Bobbers for Walleyes

[Hutch]

Am new to the sport of walleye fishing and was wondering if someone could explain to me between a regular bobber and a slip bobber? When would a person use this and how do you rig a rod, please explain in detail. What bait and how do you present this to the walleye. Do you use this just for shore fishing or in a boat? Thanks for any responce.

Hi Hutch,

A regular float is one that is "fixed" to your line and won't move. Pros are you don't have to un rig hooks and attaches quickly. Cons are depending on the length of rod you have you can only fish a max of 6-9 feet. Any more than that it affects casting ability.

A slip float slides up and down your line. You can fish any depth of water depending where you move the bobber stop to. The stopper can be reeled right into the reel and not affect casting. This is a precise depth tool.

You can buy pre rigged bobber stops or you can tie your own. Always use a bead in between the stopper and float. I use the slip floats for live bait rigging mostly. You can use it while jigging also.

If there is anything else please let me know,

Roger Mayer.

[Pitts]

Rogers got everything right just my .02 worth.
Bobbers and bobberstops come in all styles and shapes. My favorites are the removable bobbers that a slot lines up to allow your line to enter into the slide with out retying also I like the knotted type stop that can be tied on at respool and used any time after but in a pinch use a new small rubberband just tied on the line at approx. the right depth they are cheap but can't be slid very far to adjust depth just trim ends to within 1/4 inch and the beads are not needed.
To set depth you need to know the depth you are trying to fish and adjust accordingly to be above the fish or bottom by a foot or so. Slide the knot to the proper depth and when the stop gets to the top of the bobber it stops and hangs there at the desired depth.
You gan use any type of bait crawlers, leeches, minnows, grubs, and they can be on a plain hook or a colored hook or maybe a jig of any size just be sure and size your bobber to the size and weight of your presentation.
One tip is if you are fishing real deep say 25' or more especially in big waves I like to use a bigger bobber and then add more weight or bigger jig so that the deploy time is cut to 1/4 the normal time. I have found that in big waves that if the fish are holding tight to structure you offering is only there for 3 or 4 waves and then gets pushed off the structure so reeling and deploying is almost constant and the more weight the better the placement.
One more thing when it gets dark they do sell lighted slip bobbers but just get the little glow sticks and attach with the same rubber bands used for stops to you bobber top for night fishing I personally do not like the lighted bobbers that are available at this time for a lot of reasons most of them are just my being finicky about gear I think it should last longer than a year and at least float for an hour after using it LOL.
Fish bobbers like the natural movement of prey. Wind blowing on a point fish right on it. Fish inside corners and deeper channels that run up onto a flat where fish move during feeding time at dark or high wind. They are best for fishing the spot on the spot with good control even in 10' waves LOL.
Have fun and experiment with the type you like to use and how to productively fish with bobbers.

Pitts

Hutch-Slipbobbers are a great way to fish- after a few years of use, they are probably my favorite way to present a lure as well as one of my most productive methods.First- there are 3 types of SBs- the first one the line runs thru the center of the bobber,2nd- the bobber has two eyelets,usually 1 on the bottom and one on the side, last has an eyelet on the bottom.They differ in how your bait moves when you jig your lure.Two eyelet bobbers create the most water resistance when you jig them because it gets pulled sideways when jigged. The result is your lure has more vertical movement than horizontal.They are best used if fish are located in precise locations-you get more jigs for your buck, while the lure stays in the limited area longer.SBs with the line running thru the center tip toward you when jigged, resulting in less vertical movement, and more horizontal. SBs with a single eyelet on the bottom are the happy medium, as well as the ones I prefer.Something to consider is that the more conections the bobber has to the line- the more places is has to become entangled when cast. I prefer the Bluefox lighted sbs.They come with a little plastic tit on the bottom- I trim it off and attach a snap swivel(round)- and run my line thru the swivel. This again helps to decrease fouling, as well as creates a larger eyelet, allowing your lure to sink more rapidly. Your basic sb rig should be as follows, starting with of coure your terminal tackle of your choosing,a length of snell, a small barrel swivel,bead, bobber, bead, stop.The barrel swivel is a must- you can go without- but it creates line twist which results in fouling both at the bobber and on your reel.The first bead above the swivel is also an option- but adding it eliminates the chance of your sb and swivel sticking together.There are many kinds of bobber stops- the best are the string stops. Trim the tag ends- leaving enough to grab, and snug them up every few cast, especially if you intend to use fireline or some kind of braided line.Spincast reels and long rods are in order when using sbs- as this allows longer lob type cast- so you don't shoot your bait of into space. Longer rods are a must- they help to take up slack line on the hookset- I use a 7ft rod.After you get a bite and your bobber is under, point your rodtip directly at your bobber, and slowly reel up the slack line until you feel the fish- then set the hook in an upward motion raising rod and arms above your head.A sidesweep hookset is slower and less effective in retrieving slack- you will miss alot of fish using that method.Whether using a hook or jig- I've found that widegap hooks are best and result in less missed fish. The standard lines of thinking are small lures and hooks- but this is not neccessarily the case.A common mistake is using hooks that are too small. If you use minnows, ensure that the hook protrudes thru the minnow enough to hook the fish. Leeches tend to ball up when bit- so then that hook has to penetrate two- maybe three layers of leech before hooking the fish.A wider gap hook helps eliminate that problem.Minnows in the spring and fall- although not exclusively. Leeches and crawlers are the mainstay during summer.Whether from shore or boat- upon arrival start with a minnow(lip hooked)- or a leech- these will stay on your hook better allowing for longer cast while searching for fish. Once you get a location narrowed down, move closer to where you can lob your cast- allowing use of crawlers, and hooking minnows behind the dorsel.When using crawlers- allow a few seconds- a count of ten maybe before attemting a hookset to allow the entire crawler to enter the fishes mouth. Minnows- take into consideration the size of the minnow- a few seconds is usually sufficiant. Leeches- take up the slack and hit em. Dont skip on the amount of power you put into your hookset. By adjusting your drag so that it releases line slightly on intial contact with the fish- you can hit'em hard every time without risk of line breakage- or bending hooks.This also helps to ensure you get enough powerinto the hookset to compensate for any slack line.Lastly-(about time huh?)- use your rod to measure your depth settings.By grasping the bobber stop and pulling it back tothe butt of your rod- then raising the rod straight up- you can measure. Example- I use a 7ft rod- if the bait is dangling near the handle- I'm set at 14ft- if I raise the rod but to the top of my head, I can accurately measure settings up to 20ft.You can also mark your rod. This is an awful handy method when running from structure to structure- eliminating the use of a weight to set depth-a time saver as well. Well there you go- hope it's enough to get you started- the well(coffee cup) has runith dry. Good luck-Lou in Alex.