Slip Bobber Rigging

[mo65]

Originally Posted by bass or bass?

Thanks Joe W, Ive wanted to try a bobber stop rig for years now but just couldn't figure out how the rig works. Thanks again. And to Tholmes, I just recently read about using the rubber band idea so I will try that on my first slip bobber rig. Thanks guys.

Hey bass or bass?, I was just wondering if you were going to try the slip bobber rig for catfish. I have used it for years with great success on flatheads. Works very well for suspending a bluegill off the bottom. Takes some getting used to, watching that float swim around, but you'll know when a big flat grabs it. Remember when Jaws pulled one of Quint's barrels under? Same deal...!

I started using slip bobbers in Canada in the early spring for big Northerns, using 6-10 inch live suckers for bait. Got tired of having the bobber tangle around the bait when casting, and having the bobber limit how close you could reel the fish in to the boat! Came on the idea for slip bobbers somewhere, but couldn't find a commercial bobber large enought to hold a big live bait suspended! So... I made my own out of styrofoam cylinders with a hole poked through them with a staw glued in the hole to smooth it! Worked perfectly!

And yea- those suckers did tow the bobber around! Eventually we got so good at watching what the bobber did, we could call the fish before we even struck just by how the bobber behaved!

If the bobber was moving along the surface slowly- that was just the sucker. But if it suddenly moved quickly and in a zig zag- uh oh- the sucker spotted a Pike stalking it! Get ready!

If the bobber went down, but never more than a foot below the surface (you could watch it moving under the water!), it was a Pike!

If it went down with a "pop" and stayed down as the fish moved off- it was a Bowfin or grindle. Booo!

If it went down, stayed in the same spot, then came back up- most likely a bullhead, and we caught some very big ones! Although usually if you checked the bait after that- you'd find the stomach torn open on the sucker and the insides sucked out! I don't know why, or how the bullhead did that, but they did!

And speaking of Jaws- my buddy once hooked a nice Northern that came right at the boat! Watched the bobber come at the boat, thought the Pike was going to ram us! Then it went down and came up the other side and headed away from us! Buddy did some fancy footwork to get his line around the motor, but he landed it!

And while I'm on this thought- you cat fishermen- did you ever use a "Quick-Strike" rig, with two tiny adjustable trebles on the leader? We also got tired of dropped baits when waiting for the fish to gulp those big suckers. Saw another ad for "Quick-Strikes"- modified them, and make my own. No waiting! bobber goes down, strike immediately! And those little #6 trebs really hold on!

Dang! Almost warm enough here to go fishing today! Best---- JoeW

[mo65]

Big 10-4 on reading that bobber Joe...it don't take long to know what you want to see it do! It gets to the point where you KNOW what is happening. Gives a new meaning to the term "bobber watcher"!

When you said your bait fish had their guts pulled out...we've had that happen too...but small turtles were the culprits!

One last thing...you said you had trouble finding floats big enough. Do you have catfish in your locale? We use 12" to 8" South Bend cheapies...from K-mart...they work with big 'gills, suckers, and large creek chubs. Haven't tried the "quick strike" rig yet, but I have buddies who swear by it!

[bass or bass?]

I've never slip bobbered for flatheads, but I'd like to sometime.

"When you said your bait fish had their guts pulled out...we've had that happen too...but small turtles were the culprits!"

One last thing...you said you had trouble finding floats big enough. Do you have catfish in your locale? We use 12" to 8" South Bend cheapies...from K-mart...they work with big 'gills, suckers, and large creek chubs. Haven't tried the "quick strike" rig yet, but I have buddies who swear by it!

Ya know! You may be right about those ruined baits! Early spring we fish the shallow (6' or less) bays- bottom covered with dead weeds and litter. those gutted baits just may have been from turtles! huh! We always thought Bullheads, though, because we'd pull in a couple of them and the bait would be gutted, but the bullhead may have been getting after the bait AFTER a turtle had played around with it! Never thought of turtles! Genius, pure genius!

those floats- I never like the commercial big ones- they were always weighted and just wouldn't hold up those big baits. When i made the styrofoam ones, I made up four and still have all of them left. I carefully trimmed them to being perfect for those big baits, yet go under on a hit with minimal resistance. Plus- I like DIY- a lot of times you do come out with a superior product!

And those Quick Strike rigs- make them yourself! The commercial ones have hooks to big and coated wire. Just ain't as good as the ones you can make yourself and they won't cost you an arm and leg! And believe me- they do work- trust them! Bobber goes down- take up slack--strike immediately! It took my buddy about one hour out fishing- me with quickstrikes and him with those English hooks- and he spent the rest of the trip borrowing MY quick strike rigs! Best----- JoeW

[mo65]

Yep...I know what you mean about the weighted floats. They make em' unweighted also. That's what my dad and I use, so that we can "tune" them for a specific bait, similar to what you're doing with your custom floats.

Something else that's a blast is fishing at night with those big floats. Tape a light stick on(those kind you bend and snap so they glow)and throw it out as far as you want. Its super easy to see that glowing light out there...so when it disappears you know its party time!