Do-It-Yourself Spring Bobbers

[raffensg64]

Folks, I have a couple spring bobbers that I bought 15 years ago in Colorado. I absolutely love them and feel there's nothing better out there for panfish and trout. If fish even look at it know it! They're great for medium and heavy jigging rods. For several years now I've tried to find more, to no avail. If memory serves, they were a South Bend product.

But while at the local Bi-Mart the other day, I noticed a package of Poulsen Cascade (Half-Fast) 6" spinner shafts. They jumped right out at me. Right beside them were several sizes of Mack's fluorescent beads. In an instant I'd inadvertently located all the components included in my original spring bobbers. At less than $4 for both, I couldn't pass it up. I now have the components for 10 bobbers. I simply slid an orange bead onto the shaft, then bent it sharply at a 90-degree angle to hold the bead in place.

The top spring bobber pictured is an original one, complete with doubled back end and sliding spring to secure to the rod. The bottom one pictured is the homemade one, and lacks the attachment due to being a straight wire. So, in the spirit of field expediency, I simply attached it with some tightly wrapped electrical tape and a small drop of Gorilla Glue. I've read articles where guys have attached theirs with hot glue, and will try this on the next one. I've even thought about trying a thin bead of J-B Weld on top of the eyelet. Mounting would be tricky, but I'm certain it would work.

Just thought I'd pass this along in case someone is looking for spring bobbers that are tough, durable and will last for decades! Additionally, I discovered that by adjusting the mounting length, you can increase or decrease the tension. Go shorter for heavier biting fish and long for light biters like perch and panfish.

Am trying the new one this morning for the first time. It seems just a bit stiffer than the original but I'm confident it will still show any and all takes. I'll post a follow-up when I get back.

[raffensg64]

OK, it worked just fine, getting nearly 30 perch today. As I suspected, it was a bit stiffer than the original. The wire itself is a tad bit thicker and at only 6" (4.5" exposed beyond the tape) versus 7-8", it just doesn't bend as readily. Even so, I was able to see and react to even the lightest takes. It turned this thick medium jigging rod into a perch slayer!

Maybe they make these in longer lengths. If so, those would really rock for panfish!

[MarkFromSea]

nice idea and what a nice batch of perch, outa Silver I presume? Awsome!