Ice Buster Bobbers

[Rick]

Hi all,
I would again like to re-introduce the topic of Ice Buster bobbers. They took the ice fishing world by storm 3 years ago and have become a favorite of all who've tried them.

Click here to learn more about the Ice Buster Bobbers

Here is a statement by Curt Quesnell from another thread:
More on the bobbers topic. I just hated
using bobbers for ice fishing because of
all the hassle of getting the line to
slip thru the bobber.
I even tried spring bobbers for a while
and realized it wasnt the answer either.

THEN I got an Ice Buster Bobber and the
search was over. The line tumbles thru
the slot on the bobber, you dont need a
bead, all you need to do is use the bobber
stop string that comes with the Ice Buster.
It's great, I love it.

Now there is the Wave Buster Bobber for use
in the summer. Its all that I will use now
because I can cast it and not worry the jig
is a foot down from the bobber. It works
perfect everytime.

SeaBass talked about Thill Bobbers. They
are fantastic and until this foam stuff came
out Thill was the tip top of the line.

These Wave and Ice Busters can be seen and
purchased on this site I believe, and at
your better bait and tackle shops.

I wanted to pass this along before the upcomming ice season so you all had a chance
to get ready.

Curt Quesnell

Again, Click here to learn more about the Ice Buster Bobbers

[Mankato-Ice-Man]

I used them last year for the first time and I will use them almost every time out now.
I have 1/2 dozen of each size and really do love em and would recommend everyone try them at least once.

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Born to Fish, Forced to Work!

[Rick]

Ice Buster users...
What type of fish do you go after most and how do you like to rig for that fish?

What makes the Ice Buster Bobber so nice?

[Grabs]

I currently use them for everything! I especially enjoy using them inside my permanent shack on my rattle reels. These are great for that because I can change the depth quickly with a slip knot, but the best part is trimming them to the exact length to match the bouancy of the bait you are using. This way the fish never even feels the bobber. I have never seen walleyes run with the bait so much as they do with these bobbers on the other end, you just know that can't even feel that extra weight on the other end of the line the way they are screaming away with the line, much like a pike normally would!

Try some just once and I can assure you, you will never buy another bobber for ice fishing!

[curt quesnell]

I fish the Crappies on URL and Walleyes on
LOW.

The rigging is the easy part. You can put
these bobbers on and off without re-tieing.

The slot and bobberstop, with no bead, allows
the line to tumble thru the Ice buster to the
set depth everytime.

If you are rigging light with tiny jigs you
can either leave the Ice Buster at full length and use it as a strike indicator or
cut off the foam until the rig balances
the way you want it.

I have about 5 of them in my ice box of
different lengths. If I put one on thats
too small I can change to a bigger one real
quick.

AND, they are almost indestructable. You can
step on them or run them over even on the coldest days. They dont get brittle.

Ask me sometime about the Ice Busters big
brother the Wave Buster Bobber for summer
fishing. Another home run!!!!!!

[blkfrg]

These things are the bomb. No beads to freeze. The knot below the waterline, no freezing. But to me the ability to trim them to accent the type of lure you are using is the A1 thing. Show some one these floats and the next thing you know is that there are some in their tackle box to. I really dfon't know why I have the other floats still in my kit?

[Rick]

You are right blkfrg,
the ability to easily balance the Ice Buster Bobber to your jig/spoon/lure/rig without adding weight is a key to it's success.

[Gerd]

These bobbers don't freeze up. That means I don't have to take my gloves off to pull the line through the bobber which keeps my hands warm and results in more time on the ice. I'll never use another bobber for ice fishing! These things are the best.

