Anyone use slip bobbers for the ice hole?

[Ice Slippn]

I have three rods rigged with slip bobs, wondering if others do this?

[Dacotah Eye]

I do it all the time. Several rigged with slip bobbers and one or two for jigging.

[Icefishingmaniac]

The problem with slip bobbers for ice fishing is that they freeze up easily when it is cold. I do however use them in the spring when it is warm.



Icefishingmaniac

[The Bullhead]

You bet, rarely go without one.

I use the ice buster slip bobs almost exclusively. I have a couple rig with traditional SB's, but those are for inside the heated shack only. I've lost more fish than I can remember having a traditional slip bob freeze to the line outside. The ice busters remedied this problem nicely.

Google: "ice buster bobber" for more info.

[Dacotah Eye]

Have you ever used an Ice Buster Or Thill that has the hole in the bottom so it is under water? They won't freeze. I use both and some of my Thills have a slotted arrangement like the Ice Buster and a sleeve that slides over it to keep the line contained. The ones that have the line running through a tube from bottom to top are pretty useless outside. :cheers:

[Johnnie Candle]

Ice Busters all the way!!! The line attachment point stays underwater, so no freezing. The other nice feature is you can trim them to the length that best suits your jig. This makes them ultra sensative to light bitting panfish strikes.

[Vex]

Rarely use floats under the ice. The Vex serves as a strike indicator. Also, when using micro-light rigs, (under 2 lb. test), I frequently use mono nylon sewing thread in closed faced, under the rod type spincast reels. A closed face reel keeps snow and ice off the line. A stop-knot doesn't feed well in these types of reels.

[Icefishingmaniac]

Don't you have problems with ice build up when you jig up and down? I have never used a ice buster bobber before. Looks like it could work great.



Icefishingmaniac

[JJ Mac]

Another vote here for the ice busters. Another nice thing I'll add about them is the clip on design. You can pop them off while travelling so the rod packs up nicely. Also if you do get into trouble while fighting a fish, you can always take it off the line.

I've tried a new technique with ice buster bobbers. Instead of having a traditional deadstick as a second line, I'll put two ice busters on with a heavy jig such as #7 jigging rap or swedish pimple, tipped with a minnow head. Just give that rod a jig every 45 seconds or so and then deadstick it while you jig with the other rod. Deadly!

[risor39]

We use them all the time for lake trout fishing cut bait.Yes it can be a pain with freeze ups but we usually are fishing in a heated tent so thats not a big problem.Lake trout are not ferocious when it comes to attacking a bait so we get the bobbers just barely floating and look for a slight sinking of the bobber.