# Bobber, No Bobber or both Spring & Bobber



## icebucketjohn (Dec 22, 2005)

Curious as to rigging your ice rods. Do you use a Standard Bobber.... No Bobber (Tight-line), Spring Bobber or both a regular bobber & spring bobber?


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## PapawSmith (Feb 13, 2007)

If the wind is blowing hard and the water is moving alot in the hole I prefer to tightline. If the bite is aggressive and the wind is not bad I like to use a small old fashioned cork bobber. If the wind is not bad and the bite is very light I like the spring bobbers. Thats how I do it.


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## peple of the perch (Sep 13, 2004)

I usually don't use a spring bobber, or a bobber. But it is a little easier to identify the fish hit with a vexilar, because you know its there. I think that with crappie though that a spring bobber is probably a must. I would recomend a speing bobber, just because you can detect more sensitive bites and you can work the water column a little easier. I think with a regular bobber a spring bobber is not nessesary because you dont have a tight line between the bobber top and the spring. Go to iceshanty.com, they have a lot of great resources there and a lot of knowlageble people there.


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## ParmaBass (Apr 11, 2004)

I'm 5 rods with bobber one with spring bobber. I just starting using Froghair brand slip bobbers and think they are the cats @ss of ice bobbers!


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## swone (Jan 24, 2007)

I use some of each. If the bite is slow I have an old "schooly" rod with a spring bobber that seems to work better when they are sniffing. I love to use no bobber because I love to reel them in. I usually only use a bobber for minnows so I can leave some slack when they really take it. I also find it easeir to see a bobber go down out of the corner of my eye than a deadstick. If anyone has any good rigs for a slip bobber I would really appreciate a look and or description.


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## Salmonid (Apr 14, 2004)

Ok, I am new at this as well, how deep is too deep for a spring bobber and time for a slip bobber? and what types of slip bobbers does everyone like to use? 

Salmonid


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## peon (Feb 28, 2005)

all 5 of my rods have spring bobbers.. 4 are the old metal style and my new panfish popper has the actual spring


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## papaperch (Apr 12, 2004)

A spring bobber has a lot to do with your lure action. While it does a fine job of strike detection it also permits your lure to react more naturally when jigging or swimming it. When using live minnow I prefer a float just big enough to hold the minnow from sinking the float. I usually rig my deadstick with a float. The sping bobber equipped one rarely leaves my hand.


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## tomb (Oct 9, 2004)

I like these for my deadstick: http://www.thornebros.com/winter/tackle/icefloats/todays_icebuster.html

Don't be shocked at how much you cut off the 3.5" one to just float a minnow and BB split shot, only about 1" of foam left.


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## Buckeye Mike (Jan 4, 2007)

Tightline 99.9 percent of the time, and then will use the spring for panfish.
First read about the tightline method, in In-Fisherman by Dave Genz, tried it and liked it. Does help to have a sensitive rod, but if you use a Vexalar or any flasher, it does put you on alert mode and makes it easier to feel the bite or see the line move. Even showed the grandson how to fish this way last ice season, and he did real good, for his first time on the ice.


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## hardwaterfan (Apr 6, 2004)

i always use spring bobbers for panfish but they dont work too well outside of a shanty. inside a shanty spring bobbers are awesome. outside they freeze up first time you reel in and the wind blows them around too much. if im fishing for walleyes i dont use any kind of bobber. its spring bobbers or nothing for me. 

i used to use thill bobbers with stops, they worked real well. the stops were small rubber dots, i used to thread them on the line first thing in the season, then leave them on for the rest of the year. when you need them just move them into position.


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## erieflyguy (Dec 6, 2007)

I use tiny strike indicators made for fly fishing and bobber stops for 99&#37; of my ice fishing.


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## mrphish42 (Jan 24, 2008)

I have been known to use all but the "spring bobber and bobber combo". HWFAN.......Covered things very well, outside conditions and all....pro/con. His mention of using the rubber style "stops" is what I did (since they first came out).....but when I switched to "SUPER LINES" and "MICRO'S" for ice fishing......I quickly found that they moved on the line (because super lines are so slick finshed) and would not stay in place and you reeled in your line. As the "rubber stop" hits the tip guide at a slight angle (it would stay put) and as you reel up your line slips right thru and constantly changes the depth setting you had pre-set....and you had to reset the depth every time you reeled in a fish....So to solve that problem....I found that the tiny plastic "BOBBER STOPS" called "GIZMO'S.....worked much better on the slipping problem.....THE Rubber Stops are pretty much designed to work better with MONO and they do the job on it.......Also if you are fishing outside a shanty....and have ice build up in your guides "bobber stops are going to slide when they hit the obstruction (ice particles)....THE ONLY REASON I WENT IN TO THIS WAS....FOR THE NEW OR NEWER ICE FISHERMAN THIS LITTLE ITEM CAN BE A PAIN IN THE A$$ to figure out.......and alot of guys that like to bobber fish.....like to use slip bobbers..........Jon Sr.


