Mix things up with the timeless fun — and thrill — of bobber fishing
“Did that bobber move?”
Those four little words will put any angler on tilt. Old or young, novice or expert, there’s something about a dancing bobber that stirs an instinctive adrenaline rush.
What kind of fish is thinking about taking the bait? How big is it? And, most importantly, will it commit and give your bobber a coveted dunking?
Some of my earliest fishing memories include a worm, a bobber and a blue-and-white Snoopy pole. We didn’t always catch much back then, but I was always a happy camper if I had a line in the water and a bobber to watch.
As I got a little older, I started to experiment with spinners, crankbaits and other lures. But when the chips were down, I never hesitated to throw on a bobber.
One year at scout camp, there was a prize for the biggest fish of the week. On the last morning of the trip, I snuck out early and tossed a worm and bobber out among some lily pads. The bobber twitched once. Then, it started racing sideways before finally taking the plunge. Moments later, I landed a nice bass, and the prize along with it. Twelve-year-old Jord had never been more stoked!
These days, I don’t reach for the bobber as often as I once did — but they are still a useful tool in any angler’s tackle box. Here are some excuses for chasing that one-of-a-kind bobber rush on your next fishing trip:
Keep kids hooked: Bobbers are great for fishing with kids. My daughter, Quinn, loves to go fishing with daddy, and she’s starting to get the hang of watching her bobber and waiting for a bite. For littles, the combination of the visual cue and less casting/reeling is usually a winning formula — especially if you can get on a school of hungry bluegill.
Get jiggy with it: Bobbers are often associated with live bait, but they also work great for catching panfish on jigs. The key is to set your lures at the right depth. Experiment to see where the fish are in the water column, and set your bobber accordingly. For fishing deeper water, you can employ a slip bobber and detect bites from 20 feet down or more!
Going for distance: One advantage of fishing with bobbers is they allow you to cast a long way. When fishing with bait like crickets or worms, a bobber gives you much more range to reach fish in far-off holes. A clear bubble bobber can be partially filled with water, allowing you to cast the lightest of lures and baits — even a fly — with a traditional spinning rod. The bubble-and-fly rig is a personal favorite of mine for fishing high mountain lakes this time of year.
Hard to reach places: Once in a while, a bobber provides a way to attack a seemingly unfishable spot. On a recent Snake River trip with my buddy Skyler, floating moss fouled most of our attempts to catch fish on spinners, spoons and Rapalas. But we tossed on a bobber, keeping our bait just above the green, gooey mats. We quickly sacked up a nice limit of trout, including a five-pound giant that dunked my bobber like nobody’s business!
If you’ve got the itch to dunk some bobbers, take your kids to Kleiner Pond in Meridian. It is absolutely loaded with small panfish this year. Use small hooks and a chunk of night crawler, and get ready to watch that bobber dance. Tight lines!
Jordan Rodriguez has been fishing Idaho waters since he was a teen. Share your fish stories, adventures, tips and tricks with him at tightlinesboise@gmail.com or visit www.tightlines208.com.