floating vs. spring bobbers

[Guest]

Do any of you use spring bobbers or do you use the floating style? I found that the better outings have been done with the coil spring bobbers SSB-1.The spring is undetectable by yhe fish when used right. I fished the floating style and sometimes the fish would bite so shy that you couldn't see any movement but then to reel up empty.hooked. I first tried the spring SSB-1 fishing for perch at Lake Michigan and Wow what a difference. Yes there is a drawback they freeze up so they work better in a heated shack but they work pretty good when temps are in the mid twenty's or higher though.

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Just say yes to icefishing!

[Bobb-o]

yeah i always use spring bobbers when fishing for crappies, but when going for eyes I use the Ice-Buster bobber

[hawgTime]

I also use spring bobbers when fishing panfish and icebusters for eyes. Spring bobber's the only way to go for panfish, much more productive.

hawgTime

[Guest]

Bobb-o and hawgtime, the ice buster bobbers clip right on your line right, and you dont use the plastic bead.I have seen them advertised.Do they ever freeze though?

[tightlines]

HEY GRINCH: What is a ssb-1 bobber , and where can I get them?

[upnorth]

The ice busters do freeze, but a quick bend of the foam and the ice is gone.

I have never used the spring bobbers for anything, how do they work?

[muchowja]

If you used the right sized bobber for the weight of your lure the fish should not even feel the bobber....so in theory it shouldn't matter which you use.

[united jigsticker]

Mucho is right.

You want to balance the bobber to jig weight ratio so the bobber barely floats. This is important and crucial not only to the sensitivity of the fish taking the bobber down, but also in the case that the fish hits it "up".

Sensitivity is the key. Fish have a great reputation of being able to suck in and spit out a bait, lure, etc, without ever being detected. The FL-8 is a great tool when the fish are finicky to detirmine when the fish has your lure.

[curt quesnell]

My Brother got me using spring bobbers 8
or nine years ago. I really liked the
sensitivity and the idea so I figured I
had hooked up the the ultimate bobber system.

But once the spring bobber was attached, it
was always there, always bent up and it seemed by the time I got to the rod the
bite was gone.

In my mind the spring bobber is still the
ticket if you are in a house where you cant
see down to the water so you can watch the
rod tip for bites.

When I first used the Ice Buster a few years
ago I gave my spring bobbers away.

Curt Quesnell

[tightlines]

Thanks for the info Grinch. I think I might even have some of those in my tackle box along with a lot of stuff I have never used.LOL LOL Find something that works and it's hard for me to change..

[Gissert]

I still use an Ice Buster bobber on occasion, but all my other bobbers (ice fishing wise) have been relegated to the trash heap once I started using the Rock N Reel. It detects the lightest biters, even the one that push the line up, like crappies.

[hawgTime]

In Theory, but not in practice.

The advantage to using a spring bobber is that you have the flexibility to adjust your depth without re-adjusting your float. I've found that panfish rarely occupy one specific depth, so while watching the fish on your vex you can move you bait to the best level at the time and still have the capacity to detect the lightest bite with the spring bobber. Also, when fishing panfish, I often use a pull-away-tease technique to trigger a bite, which is not possible to do with a float bobber and still detect the bite.

hawgTime

[This message has been edited by hawgTime (edited 12-20-2003).]

[Guest]

Tight lines it's just an ordinary spring bobber with orange paint on it. You stick it through the rod tip and heat shrink it all included. ask your local bait guy. that's where I got mine.

[Guest]

Hawgtime I know the one's youre talking about, they work good also.

[Guest]

If you are having problems with bending over your spring bobber, try not hooking your jig back to an eye on your pole. Just reel it up snug to the end of the spring bobber. Since I started doing this my spring bobbers are much straighter. Also, don't be afraid to just replace them every once in a while. The last time that I checked they only cost a buck or so.

[Ya Hey Der]

I fished with hawgTime this past weekend and fished for the first time with a spring bobber. I honestly believe that the spring bobber is the best way to go for panfish because you can fish more ways with the spring bobber than with a conventional slip bobber. I would recommend trying it at least once, you'll be surprised.

hawgTime,
Thanks for the tip on the spring bobber and for the jig. I went to the store on Sunday and bought 3 more. Are you heading out this weekend? I'd like to join you but I am heading out to NY. How about the 22nd?
aka. Turtle

[Crappie Killer]

I've tried the spring bobbers for a while also. In some situations, they are ideal. In other situations, they are a pain. To me it doesn't have to do with the type of fish, it's all about location.

Spring bobbers in conjunction with a vexilar can be a deadly combination if you're marking fish at different levels. When you mark a fish, position your bait near it and jig. A sensitive rod may do the same thing for you, but it won't detect a bite as well as a spring bobber.

If I'm consistently fishing at one level, I'd rather use a buster bobber. I can set my rod down when I want, and I know my bait will stay put. With a spring bobber, if I set my rod down, the bait moves however far my rod does, or hits the bottom and lies there.

[Hossienda]

I have used the Ice Buster bobbers with good success, but I have no idea what you all mean by the spring bobbers. How do they work? How do they attach? I could use a little help since I have absolutely no clue.

[almosthaddabite]

With an Ice Buster trimmed for nuteral buoyancy you can open your bail and go check your tipup without fear of rod going down the hole. Also if the fish rises with the bait it's much easier to detect with the buster.

If there is an advantage to the spring, please explain.

[Guest]

almosthaddabite,
That's kinda like saying "what's the advantage to a noodle rod?"
HUGE, in my opinion! I can fish different levels instantly, no bobber stop getting stuck or changing positions, even at neutral buoyancy(which you don't really achieve with ANY bobber, other wise they would be called suspenders)there is still drag on the fish. With the SB I can hook the fish before he feels it, good luck doing that with ANY bobber.
In the winter I only use the icebuster bobbers (they are the BEST) but only on deadsticks with a minnow, I don't care to set around watching bobbers, I want to FISH actively.
I think comparing these two items is like apples to oranges, totally different fishing styles. Fish on........

[united jigsticker]

One guy kindly and comically explained bobber fishing to me.

• Drink a beer
• Bobber twitches
• Get excited
• Pick up rod
• Bobber goes down
• Freak Out!
• Whip the rod back as hard as you can
• Miss fish
• Exclaim Fish On!
• Realize you errored
• Exclaim Fish Off!
• Drink another beer
  

[LuckyFish]

Hossienda,
A spring bobber is a wire or flat spring material with a line guide on the end, the spring bobber attaches to the end of your rod. You run your line through the guide on the spring, since it is way more sensitive than your rod tip you can detect light biting fish a lot easier. There are differant ways to attach a spring bobber tape, heat shrink tubing are two. Some even come with clips on them that snap onto your rod. Ask your bait shop for them I bet they have some, and can show you how to use them.
Good Luck Fishing, Lucky

[Hossienda]

Thanks for the quick lesson Lucky. I just might have to try it out tomorrow nite on some crappies. Never hurts to learn/try something new.

[hawgTime]

LOL!!! @ jigsticker. Sounds about right, but that can be fun at time too.

Ya Hey Der

Sounds good. I'll be up for something on the 22nd. Drop me a message when you get back and we can figure something out.

hawgTime

[This message has been edited by hawgTime (edited 02-11-2003).]

[Guest]

The spring bobber work great on hard bites and shy bitters. I also get those small 1 gallon buckets to put my poles on when I take a rest from jigging.Try the buckets they work well.