# Best Spring Bobber



## NorthChain (Aug 28, 2005)

For those of you that use spring bobbers, what style do you use? I have seen the style that looks like a coiled spring. And another style that is like a flat piece of metal and the line goes through an eyelet on the end. 

Is one more sensitive than another? What about freezing/icing up?


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## itchn2fish (Dec 15, 2005)

I like the flat spring for heavy jigs (raps, etc) and the coils for teardrops.
If they freeze up, just put the tip of your rod in your mouth.


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## tinmarine (Nov 19, 2007)

Never tried the spring version. Always used the flat metal with the eye. Always worked great for us. Had to go to Cabela's to get them this year. Of course I had to pick up a new rod and reel to go with it.
Ice will clog it, but just put your fingers on it for a couple seconds and it's gone. No problems.


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## thill (Aug 23, 2006)

After using both, I can feel that the coiled bobbers are more sensitive. I switched to all coiled.


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## ih772 (Jan 28, 2003)

The coiled spring bobbers are much more sensitive. I switched to using them last winter and I was a lot more successful detecting the shy bite. 

I did an experiment while using my camera, one rod had a coiled spring and the other had the old school flat metal. The coiled spring detected a lot more bites over the old flat type.

It was pretty interestiong to watch them suck in the bait and not be able to detect it on the old kind of spring bobber.


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## jbird68 (Dec 8, 2005)

I have both. The coiled spring bobber is way more sensitive. I put those on rods with light jigs. I put the flat spring bobber on the rods with heavier jigs. for the flat spring bobbers, I picked up one made by HT that just clips onto the end of your rod. No more shrink wrap. Only thing is that I put a 1/4 oz. jig on and the spring is not heavy enough to hold it. But once it is in water, I wonder how it reacts then.


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## browning13 (Apr 12, 2007)

I'm not sure the name but I use a single thin wire with a red bead at the end. I tied and glued them right to my jigging poles and they are super sensitive. The bonus is that the bead slides back and opens up the spring bobbers eye. This is nice because if you ever get a tangle at the end of your rod you won't have to cut the line.


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## 1fish (Oct 2, 2006)

They can be a little tricky to find, but I like the ones made out of the heavy monofilament fishing line. I've tried pretty much everything and those are the best that I have found for sensitivity, durability, and ease of use.


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## ficious (Aug 28, 2002)

Been using the flint spring out of BIC lighters for years....price is right. Just attatch with a piece of heat shrink tubing. People bring me the burnt out lighters all year, getting a pretty good supply.

Harry


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## Tom 26133 (Feb 28, 2007)

i've used many different bobbers and i felt the springs worked the best two years ago i made the discions to learn how to read the line and i will never go back to a bobber because i catch far more fish this way.


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## Big Frank 25 (Feb 21, 2002)

Tom, do you use a reel?


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## MJL56 (Sep 19, 2004)

I use the Action Bite Indicator made by Kuhlman Enterprises of Houghton Lake. They are hard to find but are very sensitive and durable. They are a double wire system that are pinched on the rod tip, and come in five different actions. Med, Light Ultra-Light and Micro. I will never use anything else.


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## NorthChain (Aug 28, 2005)

Thanks for the helpful feedback, guys. I am using mostly light jigs so the coiled spring or wire seems the way to go.


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## DonP (Nov 15, 2000)

Ok Guys... 

I am going to preface this again by saying that I am not majorly into ice fishing like alot of member here... but when I do go... I do try to find the "better mousetrap". So here goes with my .02 worth....



MJL56 said:


> I use the Action Bite Indicator made by Kuhlman Enterprises of Houghton Lake. They are hard to find but are very sensitive and durable. They are a double wire system that are pinched on the rod tip, and come in five different actions. Med, Light Ultra-Light and Micro. I will never use anything else.


I have to agree with MJL56 on this one. I put one of these on my ice fishing rod last year and this thing works great. I think I got the next to most sensitive bobber. This bobber gets attached to the end of your rod by wrapping metal tabs on the underside of your rod. This can be a drawback... as sometimes your line can find those tabs every now and then... but I have come up with a remedy for this... and that is some shrink wrap tubing. Attach the bobber where you want it by using a little glue (your choice) and then wrap the metal tabs... and then... get some shrink wrap tubing and shrink the tubing over the metal part where it is attached to the rod.

The reason I really like this spring bobber is that it has 2 wires instead of just one... and therefore it is a bit more steadier in windy conditions. I even took a can of flourescent orange spray paint and painted the wire strike indicator so it is even easier to see. I have used this bobber for gills, perch, and even smelt and I can honestly say I have caught way more fish using it.

Don't get me wrong... there are other spring bobbers out there that do work very good... but this spring bobber works best for me. Let me see if I can find a picture somewheres online......

Well... I did do a search and found a web page but it is not working... and no other pictures. And like MJL56 said... they can be a little tough to find. But I do know that Grand River Bait & Tackle in Lansing carries them along with a TON of ice fishing jigs and other goodies!!

If I remember... I will take a picture of it this weekend and possibly post it up next week.

Hope this helps!!


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## jbird68 (Dec 8, 2005)

ficious said:


> Been using the flint spring out of BIC lighters for years....price is right. Just attatch with a piece of heat shrink tubing. People bring me the burnt out lighters all year, getting a pretty good supply.
> 
> Harry


Have any photos of how you attach the lighter spring to your rod?


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## jbird68 (Dec 8, 2005)

I know a guy who doesn't use a spring bobber at all. What he does is tie on one of those bobber stop strings on a tube. Then he moves it so it is at water level when he gets to his depth. Then he just watches for it to go below the water level and sets the hook. He is able to return it to the same depth everytime. I haven't tried this yet, but I might try it this year.


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## jdawg240 (Oct 1, 2007)

Ive been useing the St.croix spring bobbers. You can get them in several sizes off their web site.


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## DaveW731 (Jan 12, 2001)

I fish with yellow Stren and I will create a bobber (of sorts) in the line by taking a 6" section of the line, starting about where the line enters the water, coiling that section into 1"loops and then rubbing the coiled line back and forth between my fingers to create sharp kinks in the line. When the line uncoils, (If using a #12 teardrop or smaller) the kinks create a series of 90-degree bends in the line. When a fish hits the bends straighten out or, if it is a lift bite, become more pronounced. IMHO, this is far more sensitive than even the best spring bobber. Major drawback is needing to re-kink it after every fish.


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## 9mmruger1 (Apr 3, 2002)

I use the Gotcha wire bobber. It's great.


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## mpatmcg (May 3, 2005)

Put guitar string bobbers on all of my ice rods last year. They work great!

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/showthread.php?t=168998

Mike


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