When & How to Fish With a Slip Bobber

In certain circles, mainly through walleye country, slip bobbers (also called slip floats or slip corks) are extremely popular, and various anglers who target a broad range of species throughout the country recognize the unique benefits of using slip bobber rigs.

As effective as they can be for presenting baits accurately in specific locations, slip bobbers remain somewhat of a mystery to many anglers. Uncertainty about rigging and fishing techniques undoubtedly keeps many anglers from ever trying slip bobbers and discovering the wonderful functionality they deliver.

We’ll look at primary advantages and applications for slip floats, and then break down rigging and setting depths, both of which are simpler than many anglers realize.

Slip bobber fishing is most associated with walleyes, especially walleyes that are positioned along breaks or over points, reefs or rock piles. A slip bobber rig allows for targeted presentations, keeping the bait suspended at a prescribed depth – often just off the bottom – and it works whether the fish are straight down from an angler’s position or a cast’s distance away.

The same advantages come into play whether you’re suspending a bait for walleyes in natural lake, bluegills in a farm pond, crappie in a reservoir or speckled trout in the marsh. Because of the broad range of applications, slip bobbers come in a vast range of sizes and shapes, and Thill offers both balsa and foam slip bobber options.

Unlike a fixed float, a slip float slips (slides) freely up and down the line, like an egg sinker. A bobber stopper of some sort is fixed on the line above the float to stop its slide and control the depth. Whatever distance the stopper is set from the jig or hook determines the depth where the bait will suspend.

The most important benefit is that whether a slip bobber is set for 3 feet or 30 feet, before it is cast, the float rests on the hook or on any weight that is above the hook, creating a compact offering that can be cast efficiently. With most rods, it is difficult or even impossible to cast a set float if the float is set more than about 4 feet deep, and it’s unmanageable to even pitch out or to land fish if a fixed float is set deeper than the length of the rod.

Whether you’re casting to a bridge support, the end of a laydown or some other cover or letting your rig drift over a reef or point or along break, a slip float keeps your bait at the proper depth. Notably, while slip bobbers are most commonly associated with live bait fishing, they also work extremely well for slow, precise suspended jig presentations.

Another important benefit a slip bobber provides is that changing depths for different spots or to pattern fish and find key holding zones is as simple as sliding the stopper up or down the line.

The best method for setting the depth depends on the depth where you want your bait to suspend. If the desired depth is less than about 5 feet, it’s easiest to just eyeball the distance from the hook to the stopper.

Your rod also provides useful measuring reference. Simply put your hook at the at the butt of the rod, and you know that putting the stopper at the rod tip gives you the rod length, and putting it at the reel gives you twice that, minus the handle length. Although you probably won’t need one of those exact measurements, two refence points make it easy to estimate any depth up to twice the rod’s length or even a few feet deeper.

To set your float deeper than that, the easiest technique for most anglers is to count “pulls” of two feet. Beginning with the stopper one rod length from the bait, simply pinch the stopper with your reel’s bail open and pull line through it, away from the reel, two feet at a time. It’s easy to estimate two feet at a time to quickly measure out the desired amount of line.

Effective methods noted, if you are fishing from a boat and have live sonar available, you can skip most of that. Your electronics will reveal the depth of the cover and the fish. For setting the depth, you can start with a guess, cast into the sonar cone, see exactly where the bait suspends and adjust accordingly.

Watch where you see fish and how they respond as you go. If you realize your bait is staying beneath most fish – even barely – set it a bit shallower. Most fish are more apt to feed up than down. Alternatively, if the bait is too far above the fish and isn’t calling them up to investigate, you might need to set it a bit deeper

The Thill Crappie Cork, which despite its name is a premium balsa multi-species float, can be rigged as a fixed float or as a slip float, and no bead is required for slip float rigging.

Making the Crappie Cork extra simple to rig as a slip float, it comes with a bobber stop knot tied onto the top stem. Simply put the float on the line, slide the knot off the top and tighten and trim the knot. Add a jig or split shot and hook, and you’re ready to fish.

The Crappie Cork provides great options for a vast range of fishing situations as it comes in three sizes, designed to suspend 1/16, 1/8 and 1/4 ounce of weight. A weight rating printed on the side of every Crappie Cork makes it easy to pick the right float for the situation.

• Pro Series Slip Float – Premium slip float with brass grommet on the stem for free line flow
• America’s Favorite Series – Balsa floats with slip float options in a range of shapes and sizes
• Fantastic Foam Floats – Cost effective option in a broad range of sizes and shapes
• Premium Bobber Stops – Don’t forget them!