Lighted bobbers

[Wile E.]

I need some feedback on lighted bobbers and what and why do you use the kind that you use. Thanks Wile E.

[Borch]

I have used lighted floats a lot for eyes. It's the favorite method of my wife and kids so I do it. It can be very effective on specific pieces of structure. I used it effectively fishing the edges of flats and humps on Mille Lacs.

I've gone to ordering mine from Japan the past couple of years. I've not found anything in the states that's worth a crap. I've tried Thill, Blue Fox, the clear plastic ones(radco I think). Thills the batteries are constantly going out and line hangs up in them, Blue fox leak(I've gone through 8 of them getting maybe 1-2 uses before they go bad). I nursed an old fuji bobber for years before it finally broke. Three years ago I found the Fuji style lighted float made by National in Japan. They went for $9.00 Plus S/H and have the best lighted floats I've used since the old fuji ones. They are brighter than the other floats, use the lithium style battery and last a long time.

Best of luck!

[Pitts]

I do not like the lighted bobbers for the same reasons that are stated in the other posts. I found that the little glow sticks rubberbanded to the top of you bobber are much better and I never re-rig for night fishing. I like to use a big bobber I prefer the kind you twist to remove and then weight it accordingly especially if you are fishing in 30' of water because the bait sinks quickly and you are fishing much faster.
You can purchase the small glow sticks 1.5" for real reasonable from www.gottaglow.com they also have 3" sticks for your planerboards at night for a very reasonable price.

Pitts

[Fuzzy]

Cabela's had a really nice 'rechargeable' night float up to a year or so. It blinked unto the bite, then the light goes on solid. Think it was called strike-n-lite or something. It was cool because you 'charged' it up with a common 9-volt battery and each charge lasted a 1/2 hour or so. Easy to use all night and over and over again. Oh - it was leak proof too - everything was all molded in. Check around for it - have seen them in baitshops here and there.

[Borch]

I've used the glow sticks too. They get a bit expensive using a new stick every night. I know you can stick them in the freezer but they just aren't very bright the next night. I'm still using original batteries in all but one of my national floats(3 years of fairly frequent use). Makes them pretty economical in the long run. They are large enough to use deep and the line runs though them easily. Just wish I didn't have to go to Japan to find them.

[AquaMan]

Bummer about your Blue Fox bobbers. I have a couple dozen that work great. I use them in the winter and summer and have several different sizes. My batteries last about 7-8 times and one is still going strong after about 1 1/2 years. Granted that bobber hardly gets used, but the rubber o-rings on all the bobbers I have seal well. Sometimes I have to put some vasoline on the rings to keep them from sticking, but other then that they all work great. Maybe you got into a bad batch??

Check them out. I know that they are less then $9.00 each.

AquaMan~~~~~~~~~~~~~

.·´¯° --- "It all begins and ends at the water's edge"

Eric@crowncomputerinc.com

[Backwater Eddy]

I am no fan of blinking style floats, they drive ya nuts at night, well they do me anyway.

Especially if there is any wave action on the water.

Is that it......AH...wait-wait don't tell me.....ok there it is........nope.........mmmm....... is that it?

Now add fire flies or stars reflecting on the water and your all confused!

The FUJI floats are great, the Fox's are a good choice too.

Lindy Little Joe has a line of Pole Floats with high visibility glow paint that are wave and current friendly as they are weighted, they cast well too. They are big hummers 10-12" but they are a great system, if you wish add a glow stick on top really sets them a working. I have used them for walleye, channel cats, crappie, pike, and carp in all kinds of lake and river conditions and they perform very well.

Backwater Eddy...><,,>

[Pitts]

The glow sticks are .40 apeice so if there are three of ya fishing for three nights it will run ya 3.60 wow. I know a weekend of night fishing if on a lake far enough away that I have to stay overnight is a lot more expensive than that maybe in the range of 350$ total for 3 of us. Eddy I know what ya mean us that are real close are easy to send over the edge by very small things oh! time to take my medicine.

Pitts

[Backwater Eddy]

:)

Backwater Eddy...><,,>

[Borch]

;-)

Where you finding them for 40 cents a piece. More like twice that around here. Gosh, I must be a tight wad! :o

Whatever it takes to afford gas and bait I guess and get in an extra trip or two.


Good fishing!

[tly]

The bobber itself may not be a problem, but batteries can be. I have had batteries for years ( I don't do this much)that seem OK but crap out real soon in actual usage. Benefit of doubt goes to age.

If you are in an area where you can legally troll (which I am not in Wisc.) pulling a #9 rapala or little cleo will by far out produce slip bobbers. But if you are at the dock then in ca be fun.

Bottom line is I have various mfg. of bobber, differing batteries and not much real tme with bobber in water but life is short on batteries.

Don't give it up, just go for it!!

TLT

[Pitts]

www.gottaglow.com

Pitts