What size and type of bobber ?

[sparse gray hackle]

tried bobber fishing last week and had a great time. However still a Little confused as to what size and type of bobber is the best? :whazzup: any help would be greatly aperiated... :grin:

[Dave Vedder]

First off unless you are using a round plastic red and white thingy, they are FLOATS not bobbers!!!

Sorry, just my pet peeve. The size float you use is almost entirely dependent on the weight of your terminal gear and lead. Ideally you want very little of the float to extend above the water. That way even small takes will make the flaot go under. If fishing fast, rough water you need more float sticking up to make up for the effect of turbulance pulling the flaot under.

If using a 1/4-ounce jig, a great float is the Thill Turbomaster # 3. It sits just right with the jig and no additional weight.

[ 10-15-2003, 06:29 PM: Message edited by: surecatch ]

[ZaQ]

Than why do we call it bobber fishing? :shrug:

[sliverslinger]

the ones I use are about 4" long and you can get them at bi-mart for about 2.00. they have a metal insert so that your tuff-line or braid wont cut it. I am not talking about the pencil bobbers, the ones I am talking about are kind og egg shaped. I use 1 oz of lead with these and they work great. they go down really fast and you can paint the bottom black, for conceilment. good luck to you and all your endevours.

[Dave Vedder]

ZaQ: Cuz you live in Oregon. Everyone in B.C. where our float fishing came from, calls them floats, as do the vast majority of Washingtonian's. But in good old or e gun they call them bobbers. Thay allso call them bobbers in Arkansas. Of course, in Arkansas when you get divorced ypur wife goes back to just bieng your sister again. Who would you most like to emulate?

[DanS]

Yeah, but they call them "bobber" stops too, not "float" stops. Oh, the controversy!

Tomayto, tomahto...............

[ZaQ]

I like bobbers, they do float however.....

Sliverslinger, good call.

[OregonBankie]

Use enough bobber to float your weight. The type of water you fish determiens the weight - - use more weight to get to depth in faster water.

I strongly recommend using a bobber that is "vertical" type, not round. If it tilts, or is horizontal, this all tells you what's happening. Round bobbers float the same no matter what is happening to the lead and bait.

[sparkleboy]

Kind of funny: I read the book Jim Bradbury wrote about jig fishing. He calls them floats in his book. However, everyone and their mother says bobber and jig when referring to this kind of fishing. I guess it's just a call of one's opinion. I actually call them both, but refer to bobber more often, because it's more...relaxed...I guess. I'd be careful of the impressions you are leaving, surecatch. Presenting yourself as a more elite fisherman because you say float instead of bobber gains you no additional respect from me.

[ 10-16-2003, 12:24 AM: Message edited by: sparkleboy ]

[GOT2FISH]

Heres more fuel for the fire. According to Western Steelhead Fishing Guide by Milt Keizer on page 45 He says [there are so many choices of excellent steelhead catching bobbers available at your tackle store that its tough to decide between Lil Corky,Okie Drifter,Wobble Glo,Fenton Fly,Spin and Glo Ect]. So now I confused I guess If its under water its a bobber and if it floats its a float? Interesting topic who knows? :shrug:

[sliverslinger]

what about when it floats underwater? what is it called then? I know when I am fishing with my BOBBER it floats for a little while then it sinks, so maybe I should call it a sinker! :dance: Just a little humor guys while I am waiting to go and pick up my son from work.

[GOT2FISH]

If it floats up and down isnt that kina like bobbing??? :laugh: :laugh:

[ampersat]

i've never gotten the idea behind calling corkies and the like "bobbers". i realize that it floats but if you're fishing with it and it's floating, shouldn't you be fishing a little faster water?

type of bobber: vertical. mark of first cast jigs makes a good case for the round cork floats but i still prefer the vertical kind. if a fish picks up your offering and heads up, a "stick" float will lay over on its side. what does a round cork do? about what it was doing before. a fish going up doesn't happen very often but it does happen.

size: depends on how you're fishing. for big springer or fall nooks, i usually go 2-3oz. for winter steelies i'll go with 1/4oz. the size is based on how much lead it will float properly. what's "properly"? it just enough so that it's visible at the distances you're fishing but goes under with the least amount of effort. west coast floats are rated by how much weight they'll properly float. all others require a pitcher of water and the time to test them to find out.

