Thornes or Panfish Popper Spring?

[gill man]

Up to this point I have relied on a Thorne Bros Sweetheart, light line, and heavy jigs to detect bites. I do pretty well with this, but I have heard so much about spring bobbers that I figured I might give one a try this year.

Here's my situation. I feel like I will use the spring bobber for panfish more on the days they are extremely inactive, and want a slow, smooth swimming acion rather than the short quick movements I get from jigging straight off the rod tip. I realize the spring is a great strike indicator, but that is just icing on the cake. I will primarily use the spring when I can't turn fish into biters with my other technique. So, I am more interested in the spring that offers the right technique rather than strike detecion. I generally use the "small baits that fish heavy" like Fatboys, Genz Bugs, Genz Worms, Diamond jigs, etc. and usually in size 10-12 if that matters.

I was thinking of buying something like a Gander Guide Series rod. These seem to have good enough backbone for fighting fish and I don't need a super sensitive, expensive blank to use for a spring bobber rod (besides, I really want a Perch Sweetheart this year, and can't spend THAT much on just rods).

Anyway, I was just wondering if the Thorne Bros spring will fit only the Thorne Rods, or if you can modify it to fit others. It looks like shrink tubing slides into the tip top. The Guide Series rods look to have a similar sized tip top, but I don't know exactly.

ANYWAY (again), if I am looking to do this should I order a Thorne spring, or just go to Gander Mountain and get a pack of the Frabill Panfish Popper Springs?

Thanks for any help guys!

gill man

[fishcast]

I have used the panfish popper spring bobber, and I think you could probably get the "smooth swimming action" with it you are looking for.

The problem I had with it though, is that if it is below freezing the spring freezes up easy and you can't break the ice out very easily, and eventually I ended up bending it a little.

[gill man]

Thanks fishcast. The freezing issue would probably happen with any of the line-through-spring types but that's okay. I almost always fish out of my fishtrap, and if things start to freeze the Mr. Heater is only a match strike away.

Any other opinions? The Popper springs are a lot more convenient. I can get them at Farm & Fleet or Gander at 3 for $6. The Thorne spring will have to be ordered and one costs about the same as the three. Still, I will probably be making a Thorne Bros order anyway if somebody wants to convince me that the Thorne spring is that much better for some reason.

gill man

[TylerS]

Gill man-

I have used both Thorne Bros. spring bobbers as well as the Frabill Panfish popper. From my experience, Thorne Bros. wins hands down. I like the tight coils unlike the Panfish popper. I have a lot less line tangling with a tighter coil. Also, the Thorne Bros. bobber is much, much shorter. This allows for easier control of the action of your bait as well as ease of use. Trying to manipulate a 1/2 inch spring bobber compared to one over twice as long makes a signifigant differentc.

As far as using their bobber on other rods, that I'm not sure of. On their Web site (which I happend to be looking at earlier today by coincidence) they say which bobber fits on which of their rods. However, my dad also has a spring bobber from them that was a bit loose when we first got it. I wrapped it once around with electrical tape and it hasn't fallen out since.

Hope this helps. I've been strictly spring bobber fishing for the past 4 years and won't even try panfishing any other way.

Go with Thorne Bros. They may be 6 bucks a pop, but I promise you they are worth every penny.

-TylerS

[Corey Bechtold]

I'd recommemd the Thorne Bros spring bobber. I plan on picking up a couple because I have seen them in action and they work great! I currently have the cheap Frabill spring bobber but don't care for how they have to be forced into the tip so hard. I fear that I'll break the rod tip.

Good luck,

Corey Bechtold

[looneyducer]

Check out an Action Bite Indicator, by Kulman enterprises (I managed to find the box!). It's spring steel but not a spring, if that makes any sense, it's not coiled, and the light action version, while not as great a stike indicator as the ultra-light or micro-light versions, does change your traditional quivering move into a very enticing wobble.

Personally though, I'd skip it and throw a Thorne Bros model in my tackle box -- retie through it on that sweetheart if the fishing goes south. There's not much use in cheatin' on a real sweetheart.

[DinkADunk]

I really like the spring that comes with the St. Croix Legend, problem is you need to find a way to mount it. I made a couple of rods based on Thorne Brothers blanks and just back from the rod tip I tied on a #3 single foot, wire, fly guide on the side of the blank opposite from the rod guides. I inserted a small grommet into the fly guide and then inserted the St. Croix spring assembly.

[dkf]

Quote:

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I really like the spring that comes with the St. Croix Legend, problem is you need to find a way to mount it. I made a couple of rods based on Thorne Brothers blanks and just back from the rod tip I tied on a #3 single foot, wire, fly guide on the side of the blank opposite from the rod guides. I inserted a small grommet into the fly guide and then inserted the St. Croix spring assembly.

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I agree with you there. The Legend spring bobber is the best IMO. It will hardly ice up and pinching off the ice at the end is quick and easy. I have a picture of the setup your talking about but I don't know how to post the pic.

[Ralph Wiggum]

I did the same thing Dink-a-Dunk did.

[DinkADunk]

Here's some pictures of the ones I made. The original post is A couple of Ice Rods

[palisade1kid]

Flat spring steel is the way I go when it comes to spring bobber.

Anything coiled hold ice chunks too well .

[Dark Cloud]

DinkaDunk - two questions...

Were you able to get just the spring somehow or were they canabalized from other rods? I contacted them direct and they said no...

And where did you get those reel seats? They look like fuji "seat plates" but smaller and a diff color.

Thanks...

On the original question - Check out South Bends version of the popper. They have a soft material that fits better into rod tips, a shorter spring thats not mushy, and no slits in the side for line to become tangled in...

[DinkADunk]

You can buy the spring bobbers separate from the rod. They make different flex springs and they are made to be swapped on and off different rods, plus you can mangle them up pretty good. I've picked the up from Cabela's and Gander Mtn. Good eye, those are Fuji reel seats in size 5. Those and the next size up will work on ice fishing rods depending on how large of a handle you want to make.

[dkf]

Quote:

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Here's some pictures of the ones I made. The original post is

A couple of Ice Rods

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Those are the pictures I have saved.

Those are fine looking rods.

The St. Croix springs only are $7.00 a piece and come in 4 wieghts

[jigging-matt]

I did that to a couple of my rods last year. Can't wait to try them out this season.

[TylerS]

That is a great looking modification. I might have to try that out sometime. Thanks for the pics!

[mjhowe]

I did DinkaDunks mod on 2 rods and loved them. My problem with the panfish popper spring is with really really lite jigs, you really have to work the line out of the end of the spring, the line wont just feed out, under any condition. This can really slow you down.