Home made spring bobber

I have used all sorts of material for spring bobber ,but I think that I have found the best one. I took the spring out of a Bic lighter,and took a red bead out of my summer fishing stuff. Drilled a hole just a little bigger to get the spring in the hole of the bead. Used just a little of the 5mn. epoxy to glew it to. I took a rubber button that you use on a bow string,and drilled it out enough to screw the spring into it.Finished with some more 5mn. epoxy.Fit this into the end eyelet of your pole. This seems to work great with a size 12 or 14 jig with 2lb. test. Jerry

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I have used all sorts of material for spring bobber ,but I think that I have found the best one. I took the spring out of a Bic lighter,and took a red bead out of my summer fishing stuff. Drilled a hole just a little bigger to get the spring in the hole of the bead. Used just a little of the 5mn. epoxy to glew it to. I took a rubber button that you use on a bow string,and drilled it out enough to screw the spring into it.Finished with some more 5mn. epoxy.Fit this into the end eyelet of your pole. This seems to work great with a size 12 or 14 jig with 2lb. test. Jerry

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Jerry, this may be dumb question.

Are the store bought ones that expensive or poorly built that you make your own?

I took a St Croix spring bobber and took an old rod eye off a broken rod and rubber groment to attach it to my favorite panfish rod. The St Croix works awesome.

I also like the St Croix spring bobber system. It is a bonus to be able to change the spring from UL to heavy accommodating the size jig or spoon you have dangling off the end of the line.

I agree with the other guys that the st.croix spring bobbers are awesome. You don’t have the problem of your line having to run all the way through a spring and freezing up.

I think personaly that my spring bobbers work better than all of those that you buy. I take pride in making my own icefishing poles and gear. I do buy lots of some things like reels,line and some lures. But I enjoy using some of the stuff that I make myself,and it works better than what you can buy. I go to a place that sells broken fish poles,and buy rod blanks for near to nothing and make some of the best ice fishing poles you can get. I love the fly rods,they make GREAT icefishing poles. O buy I have won numerous icefisheries and derbys. I am not just blowing smoke. Jerry

The use of a “noodle rod” took me away from spring bobbers years ago. As far as spring bobbers go I do believe the St. Croix’s are the best I’ve seen or used. Recently the chance to use the “Power Noodle” from TB furthered my efficiency bringing panfish topside. The best way I can explain this is by a “Contact to Contact” component when eliminating the variable of a spring bobber. IMHO setting the hoook from initial tension to tension will increase hook ups. Yes sometimes that bite is upward and that will decrease ability to set from a slighly loaded rod of course, but LESS than with the spring bobber. Here is my analogy; Lets look at this like open water vertical jig fishing. When I get hit with a jig and minnow I will slowly rise through the bite and SLIGHTLY load the tip then quickly snapping the hook set. Thi take a second. I find hook sets are MUCH less effective when anglers get hit and then drop the rod….THEN set the hook creating a slight whipping action of the barb. The momentary slack I believe turns a hook upon a snap reducing the the chance the barb catches a holding point. By easing that slight tension carefully then driving it may very well increase hooking percentages. Back to ice fishing; When panfish inhale a smaller presentation detection of course is where it is at. We’ve all seen how fast a Crappie can inhale and exhale a bait. Many who have seen this on a underwater camera are simply amazed. Those who fail to detect a bite will simply be to slow on the trigger. If you can’t detect a bite effectively with another method then yes use a spring bobber or for that matter a micro sized slip bobber even can be employed. Anglers need a trained eye of course to detect the bite whatever method is employed. Some will watch the micro movement of a spring bobber,Slip bobber, line watch, or rod tip watch. IF you can detect the light bite or upward bite then hooksets arguably will be increased IMHO from rod tension through the ultimate set with the “PowerNoodle” or “Quiver Stick” for that matter. Any lag from a spring drop or rise to an ultimate set can flip a hook out of the mouth of a panfish. Of course NOT always, but again I believe your hook percentage will increase gravitating away from a spring bobber. Of course there is one less variable as well. Just a thought. We all of course are simply interested in what we feel gives us the best chance to land fish. I’ve just found the step up, and practice with a good rod like the Power Noodle actually DOES help you catch MORE fish. For the Die Hard Spring Bobber guys…..Might want to give it a try this year. I assure you it will be a bit different to start. Afterall we are all guilty of just going back to what has worked in the past with SOMETIMES a block to something new that MAY in time increase or overall effectiveness. After some quality hours in hand; I think you may agree with my findings.

Hmm, Its great catching fish on something you made. I have made them myself for a few of my rods, I have taken a # 6 or 8 guide and poped out the insert and put in a 1/4″ grommet from the local hardware store epoxy it to the top side of the tip of my pole, the inside of the 1/4″ grommet fits a St.Croix spring bobber well. Total cost of the build was 10 min and $6.oo. How ever I can see what Chris is saying to with the use of a noodle rod to advantages to both IMO.

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Hmm, Its great catching fish on something you made. I have made them myself for a few of my rods, I have taken a # 6 or 8 guide and poped out the insert and put in a 1/4″ grommetfrom the local hardware store epoxyed it to the top side of the tip of my pole, the inside of the 1/4″ grommet fits a St.Croix spring bobber well. Total cost of the build was 10 min and $6.oo. How ever I can see what Chris is saying to with the use of a noodle rod to advantages to both IMO.

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I do the same thing, All you need is.

St. Croix Spring
#8 on legged rod guide
1/8″ ID Rubber Grommet
Super Glue and Epoxy

I super glue the rod guide to the top of my rod tip just to hold it in place while the Epoxy dries.

Here is a pic of one of mine.

I have made some of my own spring bobbers myself. Actually, I made them out of an old spring bobber that the line used to go through. I just converted it into a St. Croix style bobber with about 15 bucks and a bit of time. You could say that I McGuyvered it because I honestly did use a paper clip. It is the same premise as a St. Croix but it is not adjustable like the later. That is my only regret that I didn’t make it that way.

I tie flies for fishing under the ice as well and that is just a ton of fun catching a fish on something that you have made yourself. Can’t wait for the hardwater get here. It is gonna be a good year, I just have a feeling.

I made this and it works awesome.

Hooked, that is almost identical to what I did with my old springtime bobbed but I used a paper clip to extend out from the spring a bit further. They work great don’t they? You can detect the smallest bite and the up hits are wickedly obvious. Looks great!