[Ragnar]

What do you call them when they hit someone in the head and cause them to "float" down stream? Perhaps they'd call it OUCHY?
Or if .......? If corn oil is made from corn? And vegetable oil is made from vegatales? The what do thay use to make baby oil?
I'm going to have to appologize in advance here............
I realize you guys are having some sreious fun with this here, but........Who really cares what they call it?
They call a house, a "hoose" in Canada. For some reason as a life long Washington resisdent (as if that makes any diff.), I can read through the lines and figure out what's being said without too much being lost in translation!
Hey man! When in Rome..............
The origional question is valid and deserves an honest answer. Once the question is answered, then by all means..... Proceed with the sarcasm. Until then, let's all join in and help this fella out with his question.
I guess, I'll put in my 2 cent here.
I prefer to use the cigar (or some may call it a "cylinder) shaped "FLOBBER" (combo word float/bobber= flobber=internation peace and harmony). The reason... When a fish takes your bait or jig, they don't feel as much resistance, thus making them hang on longer. With a round or spherical shaped "Flobber" the surface tension is increased due to shape not necessarily surface area.
As mentioned eariler, you can tell what's going on with your presentation better with cylindrical shaped "flobber"(ie; dragging bottom or your bait is moving much faster than your "flobber") A spherical/round shaped "flobber" will also have more drag in the current requiring the use of more "weight" also known as "lead" in some parts of the World.
The ideal set-up is to have your bait/lure hanging straight down vertically from your "flobber."
I am NO expert, but thought I might be able to actually help
:shrug:
Good luck with this or any other questions.
Ragnar

[Dave Vedder]

Originally posted by sparkleboy:
Kind of funny: I read the book Jim Bradbury wrote about jig fishing. He calls them floats in his book. I'd be careful of the impressions you are leaving, surecatch. Presenting yourself as a more elite fisherman because you say float instead of bobber gains you no additional respect from me. <font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helvetica">Sparkleboy: First understand that I gave the guy the a answer to his question. You are right that Bradbury calls them floats, so does Dave vedder in his book, as do all B.C. anglers almost all Washington anglers, and many Oregon anglers.

Also understand I have no interest in getting additional respect from you. I don't know you, and if I did, I doubt I would spend any time trying to get your respect. I never said or implied that I was a more elite fishermsn, becasue I call them floats. (You jumped to that conclusion.) And that leads me to another pet peeve. Who the h**l cares who's the more elite fisherman? It's supposed to be fun. The guy who has the most fun wins. I hate competetive fishing scenarios.

I am fortunate to have fished all over the world, with many world class fishermen. Perhaps I learned a bit. So what! Being a great fisherman isn't akin to curing cancer, it's just a recreational activity.

I was simply trying to tell folks that they are called floats in most of the steelheeading world. You can call them anything you wish, but the guys who brought this type of fishing to us call them floats. If you go to Canada and talk about bobbers they will not know what you are talking about.

[Flyguy]

All you guys need to know is the "bobber" or "float" which ever you perfer, dosen't catch the fish. So use what ever you want. :hoboy:

[BassMan]

"First off unless you are using a round plastic red and white thingy, they are FLOATS not bobbers!!!"

then

" was simply trying to tell folks that they are called floats in most of the steelheeading world."


Telling???? The first quote does not seem like telling , more like yelling with all the !!!!!!!

Does it matter what bobbers are called??? Relax its just a fish.

[BrokeItOff]

I have heard float/bobber used interchangeably in the same sentence by guides and tackle shop owners in Oregon, Washington and Idaho. Never been up to the "Motherland of Float Fishing" in B.C. but would imagine that people up there, especially the fisher-people, are smart enough to know when some cracker like me graemlins/stupid.gif from down South asks about bobber fishing for steelhead they know what he is talking about. This to me goes clear back to the rod/pole argument.....

If it catches fish who cares, but maybe flobber is a correct term, the other combination "boater" might get confusing.

[Grandpa Lynn]

Here's another one for all of you. Do you fish with a Fishing Pole or a Fishing Rod?

[foxer]

Bobber and jig? Bobber and eggs? Sounds right to me. How about those "strike indicators" ?

