and put a Kink in the line with my thumb nail.  Then watch the kink to see if I have a bite or not.  If the kink in the line streightens out I have a pull bite.   If the bend in the kink gets goes the other way I have a lift bite.  Its much less of a hassle than using any bobbler at all.  You'll be suprised how well it works with just a bit of practice.
  Tight lines and happy hunting!  If nothing else use very light spring bobber.
  Da-Roc

[h2.0shaver]

   


These Thill bobbers when fished bouyant, are the most sensative bobbers available. I take a 1/16" drill bit and slowly by hand hone out a hole through these balsa floats to make them slip bobbers. Thill does make some slip bobbers but the shy bite and the mini mites are the smallest that I have found. The key here that alot of people dont understand is that the balsa float HAS to be bouyant, balanced. The reason for this is that whether the fish attempts to take a bait down, or pick a bait up , you will be able to see either situation with a bouyant rig. If the fish takes the rig down, the bobber goes down. If the fish picks the rig up, the bobber will flatten out in the ice hole, so you will know right away if you have a hit. I mostly use a spring bobber now, but given the right conditions like crappie fishing with minnows, these can be better that using a spring bobber if you are setting them up correctly.

[crappiekilr]

I have two poles set up with slip bobbers, just for inside the shanty at night while minnow fishing for crappie.  They work wonders in the shanty with the heater on.  You can find real little foam ones at the bait stores.

x2..... I get the smallest slip bobber I can find.....hard to beat that set-up when your in the shanty and they're hitting the minnows like the last 2 times I've been out

[bubbagill]

I agree with Gillcomander, I have used the Yellow foam slip bobbers and like he stated they have their time and place.  I used it for dead sticking a minnow in my shanty, had a few drawbacks but was pretty nice to set the hook and reel in the fish no hand over hand lantern burning line mess.  Also foam can be torn to match the weight of the bait so bobber sits up properly save the torn off section as it can be used again.

[hunting junkie]

I use a spring bobber on my minnow rods with the bobber stop thread.I keep the thread about a inch or so out of the real as a depth marker....no eyelets to go through and get stuck on.Works good for me.