Hit the Lake With the Best Fishing Bobbers

Buying Guide: Fishing Bobbers

Here is an elaborate buying guide to help you buy the perfect fishing bobber:

The Purpose of Fishing Bobbers

Fish are not bottom feeders, and most of the species are usually found swimming in the middle level of water bodies. When you use a fishing bobber to keep the bait and hook at that level, you get a better chance of catching more fish. Bobbers will also keep the hook moving with either the wind from above the surface or with the water’s current. This movement allows the bait to be seen by more fish.

Fishing bobbers are used to keep the hook off the bottom of the lake or river you’re fishing in. They keep the hook from getting stuck in plants and other items down at the bottom of the lake.

Types of Fishing Bobbers

Here are a few different kinds of fishing bobbers you can find:

Bubble floats

Bubble floats come with a plastic body and is hollow inside. Some can also be filled with water. You can add or reduce the weights around the bubble float to make it work for different fishing requirements.

Since the bubble float pops up to the surface of the water when the fish has taken the bait, this kind of bobber is liked by fishermen for its versatility. You can use it as a fixed bobber and a slip bobber as well.

Spring slip

Spring slip bobbers are also referred to as spring floats. They come with a spring on the outside and essentially have two modes you can use. One is the sliding mode and the other is a fixed mode, and both are quite popular due to their incomparable versatility.

Spring bobbers are perfect for both shallow and deep water fishing. Sliding mode is your best pick for deeper water as it allows the bobber to go up and down like a traditional one. While the fixed mode is better for shallow water, these bobbers are slightly expensive.

On the flip side, their ability to get you fish from different depths makes them worth every penny.

Cigar floats

These bobbers are shaped like cigars and they float vertically in the water. They’re considered the most convenient to work with because you can easily see them. Cigar floats are ideal for large baits and have a clip-on attachment, and because cigar floats usually have weight on just one end they’ll keep upright even when you’re fishing in rough conditions.

If you’re someone who finds it hard to see the floats and bobbers, a cigar float may just be your next go-to.

Slip bobber

Slip bobbers are great for people who struggle with casting a bobber. You can easily change the length you drop your bait. These bobbers can come all the way up to the fishing pole terminal, making things a lot more convenient. Fish usually gets closer to the boat with a slip bobber in use.

These bobbers freely slide up and down the line and you might take some time to get the hang of it if you’re new. Slip bobbers are made from high-end materials and tend to be more expensive than plastic ones.

The Benefits of Fishing Bobbers

Other benefits of fishing bobbers include:

• They give an early indication of bites, especially from fish species with delicate bites like suckers, trout, and bluegills. Oftentimes, fish only nibble and you wouldn’t know they have unless you have a float bobber as an indicator
• Using bobbers will save you a lot of time as you get to know when fish has taken the bait. For this same reason, bobbers are great for fishing in the mid and upper-level water as it keeps them suspended off the bottom
• Floating bobbers save your bait and hook from debris and weeds

Tips for Using Fishing Bobbers

Here are a few tips and advice for dealing with fishing bobbers:

• Go with large and long fishing floats if you’re fishing in fast-moving streams and lakes.
• Add some weight to keep the float vertical when it hits the water. Weights usually come in a teardrop shape and should be added according to the size of the float. Smaller weights for small fishing floats and heavier ones for larger floats
• Carefully consider and match the color and shape of the float to see what will work the best for your needs. Typically, bright-colored bobbers are best for visibility
• The kind of fish you’re targeting affects the kind of fishing bobber you’d require. For instance, panfish needs light and small bobbers while muskie, salmon, and steelheads require heavy and large float

Conclusion

While buying your fishing accessories is always fun, it requires a lot more attention to detail than you might think. Fishing floats and bobbers are available in a variety of types, sizes, and materials and with many features. You need to pick the right one according to the kind of fish you need and the water body.