[MN Guy]

alright, so.... "bobber" fishing came from the Midwest and East for pan fish and walleye. From what I remember Lindy Little Joe came out with the first "bobber Stop" to be used what's called a "slip bobber" or what the Canadian guy calls "floats". We all know what we are talking about here so say which ever you like.

And there's about 100 words you can use in BC that they'll have no idea to what your referring to so don't worry about saying "bobber". Unless your in Trail, BC or some place like that, then they'll know what your referring to when you say "bobber".

[AllThumz]

As long as people know what you're talking about, does it really matter what they're called?

Boy, some of these threads can sure get derailed in a hurry :shrug:

John

[GOT2FISH]

I like the flobber it sounds good to me.Just havin some fun. :dance:

[First Bite]

sparse

As far as what size float is the best, that would matter on several things. Most people like using bigger floats in the 1-3 oz size for Chinook when they bobber & egg fish. West Coast Floats are sized according to weight. There is some leeway with these floats and by experimenting a bit you'll find what works right for you.

I like using the smaller 1/2 oz size for steelhead fishing. I run a sliding set-up with a 1/4 oz In-line weight and then tie a leader to the jig. This is a very effective way to fish.


Here is a picture of what a West Coast Float looks like:


http://www.firstcastjigs.com/store/images/Westcoastfloats12.jpg


When I fish faster water I like using a round cork float. It goes against all unwritten laws of what a float should be like but I just like the simplicity of using a cork as a fixed float. Some cylindrical floats have a tendency to go under the water in heavier current and this is where the round cork works better for me. In heavier current the fish are usually holding and resting so when they take the jig or bait, the tension on the line will immediately pull the float under.



Another option is the Turbomaster float. Some of the most experienced jig & float fisherman I know use this float exclusively. My only dislike with this float is the amount of oomph it takes to toss this float longer distances with a smaller jig. Here is a picture of the Turbomaster.

http://firstcastjigs.com/store/images/Turbo612.jpg


It's all good.

Mark

[ZaQ]

"Float down!"............ :laugh:

Now that's comedy.

[Tanner]

I like bobbers, they do float however.....

Sliverslinger, good call. <font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helvetica">Zaq, How dare you be so politically incorrect. :tongue:


Bobber, Float who cares. If I fished in Washington or Canad or Arkansas, I would still call it a bobber. Talk about a stupid thing to argue about. You guys must be taking lessons from my kids.

[Dakotan]

Great input Mark (First Cast Jigs). I think somewhere down the line, this topic got sidetracked on semantics and I think Sparse Gray Hackle really wanted to know some brand names and associated weights need to sink/float the apparatus (float/bobber-whatever you want to call them). I have used the California Floats that Mark has pictured and found the bigger ones (those that require 2-3 oz of lead) cumbersome and obnoxious when fishing in groups. Every cast ends in a big splash that I would guess spooks the fish and detracts from the peaceful fishing experience. I've spent a lot of money trying to find the right combo of lead to bobber and experimented with a couple different kinds of bobbers. For chinook fishing with bobber and eggs, I like the smaller California Floats that Mark pictured or I just started using the flourescent orange or chartreuse styrofoam bobbers from bi-mart with about 1.5 oz of lead. For stealhead fishing in the summertime, I like small clear bobbers with a 1/4 to 1/8 oz jig and in the winter will increase jig size to 1/2 oz and use a Thill balsa wood bobber. I've found that the packaging the bobbers come in most of the time are not very helpful in spelling out how much weight you need to float it. Sometimes it may take some experimenting on your part. Good luck and I think Fishing Magician is right. You will not hear "Float Down" unless you fish next to some wiseguy ifish person like me this weekend!

[crabbait]

You guys are killing me! I assume we are talking tidewater chinook bobber fishing here, not bobber/jig fishing like for steelhead:

I agree with Mark. West Coast Floats (bobbers) rule. I would recommend the 1 oz, 1 1/2oz, and 2 oz sizes. For tight work whee your casts are short and your gear is a little lighter the 1 ox size mated with a 1 oz trolling sinker is great. ! 1/2 oz is the size I use the most and for longer casts (bank fishing, etc) the 2 oz size works great.