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## powerstrokin73 (May 21, 2008)

ok mrphish where can i find these i'm using the 1lbtest fireline thats.25lb test dia. and i'm having troubles with bobbers love the line though takes almost 10 lbs to break a foot long piece and its almost invisible in the water and super sensitive


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## mrphish42 (Jan 24, 2008)

PS73(Evin).......last ones I found were at Novembers (before they moved from Mog)...I'm going to check with Mark to see if he can get some (if he doesn't already have some).....I'll cover you either way.....to get you started......see ya later..........Jon Sr..... PS...For anyone else that is interested......THEY ARE MADE BY RAINBOW PLASTICS AND ARE CALLED "GIZMO BOBBER STOPS'.........Jon Sr.


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## powerstrokin73 (May 21, 2008)

found them on Cabela's too 2.99 for 50


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## powerstrokin73 (May 21, 2008)

GIZMO bobber stops


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## mrphish42 (Jan 24, 2008)

PS73......thats them and thats one hell of a better price than you can find them here for......looks like one of those things that it's much/much better to order on line. So on this one as they say "LET YOUR FINGERS DO THE SHOPIN".............Jon Sr.


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## powerstrokin73 (May 21, 2008)

even with shippin cost though??? i just calculated it almost 8 bucks shipped to my door. darn flat rate shippin from cabela's 4.95 for shipping!!! put it in an envelope and mail it for peets sake


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## mrphish42 (Jan 24, 2008)

Yes......even with the shippin.....The packs I bought only came on cards to the bait shops where I got them................and there were only 4 Gizmo's in a pack for between a buck to a buck and a half.....But better still.....hold off, cause as we we talkin (PM's) about this new 1/4 # test stuff.....seeing just how that one flies.......I'll get you some to try first, when I see you at Marks....thats even better....catch ya later.....Jon Sr.


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## bassmastermjb (Apr 8, 2004)

I have at least 10 (4 per pack)packs of what your looking for.Stop on in, I'll be here all day..............Mark


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## falbinki (Dec 20, 2008)

since i have started useing st croix. legend spring bobber rods i won't fish without them anymore. they are in my opinion the best rods on the market right now. although i am hearing alot of good things about the jason mitchell rods, but i have not had the chance to use one yet. as far as the legend rods go they are a little pricy but worth every penny you pay for them. my catch rates have gone up tremendously since i started useing them. the only thing that i will tell you is that if you are going to buy one i highly recomend getting a medium blank and just change the springs out for smaller or bigger jigs depending on what you are fishing. the first one i bought was the ultra lite and the rod did not have enogh backbone and i lost a bunch of fish with it so i went with a heavier rod and ultra lite spring and WOW what a differance. and it does'nt make a differance how stiff the rod is or how rigid the tip is since all your hits are seen through the spring.


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## fish master (Dec 24, 2005)

i just take the spring out of an old pen strech it out and tape it to the tip of the pole works wonders compaired to not havin:B g one... just for thought......


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## outdoorzman (Dec 18, 2005)

I mainly use the tightline method with a vexilar. Sometimes if I am using two rods I will set up a schooly with a spring bobber and tightline with the other to see what they perfer. Using the vex it is much easier for me to just use the tightline method and not mess with a bobber at all.


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## icefisherman4life (Aug 5, 2007)

i mainly use bobbers. but in deeper water i tightline. im gonna try spring bobbers this year.


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## Big Daddy (Apr 6, 2004)

I tight line, use bobbers, and slip bobbers... Just depends on what I'm going for and where... My favorite way to fish is tight line with a Vex...


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## Blue Pike (Apr 24, 2004)

Pan Fishing, in the shanty. I usually have a dead stick with a spring bobber and a jigging rod in my hands.


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## peple of the perch (Sep 13, 2004)

Has anyone tried to make their own spring bobber out of guitar or piano string? I have made a couple and they are pretty nice. there is acouple of posts about them on iceshanty too!


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