DIY Nitinol (Ti) Spring Bobber

I recently got into rod building and I’m looking to build a handful of ice rods for myself and family members for the upcoming season. I’m looking at running a spring bobber and some of these rigs. I was going to purchase a handful of Tripwires from Thorne Bros as I’m currently running one on a Quiverstick. It’s an awesome set-up for the ultra light bite and has really upped my catch percentage and success.

I got to thinking about building them myself, since the Tripwire is simply a #2 single foot Recoil fly guide epoxied to a strand of Nitinol (titanium) wire along with a bead which you simply attach to your rod end just like a rod guide.

After doing some research, it appears that the Nitinol Recoil uses is Nitinol 55, which holds its shape in colder temperatures (I believe tested to -25°) and doesn’t turn into a wet noodle and go limp. Problem is, I don’t know of any suppliers for it. I see Knot 2 Kinky leader material may work, but I don’t know which Nitinol they use or if it will even work for my application.

I know I could use ss guitar wire, but after using the Tripwire and seeing its “non-kinking” abilities, I’m sold. I’ve run other spring bobbers, but they either rusted, bent, or kinked. Not to mention the guide was always too small and would ice up. Plus, since I’m putting the time and effort into building these rods, I’d like them to look clean and professional.

After I find the wire I want to use, I’m going to try the SS fly guides from Mudhole instead of the Recoils ($.79 vs $3.35) and see how they work.

Any info or personal experience would be great.

I believe that DH uses nitinol for their spring bobbers, would hurt to give dusty a call

For the handful of rods your only going to do, it would be more cost effective to just buy premade.

Tegra medical has an online store that you can buy nitinol wire. We order through them for a machine application at work. I’m sure they can give you the specifics of their wire if you give them a call.

We have also used Fort Wayne Metals. I’m not sure how small of quantity they will sell but they have a nitinol wire for cold weather applications.

Check out Mcmaster Carr. You can buy all kinds of raw materials there. If you have a caliper you could measure an existing one… My guess is .02″ diameter is typical for a spring bobber but that’s just roughly eyeballing it. It will only make sense if you build enough of them, however, as a 30′ roll isn’t dirt cheap ($30-$50).

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The single foot light wire fly guides work excellent.Have been using them for years with great results.Also for single foot spinning guides,the Flexilite guides from Janns are awesome.But many sizes seem to be on perpetual backorder.Probably best to order them now,before ice season comes.

Really no need to spend the extra$$$ on recoils.The ones I mentioned stand-up well in open water uses.You will break an ice rod before you damage those guides.

If you’re already building them, why not just sand down the taper and make a “spring” tip from the blank? It’s super easy with some wet sandpaper and a cordless drill. Then you’ll really have some custom rods.

I’ve used both the custom noodle rods and those with the NiTi spring bobbers from TB’s and TUCR (noodles). The noodles work for just about all scenarios, but I have encountered light bites where even an ultra sensitive, ultra thin noodle has a hard time picking up bites. My TB’s Quiverstick with a Tripwire was able to pick up the bite.

Ryan Wilson, I’ll be doing a handful of different noodle rods that are handcrafted just like you mentioned, but I’d also like to have the spring bobbers for ultra light bites.

This hobby is getting expensive in a hurry! Not so much with ice rods, but open water.

Jason wrote:

This hobby is getting expensive in a hurry! Not so much with ice rods, but open water.

Fishing in general is not cheap and you are taking it to the next level. Sell some of the rods you have made or old rods you have replaced to help fund the addiction. I will never admit out loud how much money I have tied into fishing. I think my wife would kill me if she knew.

Tuma, I’d be a dead man if my wife found out about rods and reels, and now what I have invested in rod building.

I’ll most likely be selling some rods I have purchased in the last couple years, especially after seeing what I can build for the money compared to purchasing complete (aka St. Croix’s).

I would just use these https://fishicestrong.com/collections/bobbers