Ok guys I keep reading more and more about deadsticks for walleyes. Question is what it the advantage of a dead stick over using a bobber? With a bobber you can at least open the bail and let the fish run. That way when we are staring at the vexilar working another fish the dead stick doesn’t go down the hole. Thoughts?
Agreed! I don’t get it either. Bobbers for this guy. I’m not spending a $100 on a rod when a bobber can do a better job. Each to their own though.
That said I will gladly pay top dollar for my jigging rods!
Im no expert but a few things to consider:
I think with a bobber the argument is the fish can feel that resistance and will drop the bait. another thing is they make reels like that okuma reel where there is a mechanism that allows the fish to run with the bait and the reel allows for that to happen. im just learning about it myself so I probably sound like an idiot describing it but it was featured on an IDO episode as while back and was just talked about on a forum post.
I’ve never told anyone, but my father was pretty much a ninja using a bobber set.
That said, I’ve seen instances where a dangling minnow will consistently out perform a bobber set and vice versa, even running the same lure/bait. Also, the hookset is totally different, so depending on how the fish are acting, one method can out-perform the other. I use both techniques, but my go-to is a noodle type glass deadstick on a rod rocker. I find the combo is the ticket. The good thing is, we have all sorts of options. Hyper trimmed bobbers to dead sticking a W7 glow jigging rap. Hard to do that with a bobber!
I think with a bobber the argument is the fish can feel that resistance and will drop the bait.
The baitrunner reel does the same thing a bobber does. The real question is which has less resistance? My vote goes to the properly weighted/sized bobber. I don’t really get the deadsticking craze…a venom bobber properly setup for this guy!
I’ve rigged up my own deadstick via ML 28″ “off the shelf” rod with an aftermarket spring bobber. Though not specifically designed for this, paired with the Okuma baitrunner reel it works really well. The biggest advantage I’ve found is that I’m not always worried about being able to see my bobber, which is nice in the wheelhouse when I may not be close enough to my deadstick hole. As long as I can see my rod tip I’m good (though there have only been a few instances where fish haven’t taken line) and I still use a bobber-stop to mark my depth. With this setup I have seen absolutely no DECREASE in hookups, and probably have missed fewer fish being able to audibly hear when they take line. Just my 2 cents.
Edit: I should note that this is for walleye, when fishing crappies I still lean towards a bobber. Not sure why, just how my cookie crumbled I guess.
Fishing outside with a bobber stop drives me nuts, so to me the advantage of a deadstick is not having to use a bobber stop.
I like not having to use a depth finder and adjusting a bobber stop whenever I move. I just use my Vex to find my bait, flip the bail and turn on the baitfeeder. I also much prefer a deastick when fishing in a permanent house where the holes are way below the floor surface and it’s super hard to keep and eye on the bobber.
to each their own but for me, I just really like watching an ice buster go down the hole…
My view is a deadstick can be seen easier at a distance especially if in a permanent shack that isn’t a drop down. Plus no bobber stops and bobbers to deal with or get froze up. With a bait feeder reel the fish can take as much line as they want.
More expensive to get a great setup, but if a person is willing I feel the deadstick with a bait feeder is a better tool. I would also say that if using a bait feeder reel, getting a specific rod is less important.
Tucker
I always thought dead stick meant bobber fishing 
I always thought dead stick meant bobber fishing
I guess I always thought any rod that wasn’t jigged was a “dead stick.” Bobber rod, noodle rod in a holder, rod in an iFishpro, etc.
I always thought dead stick meant bobber fishing
I’m with you on that
Tip Downs!!
I will say that I did build myself a dead stick rod for use on my Artic Warrior tip up. I really like the way I’m able to let the tip of the rod load up before swinging. I feel hook up ratio has improved. Just don’t know about it as a set line in the hard house or portable.
Semantics aside on the terminology, there are some advantages. I’m also in the camp who likes to be able to see the rod tip from farther away than you can see a bobber.
In my portable, with bobbers I seem to have the “wtf happened, where did all that line go, why the hell is this all tangled, how did it hit the sunflower, etc” with the slack line.
Is it worth it to use an expensive rod instead of a bobber? Joe’s right, of course not. How much other crap do all of us buy that isn’t totally necessary. To me, I’m digging figuring out deadstick systems that don’t use bobbers.
To me there’s just something about having watching a bobber slowly go down the hole. Or look over and see that the bobber has been gone for who knows how long. Regardless of what style you guys use, what is your favorite lure/hook under a bobber? For each species of course. I keep it simple with a colored hook and a split shot and a tail hooked minnow but always looking for other ideas.
I can’t see the bobber go down if it’s set up is out of my line of sight. The dead stick would be my preferred choice.
Bobber fishing is about the laziest way for me to fish.
If I’m dead sticking, I’m more active dead stick fishing at times. I can change depth readily if I’m seeing it on my flasher. Bring bait up to higher suspended fish. There are times that a dedication dead stick rod will have better hook up ratio as compared to a jigging rod used for dead sticking. Then again it’s all about rod selection at times. The St. Croix 36″ L rod is perfect for deadsticking. Any of the noodle type of rods would work well for the lack of resistance to rod bend load.
If one is using only a jigging rod for dead sticking, there are other methods to assist in strike indicators. One can thread the bobber or a bead in between the line guides. If you want to have open bail, use a larger bobber or bead. Or attach a foam strike indicator onto the line. Don’t forget spring bobber attachments. Many ways to choose from.
“Dead Stick”???
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<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>lindyrig79 wrote:</div>
I always thought dead stick meant bobber fishing
I guess I always thought any rod that wasn’t jigged was a “dead stick.” Bobber rod, noodle rod in a holder, rod in an iFishpro, etc.
that’s my line of thinking also.
I use to have these buzzers that stayed on to the rod via rubber bands , you would run the line behind a hair trigger wire while the bail was open. They worked great and woke me up a few times napping in the shack.
I have also cut a thin walled pvc length ways in half set that on the ice over hanging the edge of the hole and set the small foam bobber at the end of the pvc. Look over bobber gone fish on. Those foam bobbers have very little resistance if any on cold pvc.
dead stick is my 2nd line that is left alone while I tend my main line. bobber or straight jig off bottom its still a dead stick.
On LOTW, Started “dead sticking” with rattle reel & bobber, then rod with slip bobber (sometimes hard to see bobber unless right over hole) then built a couple tip downs (worked well, fun … with bobber flying while hand over handing line, some massive tangles)
Current set up which is the cat’s meow is TUCR deadstick with Okuma baitfeeder hanging in a rod rocker, Only “complaint” is the reel is kinda big/bulky for such a swell rod.
I switched to the deadstick a few years ago with a cheap,kind of stiff noodle rod and my hook up percentages went way up. I don’t think it’s as much about resistance as it is about change of pressure. You can have a small bobber that will barely float your bait and when you go to take out the slack you can add a little too much pressure and they will drop the bait. With the deadstick it might be higher pressure but it is consistent until you go to set the hook. I’m not an expert but with inactive eyes I miss way less fish with a deadstick.
I personally am a terrible bobber fisherman (just ask my fishing buddies…). I built a dead stick rod using the TB blank last year and my hookup % went up a ton (dare to say 5x). I think its all personal preference as one of my friends is a really good bobber fisherman and rarely, if ever, misses one. I just tended to swing and miss a lot and the ability to watch the dead stick load up, pick up the rod, load up some more and give them a light hook-set has changed the game for me.
Everybody looking for the right dead stick when all they really need is the mountain dew rig @prostaffsteve
… okay apparently I dont know how to tag people
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