Remeber to put a high visibility corkie or two above your bobber. This will help to tell you that everything is working and will help you spot your bobber when several people are using the same bobber in the stretch of water you are fishing.

[Born to Fish]

You ought to contact Mojo (member #2260) by PM - he's an expert on bobber fishing for steelhead and salmon :bowdown: .....can't get him to use anything else, Denali will confirm that. :grin:

[sparse gray hackle]

Yeeee!! Haaaa!!!.What ya all didn't notice was that I am from Southern Oregon. We be bobber fishing. ya think that I am aboot to let a can-na-dee-an bug me A.
That's what I like about this board is all the fun and info that offered up. Thanks, I can glean lots of good info from this thread. You guys are the Best. :cheers:

[sparkleboy]

Originally posted by surecatch:
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="verdana,arial,helvetica">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helvetica">Originally posted by sparkleboy:
Kind of funny: I read the book Jim Bradbury wrote about jig fishing. He calls them floats in his book. I'd be careful of the impressions you are leaving, surecatch. Presenting yourself as a more elite fisherman because you say float instead of bobber gains you no additional respect from me. <font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helvetica">Sparkleboy: First understand that I gave the guy the a answer to his question. You are right that Bradbury calls them floats, so does Dave vedder in his book, as do all B.C. anglers almost all Washington anglers, and many Oregon anglers.

Also understand I have no interest in getting additional respect from you. I don't know you, and if I did, I doubt I would spend any time trying to get your respect. I never said or implied that I was a more elite fishermsn, becasue I call them floats. (You jumped to that conclusion.) And that leads me to another pet peeve. Who the h**l cares who's the more elite fisherman? It's supposed to be fun. The guy who has the most fun wins. I hate competetive fishing scenarios.

I am fortunate to have fished all over the world, with many world class fishermen. Perhaps I learned a bit. So what! Being a great fisherman isn't akin to curing cancer, it's just a recreational activity.

I was simply trying to tell folks that they are called floats in most of the steelheeading world. You can call them anything you wish, but the guys who brought this type of fishing to us call them floats. If you go to Canada and talk about bobbers they will not know what you are talking about. </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helvetica">Hey surecatch,
Let's forget about all the political mumbo-jumbo stuff and talk about something cool...like catching steelies with bobber/float/your word here and jig. I got the opportunity to do that today, and I tell you, I feel great right now.
Now that I read what I originally posted, I feel pretty much like a jerk, so I am appologizing. From the looks of things, it sounds like you truly are an experienced and succesful fisherman, and I haven't fished much outside of Oregon, so I think you deserve my respect. Anyway, I'm big into float and jig setups, if you are as well, give me an e-mail on your favorite jigs and setups, will you? I can always do some more learning.

[rags]

How about when you catch a Chinook. Ooops, or is it a King?? :hoboy:

[rob allen]

as a novice bobber/ float fishing was a completely foreign language to me ( like english sometimes is)

However as soon as I tried a thrill float like the one pictured above it all of a sudden made sence and was very simple!! Since then I have started using dink floats.. Being a beginner i think a verticle style float makes all the difference in the world!!.. Also i like the idea of using as small of a float as you can, just big enough to float your terminal gear..
I am sure I have a lot to learn ( especially in the tidewater type enviroment) but i feel fairly confident that i can fish effectively wherever i choose to with the float techniqie and verticle style floats...

[Fishin Magician]

Who really cares what it is called......... :shrug: I would call them bobber-floatie-thingies as long as they go down. Its up to the person to call it what they want. In my opinion it is a bobber.

I would like to hear someone say "Float Down"

John Barth

[Dave Vedder]

Fishing Magician:

You are right. It doesn't matter a bit what you call it. After all it's your thinagabobber. But, if you want to hear someone holler float down,go fish in Washington anywhere north of Olympia, or anywhere in B.C.

Its funny how we all think they way we are used to naming something is the only "right" way. I am as guilty of this as anyone else. All I ever heard them called for the first ten years I fished them - 1985-1995 - was floats. Now it sound strange to hear them called bobbers. This is especially true because we always called Corkies and Cheaters, drift bobbers.

[Nanook]

Westcoast bobbers are great for tidewater "corking." :smile:


Testing....testing...... (http://www.thepocket.com/wavs/internet.ra) :grin: