Bobber fishing for walleyes

[midwesthunter]

I had a quick question about bobber fishing. What kind of hook do you use with this setup. I use plain hooks in the winter and had good luck but im not sure if this is the most effective way. Any help would be appreciated

[megger8]

whenever i've fished for eyes w/ bobbers, i've used either a veggie jig or a weighted jig head w/ some color on it but no skirt on the hook portion. i then tipped it with a leech or minnow. hope this helps and good luck to you

[icehousebob]

I like to use a colored hook or preferably a lead head jig. I like the 1/32nd oz. jig cast on a #4 hook,fished with a minnow or leech. I put a couple split shot about 1 to 2 feet up from the jig for casting weight and to slide the line through the slip bobber better. I prefer the Wave Walker foam bobbers. They can be trimmed to balance the weights so they don't take much to pull them down. When there's waves, I trim them so they go under when the wave top rolls in and come back up in the trough of the wave. It keeps the bait in the fishes' strike zone a lot better than when the cork rides the wave tops. When the bobber doesn't come back up in the wave trough, don't wait, set the hook now. You can also stick the small glowing light sticks in the top of the foam bobbers for night fishing.

[woodman]

As mentioned above the wave walker bobbers are the only way to go. I have been using them for the past three years and have very good success with them. It is nice to have a very sensitive bobber so the fish will not feel any resistance.

If your bobber does not hold your lead head jig, just poke a tooth pick in the end and add some more foam from another bobber.

These bobbers also work excellent at night. Purchace some snap stick lights and poke a hole with a tooth pick and you now have a lighted bobber.

Good luck fishing!

[james_walleye]

When i bobber fish i always use a #6 red gamagatzu hook with a red bead above it. Its worked everywhere for me, Mille Lacs, Winnie, Osakis, all the lakes here in southern MN and also Lake Pepin.

[MedicDan]

I've never really caught much with bobbers, once again I don't fish with them alot, but I have caught couple eyes, even a northern

[BDR]

I do most of my bobber fishing with slip floats and a small jig. I like the jig because then all the wieght is at the hook. It makes knowing where I am with the depth a little easier. If it is not flaoting straight I need to raise a little. Also the advantage to having no split shot is you will see the bites that actually lift your bait as the bobber lays over on it's side.

[msm1018]

I like to use Gamakatsu circle hooks, eliminates line cutting and I hardly ever lose a fish.

[Farley]

I usually use what is called a "beaver flip". We get them in Grand Maris when we go to the BWCA, but wouldnt be hard to build on your own. All it is is a plain hook with a barrel swivel attached at the eye and also attached to the swivel is a little blade that spins when you jig it. We nail the walleys every year up there with bobbers and these little deals.

[LocalGuide]

Farley, I got a few of those last year at the bait shop in Grand Marais. I used them this last winter and havent had a shot to try them bobber fishing yet.

They worked good in the winter so I would imagine that in summer they would work even better.

They're a pretty cool little hook to use.

[Farley]

"Guarenteed to catch fish"...

Did they tell you that too? So far havent been able to prove them wrong.

[Chris Haley]

Ok, here's the secret that I probably shouldn't share. I use both balsa and wave buster bobbers. Now here's the trick, I use an 1/8 oz bullet slip sinker on top of a bead and a barrel swivel. Below the swivel, two feet of line and a plain red hook. This allows the minnow or leech to swim freely around and drives the walleyes nuts!!! Hook your minnow through the lips, and your leeches through the suckers.

[deacon]

I love bobber fishing in the evening when the walleyes are coming up shallow to feed. I can just sit back drink a little beer and wait for action, man its exciting everytime to see the bobber go under!

[D-ROCK]

DEACON....I HAVE TO AGREE...WE FISH A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT WITH THE LINDY SETUP WITH LONG SNELLS ON OPENER. BUT MY FAVORITE FISHING COMES TOWARDS THE EVENING WHEN WE SET UP WITH SOME SLIPS AND LIGHTED BOBBERS AND OF COURSE SOME BEERS. I ALSO AM A FAN A THE GAMI CIRLE HOOKS #6.

[eye_point]

Mr. Haley, excellent tip; much appreciated.

[Chris Haley]

You're welcome!! Good luck!! This also works great over weed beds in the heat of the summer, when walleye catching is near impossible for most.

[Tofishem]

Chris,

Do you prefer a #4 Aberdeen or an octopus type hook?

I like the idea of the bullet sinker and swivel. The swivel keeps the line from line twist while the minnie or leech is swimming. The bullet sinker should glide thru the weeds without hanging up!

Bruce

[Chris Haley]

Octopus is my hook of choice.

[CALVINIST]

What depth do you all set your bait off the bottom while nighttime slip bobber fishing? I fish a clear water lake, and set it between 6" and a foot. Using a glow jig, will a walleye swim up to bait set a couple feet off the bottom?

[Rost]

I happen to use the same technique as Chris, only I don't use a bullet sinker. I just attach a split shot 1 foot above the hook (below my swivel).

Suspending your bait off the bottom at night won't hurt anything epecially in a clear water situation. Studies have shown that walleyes tend to suspend a bit after dark anyways.

I just keep the lighted Thill floats on my slip bobber rigs for the whole season. The only draw back is they are hard to see somtimes during the day.

[Chris Haley]

Calvinist

They will come ten ft up in the right conditions. I like to run them right over weeb beds only five ft down.

Rost

I like the slip sinker because it doesn't crimp your line causing a possible weak spot.

[Walleye Guy]

I prefer #4 Aberdeen hooks over octopus hooks. I have a better hooking success rate with the Aberdeen for some reason. It is tough to find colored Aberdeen hooks though. tru-turn makes a red one but other colors are tough to come by and there are situations where a colored hook works better. You can put a colored bead above the hook to add color. I have never been a big fan of jigs on slip bobber rigs.

[molson_canadian24]

All this info about bobber fishing is great...now where can i put it to use from the shore in the mankato area?

[Bruce Mosher]

I mainly use a 1/16th oz red glow jig with a leech in a slight wind and a 1/8th oz glow jig/leech in a stronger wind. If their isn't much wind I will go to a circle hook with a split shot 1 foot above the hook. That way the leech can move much more freely and entice strikes. Oh Yeah and of course all of this is below a Wave Buster Bobber!! Better Casts, More visibility, More sensitivity, No Bead on the line needed,Snaps on and off line and Totally Adjustable!!!! Bruce Mosher

[Chris Haley]

Don't forget to mention Bruce, that they can be tailor set to ride as high or as low in water as you'd like. They can be turned into a lighted bobber by just sliding a glow stick into the collor also!! No more $10 bobbers that you need to buy $5 batteries for!!

If you cut a buster bobber down, save that end!!! A tooth pick adds that piece back to that boober, or another for that matter.

The wave buster and ice buster bobbers are one of those products that upon first glance look like a cheap gimmick. Once you have tried these products though you realize that they are the MOST versitile bobbers on the market!!! You would have to spend at least a $100 with Thill to get what $10-$20 of buster bobbers can provide you!!