[Guest]

RICK
Believe it or not, I actually own some of the "Ice Buster" bobbers.
I've been eyeballing them in some of the trade magazines for a while and though they looked very functional.
I normally don't use any kind of floats when I'm icefishing but on a day or night when the crappies are down low nd feeding off or near the bottom, I use a slowly sinking bobber rig whether it's with live minnows or jigs and spikes.
Something about a s-l-o-w-l-y falleing bait that drives crappies wild.
I used to use just plain old cork bottle stops about 1/2 to 3/4 inch tall and painted on top with a flourescent color so they were easier to see. It took a lot of time to balance so many different jigs to each cork and if you were using minnow, sometimes the weight of a bigger miinow would take the bobber under too fast.
With the foam of the Ice Busters, you can jig the mnnow of jig a few times and set the bobber on the water and it would set there for a few secoonds before slowly startng to sink. Any movement of the bobber after it was under the surface was a fish on the line. Sometimes the bobber will stop, other times come back up or quickly dissapear under the ice depending on how aggressive they were.
The Ice Busters work great for this type of fishing pluss the ability to squeeze them to break the ice off is a good deal.
I used to get those "Ice Off" foam bobbers from Dickey Tackle back in the late 70's and until now, that was the only style of foam bobbers on the market.
Another good thing about the Ice Busters is the ability to put them back to threir original length with a short piece of toothpick and drop of super glue. Just in case you're down to your last one and you cut it too short, just take the toothpick and push it into the foam (the piece that was cut off) a 1/4 inch or so and add a drop of super glue. Now push the other end of the toothpick into the useable end of the boober and before pushing it all the way down, add another drop of glue.
Works pretty good in a pinch.

[almosthaddabite]

Rick,
I'll help you sell these.

I am not one to try "gimick" tackle, usually stick with what has worked for me over the years, These bobbers are the best new product in ice fishing in a very long time. I fish out of a Trap and never use heat.Until the Buster, bobber ice-up was a big problem for me.

Each of my rods stays rigged the same all the time, so each rod has it's own trimmed bobber to match the rest of the rigging.

Thanks for a fine product.

[Pherris]

Best Ice fishing bobber ever. I have been using them the last couple of weeks fishing with lite ice jigs for those finicky pan fish. They will the X-mas present for my Ice Fishing friends too. Every time I have let someome use one they have soon purchased them.

[Guest]

Pherris
you lucky dog

Every time I let someone else use ice busters from my box, I have to go purchase more to restock my own supply.

[icemac33]

Favorite piece of equipment,in my tacklebox, by far. I hated re-tying to try different things.Now I leave a slipknot on my lines, whenever I'm ready to throw one on, it's ready.Bring extra if you're going to show them to friends. Just picked up a few at Cabelas today.They are ready to go with most of their ice fishing stuff already.Tempted to get the credit card out and go to town

[Bruce Mosher]

I really appreciate all the good talk of my Ice Buster Bobbers. You're making me smile!! A couple of things to do with toothpicks -- Poke a starter hole into the top and then insert a 3mm light stick for 8-10 hrs of night fishing. Like Tony on Ice said - Poke a toothpick into the foam to connect the top part you cut off. You can also poke a tall toothpick (one with the colored fuzzy stuff on top) into the top of the Ice Buster. That way you can see it from a short distance away from your hole. If you are using a large jig with a bigger sucker minnow and your bobber can't hold it up just snap on another one. They will sit like a V in the water. You can still jig through both of them because of the 1/4" slotted hole. It's the only bobber with a slotted hole. I've hated plastic beads on my line for years and the slotted hole eliminates the bead. Your line will also zip through this bobber quicker than any other(gets your bait into the strike zone quicker). Hey! I'll quit babbling. You guys already know this stuff. I might be at Thorne Bros. Booth at the St. Paul Ice Show. Stop buy and say hi. Thanks for supporting the Ice Busters!!!

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Bruce Mosher,www.icebusterbobbers.com

[Rick]

I've talked with Bruce and he'll make sure we have plenty available at the IceLeaders and Fishing Minnesota booth at the St. Paul Ice Show at the River Centre (Old St. Paul Civic Center).

We look forward to seeing you there.

[icemac33]

Bruce-Are you going to be at the show?I would like to shake your hand personally.Love the bobbers.I was going to order some more but I found about 20 of them I must of stashed in bib pockets and mittens to keep them to myself.Like they say,they go pretty quick once you put one on.Don't have enough good things to say about them.

