LET’S TALK SPRING BOBBERS – First off, hate them. Never put them on a rod I don’t have to. Having said that there are instances, such as long-stand-up-hole-hopping rods that you need that visual bite detection from a distance. Lots of options. What do YOU like and why, attach photos please……AND what some some different ways to attach them to the blanks?

See photo of samples, thanks, Buzz




[www.rodbuilding.org]

I currently don't use spring bobbers and won't use them in the future.

If I need a rod with a good visual strike indication, I use a blank that has at least 4 inches on the tip that is very soft and flexible so that the rod itself if the bite indicator or bobber - so to speak.

I only build on solid graphite or glass blanks so if that sort if tip is needed, I will just shape the blank as necessary to achieve that action on the blank.

Be safe

I understand that Roger. But customers who hole hop in very shallow water stand well back from the hole and put the tip of the rod just over the hole. They can be as much as 5 feet away and to find a 5 foot blank, with a tip as soft as a power noodle is difficult. Hence the need for a spring bobber. Do you know of such a blank?
Thanks
Buzz

[htent.com] this is a link to some videos on spring bobbers. I have been using a spring bobber mounted on the side of the blank. It is mounted so that the eye of the spring bobber comes to the blank just before the tip guide. It works o.k., and can be bypassed so that you can just use the blank. I normally use a very light blank with red tip and gold line for my fishing, so the rod with the spring bobber isn't used very much.

I hole hop a lot and use bright yellow ice line except for the last 12" which is floro. If it gets a loop or loses one, or moves in any way at all.....fish on. But, I have a pretty soft tip on my rod blanks too. If they are hitting aggressively they will bend it right over most of the time. Watch your electronics, when the line below the jig turns green and gets close, watch out.

There are blanks listed by someone, somewhere that have the soft tips that work great. I just can't remember who sells them.


Here they are:

MICROLITE ICE ROD BLANKS, 31" LENGTH
MICROLITE ICE ROD BLANKS, 31" LENGTH
Microlite ice fishing rod blanks are designed with the panfish fisherman in mind. Microlite ice rod blanks are a solid graphite/fiberglass composite. The super sensitive tip measures only 2/64". To finish your ice rod, add handle, guides and our special microlite top. Rod blank is 31" long, black with blaze orange tip.
Order #: 920215
Availability: In Stock
$4.75 / EACH



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/23/2016 08:24AM by Bruce Tomaselli.

Hey Bruce, are you selling those blanks? can I email you?

Wear, check Janns Netcraft. The 31" microlite is a standard around my shop and is always in my shanty.

34 and 48" extreme tapers from Sportsmans direct are great hole hoping rods with limber tips for visual strike detection...if not soft enough just sand them down further. spring bobbers change jigging action - sometimes for the worse