Bobber fishing rod? What'cha using?

Triggw

Steelhead
5' Zebco spincast and a slip bobber. After surveying all the equipment variations used for so called high falutin' chironomid fishing, I realized that going back to what many of us started out with is perhaps the most efficient bobber fishing tool of all.
Don't see how you can move enough line on a strike to set the hook. Especially if it's down there 15 or 16 feet. Or get enough leader off the water to cast.
 

Bambooflyguy

Life of the Party
Don't see how you can move enough line on a strike to set the hook. Especially if it's down there 15 or 16 feet. Or get enough leader off the water to cast.
I’ll give it a shot and let you know……but I typically fish 9’-10’ max under the indicator. I miss way more than I catch with my regular setup anyway!
 

Triggw

Steelhead
". . . slip bobber . . ."
All the slip bobbers I've used are tight to the line--at the required distance above the fly to drop it to the right depth--until you set the hook (or miss a strike). I.e., if you want the fly to be14 feet deep, you've got to have 14 feet of line *below* the slip bobber. If you know of one that can ride near the fly during the cast and then let the fly drop to some set point, I'd like to know about that.
 

clarkman

average member
Forum Supporter
maybe they should be called sliding bobbers with a little bobber stopper tight on the line that casts through everything nicely.
 

Bambooflyguy

Life of the Party
OK, tell me about slip bobbers. This sounds like something I need.
Slip bobbers are typically used on gear rods. Basically just a bobber that free slides on the line with a fixed bobber stop above and a swivel below. This allows it easier to cast and net the fish while it’s set at a designated depth. Unlike a quick release bobber that crimps the line set at a certain depth, then releases when a fish hits or in my case it releases prematurely while casting…..
 

SurfnFish

Legend
Forum Supporter
OK, tell me about slip bobbers. This sounds like something I need.

set the indicator to the appropriate depth, fish strikes, it immediately breaks loose so the indicator doesn't interfere with reeling in the fish.
Here's Phil Crowley well explaining the set-up.
 

Triggw

Steelhead
set the indicator to the appropriate depth, fish strikes, it immediately breaks loose so the indicator doesn't interfere with reeling in the fish.
Here's Phil Crowley well explaining the set-up.

No, I got that. That's what @Bambooflyguy is calling a quick-release bobber, which I'm very familiar with. I'll look into "slip bobbers" more, but it doesn't sound like it would work for deep nymphing on a fly rod. Thanks for the info, though.
 

Bambooflyguy

Life of the Party
Yes, the quick release indicator is Phil Rowley’s. I’ve used these as slip bobbers with a small piece of rubber band as a bobber stop. But I’d rather fish shallower with a fixed indicator.
 

Irafly

Life of the Party
Forum Supporter
No, I got that. That's what @Bambooflyguy is calling a quick-release bobber, which I'm very familiar with. I'll look into "slip bobbers" more, but it doesn't sound like it would work for deep nymphing on a fly rod. Thanks for the info, though.
I’ve tried true slip bobbers, but unfortunately, flies don’t tend to be heavy enough to overcome the friction of the line passing through the bobber and to over come the surface tension of the leader left on the water behind the bobber. That and I don’t like using split shot. The line will eventually pull through with a heavy enough fly, but it takes a long time.
 

Chris Johnson

Steelhead
I use an Echo Ion 10' 5wt and an Anadro line, works great. I've been pondering a Linear 1040 in 5 0r 6wt.
 

_WW_

Geriatric Skagit Swinger
Forum Supporter
Last season I used a 3wt 11' Echo TR with a 6wt Anadro line. Cuts down on the rodeo casting with long leaders and eliminates false casting with shorter ones. This year I'll have two 3wt trout speys.
 

wetline dave

Steelhead
I use the same 6 wt rod for everything, a V2 Scott and just 3diffeent lines, a WF floater, a sink tip, and a type 5 full sinking line.

And surprise surprise I seem to catch fish just fine and generally as well or better than other around me. I guess refuse to buy into the manufacturers hype of needing a different rod for every style of fishing.

Baah Humbug!!

Dave
 
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