Slip Bobbering

[Administrator]

I remember Jay and some of the others on the other board slip bobber with great success. I tried it a couple times with very little success. What are some of the key secrets to being successful using this technique. Stiffer fishing rod, longer rod, terminal tackle? I remember Jay posted a pic once of his terminal tackle.  As there any time of the year that it works better or is it a day by day thing? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[600 miles north]

     I would say being at the right depth is the biggest key to using a slip bobber. If the fish are heading to shallow water in the evening, it is a great way to cast in closer to shore at a set depth. The bobber is sensitive to any bites and shows ripples on the water so its like fishing with an ultra lite, and it is a great way to night fish with an illuminating bobber.

Brad

[Capt.Guy]

When my Canada fishing partner Oarin (best net man this side of the mighty Marquis river) and I fish Lake Kipawa,that is his main way to fish for Walleye while I jig off the bottom.
One thing I've noticed with slip bobbering is to let the fish take the bobber under a bit 1-3 ft. we seem to get better hookups that way  rather  than immediately setting the hook.
I'm sure Oarin will chime in when he see's this post as he has far more experience with this method of fishing than myself.We make a good team fishing in that he fishes suspended and I fish the bottom ,so we cover the area pretty well. If he is out fishing me ,I switch right over to slip bobbers ...if I am out fishing him he lowers the bait towards bottom.
The other reason we make a good fishing team is he lets me drive the boat.It's all good if I get to drive.....

[Jay Thomas]

I remember Jay and some of the others on the other board slip bobber with great success. I tried it a couple times with very little success. What are some of the key secrets to being successful using this technique. Stiffer fishing rod, longer rod, terminal tackle? I remember Jay posted a pic once of his terminal tackle.  As there any time of the year that it works better or is it a day by day thing? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Hi Nancy:

Here's a couple of references: http://www.hloutdoors.com/swami.htm and Master the Art of Slip Bobbering by Greg Bohn for $14

Here is the setup I personally use to slip bobber walleyes (suspended or hugging a snaggy bottom): 

TWS66MLF St. Croix rod - Length 6' 6",Power ML, Action Fast, Piece 1, Line wt. 4 - 10, Lure wt. 1/8 - 3/8oz., Rod wt. 3.4oz.

Shimano Stradic 1000FI reel spooled with Crystal Fireline 8/3.

I use Thill Nite-Brite Floats - see Cabela's item number  IK-115123. I use both 4" and 5" floats.

I use approximately 3 feet of 8 pound fluorocarbon between my main line and a # 4 Mustad double wide gap fine wire hook (10548R). I usually use 2 light split shot below the float to offset the floats buoyancy by approximately 50% (less resistance to a bite).

Regardless the time of year, slip bobbering is a viable option anytime you're fishing suspended walleye or walleye tight to a snaggy bottom. That being said though, I have used slip bobbering more in late Jun when fishing suspended walleye during the rise of the mayfly larvae to the surface from muddy bottoms. As I understand it, the mayfly larvae's rise to the surface can take days and so consequently the walleye feed on them at different depths in the water column over time. Of course, any other time your electronics show you the walleye are suspended, get out your slip bobber gear. Using the slip bobbering technique over snaggy bottoms just saves me lots of jigs.

Jay

[Dog]

I'd love to learn how to slip bobber. Maybe Flag or SgtCrabby can teach me on this years trip...

[Oarin]

Hi Nancy, thanks for starting this site! The others pretty much covered it. The biggest thing is to wait to set the hook, like Capt. Guy said. I try to count to 5 before setting it. One odd thing I found is if a bass is taking the bait the bobber won't always go under, it will move sideways. I am awful at jigging, it's mainly me feeding the fish! Using a slip bobber has greatly increased my success rate. I think it might have been T-Bone who mentioned using one several years ago. Who ever it was, THANKS!!!. Oarin.

[RHYBAK]

Hi Nancy, thanks for starting this site! The others pretty much covered it. The biggest thing is to wait to set the hook, like Capt. Guy said. I try to count to 5 before setting it. One odd thing I found is if a bass is taking the bait the bobber won't always go under, it will move sideways. I am awful at jigging, it's mainly me feeding the fish! Using a slip bobber has greatly increased my success rate. I think it might have been T-Bone who mentioned using one several years ago. Who ever it was, THANKS!!!. Oarin.

It was me.

[RHYBAK]

I haven't posted anything on this topic because I feel it has really been exhausted over the years. Every year, over and over again a repeat .

Here I go.
Every year ,our group goes up to Kipawa the end of June.
Bait is shallow,May flies are hatching etc.
My fish finder was constantly showing activity in 7 FOW suspended at various locations around the lake...10 foot area,20 foot area's ,everywhere.
Then every once in a while a bigger solid hook would swim through.
This was when I decided to try a slip float set at the same depth as the bait fish.
This is the same time I found out how to catch suspended walleye.

Surprisingly,the first year,my Buddy Yuriy was tight up against a wind blow shoreline one night and they had their floats (bobber for or U.S. friends) up tight to shore set at two feet and they were catching 5-8 pound walleye in tight chasing minnows.

We were all sold that year and to this day during my stay at Kipawa,90% of my fishing is slip float (bobber) fishing.
We will cast tight to shore or out in the open.
As long as I see baitfish swimming around,I'm float fishing.

Another year,I was surprised to see a friend of our  bobber fishing mid day,high sun,slight breese fishing a small cove.
I told him he was nuts at which point he lifted his stringer.
Man,I've been fishing that cove every year since with great success every year.

Slip floating is it for me.

[Oarin]

Sorry Rhybak, it was a long time ago, but it made a HUGE difference for me. Thanks!!!!!  I think most people think of using bobbers in shallow water, but it can be used in deeper water too. Oarin.

[Oarin]

Rhybak, the topic might have been exhausted on the kipawa.net site, but this is a new one with some new members, so some topics merit repeating. If I hadn't read your post way back when on slip bobbers I'm not sure I'd still be going to Kipawa. The bite is so light that those of us that struggle with jigging can get frustrated easily. Those of you with knowledge of the lake and proven methods need to share them with the new members. If it's a repeat of what was said on kipawa.net so be it. Oarin.

[Kent]

Does one type of float work better than others?   I have always been a jig guy but would love to give this a try this year!

[Oarin]

Jay got it right, as usual, Thill Nite Bright or regular bobbers are what I use. One thing I found is the red top bobbers are much easier to see in daylight. The green is tougher, especially in choppy water.