[Fish Toys]

I would say it is NE of Beltrami & NW of Winger & S of Mentor! Unless he was keeping it a secret? LOL. I think Bruce said it was 3” of ice that day and the next day a lot less? Talked to the people at Ceasons “Crookston” and the ice melted on the same lake to about 1” so they left. NEED cold weather!
BESAFE AND WAIT! Maybe West Union opened up?
“FISH”

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http://www.icesaws.com/

[Tully]

Fish,
I was hoping to be on Maple this weekend until this crappy weather showed up!
Oh well, four day weekend coming up next week.
I better moniter my turkey intake on thursday if we don't make alot of ice before then.
Tully

[Captain B.R.K]

Alright, I've heard enough about the Ice Buster Bobbers...but I say it is going a little extreme with this........

I was watching Midwest Outdoors the other night and a guy was fishing up on Lake of the Woods for walleyes and saugers. He hooked in a nice walleye and was using a ice buster bobber. You wouldn't believe the lure he was using on the end of his line! A CHUBBY DARTER? I DON'T GET IT? How does a swimming/searching lure be fished with a bobber. Does it help? or was this a goofy guy that was asked last minute to be on the show and threw on the moon boots and away he went!! What gives???

[Bruce Mosher]

Captain BRK, I was the Goofy guy without the Moonboots! Yes I was fishing a Chubby darter with an Ice Buster Bobber. I use the bobbers alot. It's about the only bobber you can actually jig through. No friction or resistance with the long slotted hole. Your line just zips right through it. I've used the icebuster with a Chubby Darter because I was above a rock reef. That way my bobber kept the lure just above the rocks and out of harms way. I lost a lure earlier because I let too much line out and it got wedged between the rocks. If you see a fish 5 feet off the bottom you can still reel up to 'em. I must of had the first Chubby darter on LOW that winter. The guides that brought us out to their hotspots Laughed when I pulled one out. But they worked great. I also caught nice ones one the Hammered Gold Angel Eye spoon. They asked me if I was going to knock 'em out with that big spoon, but they didn't laugh to long Tully, I was fishing Crappies with my Dad South of Mentor. Sorry! First Ice will be good on Maple by the rock piles on the very East End and also in front of Breezy Point on Maple Lake. For Breezy Point you'll have to go through the bay next to the Bed and Breakfast and then take a left to Breezy. Rig one rod up for Crappies and another for Walleye and fish in about 11 to 12 feet. Other than that, I'll be at the St. Paul Ice Show on the 6,7, and 8th of Dec. Stop by Thorne Bros. booth and feed me full of Bull!! Thanks for all the great support with the Ice Busters, I really appreciate it! Bruce Mosher

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Bruce Mosher,www.icebusterbobbers.com

[Rick]

Don't forget to take a look at the home page. Bruce's Dad is showing off a first ice crappie caught 11/17/02 using an icebuster bobber.

[irishjigs]

This may be a stupid question, but is there an easy way to know what length to cut the ice buster at for a particular set-up? I used a few ice busters last year, and I like the float to barely break the surface of the water. To do this, I had to keep trimming the bobber 3,4,5 times before I got the right size. Thanks, irish

[bigeyes]

Yup there is a way to test them and get them right. It is really fun too! When bored(ex. waiting for good ice) Fill 5 gallon bucket or laundry tub with water then put on different size jigs and cut to specifications. I use 3 lengths for the smaller panfish size and 3 for the larger walleye size. That wasy you are ready to go when you get to the ice. I too must have my bobber just under the surface completely nuetral.

[Tully]

Bruce,
What lake did your Dad catch that Crappie on?
I am looking for some place around here to wet a line.
Tully

[Captain B.R.K]

Bruce,

I just had to give you bad time with that chubby darter and ice buster bobber. I don't doubt you a bit with the success you had....the camera proved that. I will buy some for the first time this year and check them out. Keep up the inventions, its those types that we all shake our heads at and laugh....but it's you that has the last laugh (case in point). Good fishin'!