Help me understand deadsticking vrs bobber fishing?

[Kylersk]

Deadsticking, if I understand correctly is placing rod in a rod holder, with no bobber? Just suspend the bait using the rod holder? What's the advantage of fishing this way as opposed to bobber fishing? And if I'm wrong on deadsticking, please correct me.

Thanks in advance.

[iffwalleyes]

You have got it right that is deadsticking. Where deadsticking can really be effective is using a product like Today's Tackle rod rocker, rod rocker 2, the lazy jigger, or the original Rockn' Reel. These are a rod holder where you balance the rod on the peg of the holder. You watch the tip of the rod and when it tips toward the hole your fish is biting. Sometimes the fish will grab the bait and rise then the tip will come up. The fish feel less resistance than when using a bobber. Bobbers like ice busters do offer very little resistance as well though. But the best part for me is that you don't have bobbers freezing to the line or to the side of the hole. I myself seldom use a bobber anymore. As a matter of fact I don't think I have bought a bobber in 3 years. You do have to be paying attention to you rods though. However all of these rod holder would be very tough to pull down the hole.

[minneman]

Dead...the one your not jigging.

[Captain B.R.K]

I think the nail has been hammered on the head with this one.

The greatest advantage of deadsticking is that the fish shouldn't feel the resistance of a bobber when it is inhaling the bait. Normally a guy puts a rod in a rod holder and watches the tip of the rod bend towards the hole indicating action on your line-set the hook. This type of fishing it makes you become more attentive in what is going on.

With bobber fishing, you deal with a slip knot, leaving the spool open and have the ice that forms around the bobber/line problems. I'm sure you've dealt with the slip knot moving on you from time to time or having missed a hook set or deep throat a fish due to not paying attention to the bobber.

I'm with iffwalleyes in that I don't fish with a bobber any longer after I learned the deadstick concept. I don't care to deal with moving my slip knots from one depth to another everytime I move as well as pulling ice off my bobber each time it freezes up.

Deadsticking gives me more time to catch fish than manage my line

[md22]

May I ask what type of rod you use for deadsticking guys? I'm looking for one, and the only one I can find is by Thorne Bros. and it's kind of expensive.

[JIvers]

I don't use any particular brand for deadsticking--I just pick rods that have very soft tips, but whose middle and handle sections are stout enough to handle setting the hook on a walleye and getting it through the hole. The soft tip is necessary so that you can see light bites, and also so the fish doesn't feel too much resistance when it hits. I also like them to be longer than my pan-fishing rods, as it gives me more leverage.

[iffwalleyes]

md22 the Thorne Bros deadstick is very nice. I myself have 3 of them for my fishing out in ND where I can use 4 lines. I run 3 deadsticks and my main jigging line. However like mentioned if you find a light tip rod it would be very effective as well. I in the past have used a ML while fishing for eyes. You really don't need a specialized you rod for deadsticking but they are very nice to have. The tip on my deadstick allows me to watch what my minneow is even doing. You can see it tug the line which offten times is a indicator that something intends to plan on eating it. If you use a product like I mentioned earlier for deadsticking like the rod rocker or rockn' reel you can get away with using a heavier rod because it just balances on a peg so it will rock down when you have a bit.

[Guest]

Thorne bros. rods are more expensive than other ice rods, but would you spend $50.00 for a fishing rod in the summer?

You have to remember that your paying for a rod that has been designed and custom built at Thorn bros. specifically for dead sticking.

[Ebiz]

Does anyone have a good way to mark the line/depth while deadsticking? The one reason I've still stuck with slip bobbers was that after catching a fish or rebaiting I could easily get back to the same depth.

[Gus]

You can use a slip knot just like you would with a bobber to mark your depth. When I do this (mostly for my tipups) I don't cut the tag ends. They are more visual that way. Let the knot be just under the water so it doesn't freeze solid and cause problems with line guides.

Or a flasher works great too.

[Bruce Mosher]

Gus has this perfectly under control. A bobber stop just under the ice makes it alot easier to reset your depth after catching a fish. Be sure to use a rod holder that wont tip over or get pulled down the hole while Dead Sticking. A Rod Rocker 2 is the perfect set up. It works in all of the portable ice house tubs or on the floor of a permmanent ice house. It's very sensitive with your rod atop of it. Your minnow will even bob the rod tip up and down. An Ice Buster Bobber will also work with these rod holders. Trim it almost all the way down to the water line for maximum sensitivity. Have fun, Bruce Mosher

[coldmark]

I see that Lindy has these line markers. Have you ever used them? Any good?