Spring Bobber Rods vs Springless Graphite Rods

[Cletus]

With the increasing popularity of Spring Bobber systems and rods, anglers all over have flocked to pick up the newest and greatest tool to add to their arsenal. Quite a bit of chatter has taken place over these great inventions. And while the spring bobber is certainly a great addition, it should be noted that, like all other baits and lures, use of them is limited to what the mood of the fish dictates.

Spring Bobbers provide a jigging action that really can't be duplicated by a strong (springless) graphite rod. Jigs can be manipulated to bob and swim with quite a bit of forgiveness provided by the spring. These slower presentations are deadly at finessing in the finicky eaters. This is evident in the surge in popularity of spring bobbers. Previously, noodle rods did much the same. But the Spring Bobbers go a step further in providing a better bite detection with less "noticability" by the pending catch. This presentation is always my go-to when I find the fish passing with little notice of my jig. Matching the Spring Bobber with the correct lure presentation will provide a more life-like action that can trigger more strikes.

Spring bobbers are a great addition. But, as I stated above, they still only have their place among the anglers aresenal of equipment. Spring Bobbers cannot take place of a good strong graphite rod on days where aggressive jigging is the key. Stronger graphite rods provide the needed ripping and jigging motion required when you need to call the fish in. When finesse jigging with a spring bobber goes un-noticed, a Rattling or buckshot lure pounded off the bottom can do as well for calling fish in for a closer look as well as triggering many reaction bites. Ripping a lure of bottom will also stir up mud that contains native forage that the fish feed off of. The visual attraction of a spoon ripping and jigging as well as the scent and site of the forage stirred up will sometimes be enough to lure those fish in for a closer look.

The mood of the fish will dictate which rod should be used at any given point in the day or night. When the fish are not inclinded to bite on a dancing jig, the Spring Bobber could cost you fish. At the same time, however, ripping and jigging could spook the fish as well causing the marks of your flasher to disappear quickly. To determine the best rod/presentation to use, you can do the same thing you would with your lure selection. A good flasher and/or camera will help you determine what the fish want. Watch how the fish react to a rapid or strong jigging motion off of a non-spring graphite rod. If the fish avoid your bait, switch to the spring bobber. And vice versa... if using a spring bobber rod does not entice the fish to flare their gills and bite, maybe a more aggressive approach warrants a try.

Most importantly, practice with both styles and have fun. Half the battle is figuring them out. The other half is trying to figure out how to tell the better half that you just spend a bunch more money on rods!

Good Fishing!

[Jim Hudson]

Dave good info and spot on for the rods...

[gill man]

I agree, that was a great post. Way back when (better than 10 years ago probably), I used those noodle rods with the "sensitive" (mushy actually) tips. I caught fish with them, but moved on to a Thorne Bros. Panfish Sweetheart and have not looked back. For years Dave Genz preached the stiff=sensitive thing, and everyone followed.

Then St. Croix came out with their spring bobber rods and it seems everyone is jumping on that bandwagon now.

I think either group is right. I think I'm pretty much a diehard springless guy. Saying that, I want to experiment with a spring bobber rod this year. I never noticed it until I watched my jigging on somebody's underwater camera, but it's amazing how herky-jerky your jigging motions can be while jigging straight off the rod tip. Even when you are trying to fish with finess it seems the motions are quick and sharp.

I think on those days when the gills are super finiky, a real smooth, subtle action from a spring bobber might be the ticket to get them to go. After fishing with some Little Atom plastics this winter I can see how they would match up really well with the smooth swimming action given by a spring bobber.

gill man

[DinkADunk]

Cletus, I'll have to disagree. You present it as an either or situation which it isn't. I build very sensitive graphite rods with great backbone (based on Thorne Brothers blanks) that I happen to attach an extra guide, fitted with a grommet, that can support a St. Croix spring. The rod works just fine either way and it's very easy to remove the St. Croix spring if desired. I find that many rods with springs are built on blanks with no backbone and very little sensitivity, junk in other words, which is why I decided to make my own. I find that I can push the spring in (which brings it to the rod tip) and fish my rods like their non-spring counterparts. Pushing the spring out brings the spring into play. The spring is not only useful for imparting a subtle jigging action but also for live bait with a dead stick approach where the spring tells you how nervous your minnow is.

