# Weighted or unweighted slip bobber?



## musclebeach22

You guys have any preference, and if you do, what reasoning?

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## c. j. stone

Are you asking about drifting for steelhead? Personally I like the extra distance the weighted bobbers offer -but I never use slip bobbers for rivers, just lakes. I would expect with the quick changes of depth during a drift, you could end up with loose line between the bob and the stop possibly missing a hit or even a hook set! JMO.


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## Whitebeard

C.J. makes some valid points about weight on your slip bobber, but I'll take the other side of the argument when it comes to the ability to constantly change depths in flowing waters.

The slip bobber (float/indicator) allows you to do just that, quickly and easily, by placing an adjustable stop above the float/indicator which permits you to achieve a measured depth on the drift. Of course, you may also wish to place a permanent stop below the float/indicator on your line to comfortably position your terminal rig when casting. This could be a small, ball bearing micro swivel with a ring at either end.

You can fasten your leader to the swivel (length optional) and arrange the leader so it has a breaking point less than the line on your reel. So, if you break off, you'll only lose terminal tackle below the swivel and float/indicator. You can also adjust the diameter of your leader at any time to suit the size of your presentation and/or the mood of the fish based on clarity of the water. The same goes for the weight of the shot based on depth and rate of flow.

It's also possible to prepare several of these leaders in advance in the comfort of your home and only need to tie a single knot to fasten them to the bottom ring on your swivel when you're on the water. This method can be used with bait or artificials on a spinning rod, fly rod, casting rod, or even a center pin. 

Give it a try! :G

The following is an excerpt from the article "Complete Guide to Winter Steelhead" published on the blog, TheRockyRiver.com, written by therockyriver.com staff:

Use a stream float for drifting bait through the pool. It allows for quick and easy adjusting of how deep the bait will run. Steelhead practically sit on the bottom of the riverbed in cold weather, so being able to adjust your bait even a few inches can make the difference between a successful day and coming up empty. Experiment with different depths, starting higher up in the water column. If the pool is four feet deep, drift the bait at a depth of three feet, and after thorough coverage of the area, drop it a couple inches, and then a couple more. If you land a fish, dont change what you were doing. If a current is faster than usual, the bait will not sink to 4 foot depth on a 4 foot leader from the float. Test the current, but typically add an extra 1 to 2 feet of line to make sure the bait is getting down into the strike zone. This may mean a 6+ foot leader from the float to cover a 4 foot deep pool. Keep in mind that surface water moves much quicker than the water at the bottom of the pool. Line control is important in winter especially, as the bait should be moving as slow as possible  which will be the speed of the current at the bottom of the river. Use a long rod (10-13 feet), keep the tip up and avoid too much line catching the current on the faster surface water. Do not start with too much line running below the float, you want to start shorter, and progressively work your way deeper. Lining a fish, that is, having too much line drift over and contact the fishs body will ruin the pool. The key is to be methodical and patient. The same concept applies horizontally when we discuss casting.

Your very first cast should just be a short pitch to drop the float into the current. With each new cast, extend the distance of where the float lands by only a matter of inches. This can get painful, but is crucial as not only will the pool be covered inch by inch, but youll also avoid lining a fish as we mention above. A steelhead in cold water may only move 1 inch to take an opportunistic slurp of food, so its essential to make incremental casts at a couple inches at a time to really cover the entire area properly.


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## fishinnick

I prefer unweighted.......never used a weighted before and probably never will.


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## Gills63

I've used the weighted ones. You don't need as much lead under it.

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## Amerson

I prefer the weighted ones. Less resistant and more sensitivity. . 


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## Steelhauler

I never use slip bobbers. Most of the rivers around here don't have the depth that would require the use of them. If you are using a float rod or a noodle rod you can fish 8 feet or so beneath your float and still cast comfortably. As far as weighted or unweighted floats, I use the unweighted. I change float sizes and add shot if I need to get extra distance. Most weighted floats have a larger profile and it makes it harder to detect the light bites at times. Floats like the Drennan or the Raven are what I prefer. Just my two cents.

Wes


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## rutnut245

Weighted bobbers are made for fishing in current so that the bobber stands up quickly when it hits the stop. They're very good for deeper water. Much the same as pinners put heavier shot on their line just under the float when using a shirt button pattern. The line on the float or where the colors change is where the water line should be when properly weighted. The idea is to get the line off the water quickly. Of coarse you can use them any way you choose but casting distance is just an added bonus.


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## ShutUpNFish

steelhauler said:


> i never use slip bobbers. Most of the rivers around here don't have the depth that would require the use of them. If you are using a float rod or a noodle rod you can fish 8 feet or so beneath your float and still cast comfortably. As far as weighted or unweighted floats, i use the unweighted. I change float sizes and add shot if i need to get extra distance. Most weighted floats have a larger profile and it makes it harder to detect the light bites at times. Floats like the drennan or the raven are what i prefer. Just my two cents.
> 
> Wes


+1.............


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## Whitebeard

Steelhauler said:


> As far as weighted or unweighted floats, I use the unweighted. . . . . Floats like the Drennan or the Raven are what I prefer. Just my two cents.
> 
> Wes


Factoring in inflation, I think you're on the right track and your two cents is probably worth a dollar.

My fishing buddy and I regularly fish PFBC regulated catch and release limestone streams in central PA. Spring Creek in Centre County would be a good example. Spring Creek transitions from the slowly gliding waters of a typical limestoner into a high gradient, riffle/pool/pocket water stream. Here, we completely eliminate any floating indicators in favor of getting an even better drift and a closer connection with the artificials at the ends of our tippet. Distance is not a determining factor and old-style nymph fishing is the key to hooking at least 10-15 trout in a typical six hour fishing day.

Regulations require the use of only fly rods with typical artificials. Leader lengths may vary with stream conditions, but prime fishing days favor the use of a 7-7.5' leader. With an 8-9' rod, you don't need to constantly pull your leader connection through the tip top and on to the rod guides.

The leader near the connection to the fly line is threaded through one inch of narrow diameter, chartreuse or fluorescent orange tubing. This serves as an "air bobber" that can be followed throughout each drift. If this indicator stops, dips or turns, a quick hook set can produce a trout. Concentration is the key. So is proper shotting that allows the angler to follow the contours of the stream bed, keeping your point nymph naturally bouncing along the bottom and your dropper about 6-12" higher in the water column.

This seems to be the ideal method and it's been handed down for generations. Of course, the game changes when you cannot approach the fish at a relatively short distance or when the depth or velocity of the water precludes wading in a larger stream or river. I suspect that this is what necessitated the development of the float indicator in its many variations.


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