[looneyducer]

Great stuff. Spring bobbers as a presentation tool aren't just for little stuff either (I'm still tying on some pretty big baits, Dave ). Even though I rarely run one, most of my big fish last year were taken on a spring bobber with a jigging shad. As odd as it might sound, it was pretty effective to have a wide-ranging attractant that I could then oh-so-subtly bob in front of them for a while. The biggest of the big all took on a lift. I most likely would not have caught them without the spring.

[looneyducer]

Quote:

---

Cletus, I'll have to disagree. You present it as an either or situation which it isn't.

---

The argument is that both are essential, not either.

[Cletus]

Quote:

---

Quote:

---

Cletus, I'll have to disagree. You present it as an either or situation which it isn't.

---

The argument is that both are essential, not either.

---

That is exactly my point. I carry with me BOTH. I have the St Croix Legends in both Lite and Med-Heavy... as well as a combination of springs. I also carry St Croix Premier without springs. Springs are PERFECT for detecting bites as well as finessing jigs. But what about those days where finesse doesn't attract them? What do you do when ripping and hard jigging are REQUIRED to bring them in for a closer look? Even hard springs can't mimick what a good solid springless rod can do. And that is why I am saying that BOTH rods are essential.

[slipperybob]

Some people jig with their wrists, others from the elbow, and myself like a music conductor...

tring to get a swimming action, darting action, rising action, falling action, fluttering action, or whatever action is outthere.

[Coon]

Your killing me here. Been struggling as to weather to get a JM spring bobber or the one without. And maybe his Meat Stick. Been spending way too much money this year

[slipperybob]

Get JM's meatstick and you'll be right in between!

I still have my old Cajun ice noodle sooooo...

[DinkADunk]

There is no need to carry both. I use rods made on the Walleye SH, Pearch SH, and Thorne Panfish blanks - all very good, sensitive blanks. All rods that work perfectly well without a spring bobber. My modification is to add a single foot #3 wire fly guide opposite the guides on the rod. Insert a small rubber grommet in the guide and a St. Croix Legend spring bobber will fit in the grommet and slide. When the spring bobber is pushed in, the spring is about 1/8" from the rod tip and has no appreciable effect on the action of the rod (i.e. the spring isn't engaged). When pulled out it acts like it does on the St. Croix Legened Elite rod (which is a rod I can't stand because it has no backbone). A further modification that can be done is to take the single wire that makes up the end of the St. Croix spring and cut it with a pair of snips. This way you can thread the line in there and use the spring or unthread it and use the rod regular, all without having to switch rods or rerig. If you work it through you can take the spring out of the equation very easily and use your rod as is. I usually go out with my wife and kids and it's a bit too much to carry doubles for everyone. I'm working on simplifying my setup and take out few, very good, flexible, rod setups.

[Cletus]

To each their own. Catching fish is catching fish. Personally, I would rather be rigged to account for any situation and be able to change up quick depending on what the fish want! Most importantly, find what works for you... but ALWAYS be open to listening to new ideas!!! it WILL help you catch fish!

[DzNuts]

DinkADunk, could you send pictures of that custom set up to me. I'm very interested in the idea. I'd like to get spring bobber on a couple more rods but don't like the Frabil popper springs.

Ram_N_R6 att yahoo.com

Ryan

[DinkADunk]

They've been posted in this forum before. Just search my name and the word custom, you'll find it (about February of this year).

[palisade1kid]

Quote:

---

To each their own. Catching fish is catching fish. Personally, I would rather be rigged to account for any situation and be able to change up quick depending on what the fish want! Most importantly, find what works for you... but ALWAYS be open to listening to new ideas!!! it WILL help you catch fish!

---

I could not have said it any better.

I'm a spring bobber guy all the way.

Sure their are days that what I'm doing is being out fished by a few select fishermen not using springs and are pounding the water.

I do find on most days I'll catch as much or more the way I fish with finesse tactics.

This weekend I out fished 5 other guys on both days.

These guys are great fishermen,but when it gets tough out there a spring will out produce.

You also need to know how to lift to elicit the strike and how high the ceiling is on any given day.

The lake we fished can be very tough on just a normal day,especially with minnows.

After saying that ,I'll also admit I can be skunked which does not happen more than a couple times in an ice season.

So in my book I live by the spring and die by the spring.

They don't call me CK for nothing in our area.