Anyone see Kalins is selling a new slip bobber? Looks alot like the Thill wobble bobber, which I like. Seems they may have solved the wobble bobber issue of getting the line through without getting stuck.
I might try one, I have a bunch of wobble bobbers sitting around. Between getting the line through there and if remember correctly I had issues with the line whipping around and getting fowled because of the weight of the bobber being so much more that the jig.
Pass on this one.
Aargh!
Getting the line through a wobble bobber is so frustrating.
Aargh!
Getting the line through a wobble bobber is so frustrating.
I agree super frustrating especially when using braid. That being said, I “fixed” mine by taking a needle nose and removing the bottom brass grommet. I found it doesn’t impact anything and improves functionality 10x. Hope this helps.
Review of the new Kalin’s bobber:
Pros
Easy to run line through.
Works as a bobber should.
Cons
Yellow is hard to see on the water in many circumstances.
Tangles in any sort of wind especially when actually “sharp-shooting” into the wind.(all bobbers do tangle but thill pro series tangle maybe a tenth as often as these)
Paint cracked the first day I used it.
Paint has completely chipped off of the bottom from the sinker hitting it.
I am going back to Thill Pro Series for all of my rods. I can deal with some tangles, but not more than 50% of my casts. I run a sliding sinker and leader to a jig just as they sell in their bobber kit.
The tangles seem inherent with those style bobbers, agree I’m sticking with the Thill. Appreciate your report and glad I held off trying one out.
Review of the new Kalin’s bobber:
Pros
Easy to run line through.
Works as a bobber should.Cons
Yellow is hard to see on the water in many circumstances.
Tangles in any sort of wind especially when actually “sharp-shooting” into the wind.(all bobbers do tangle but thill pro series tangle maybe a tenth as often as these)
Paint cracked the first day I used it.
Paint has completely chipped off of the bottom from the sinker hitting it.I am going back to Thill Pro Series for all of my rods. I can deal with some tangles, but not more than 50% of my casts. I run a sliding sinker and leader to a jig just as they sell in their bobber kit.
Interesting, thank you for sharing. I haven’t had much chance to put this through the tests yet. I setup slip bobbers exactly as you mention.
Tried one, bobber cracked the first day.
Another Lindy knock off. Paint stays on the Lindy Wobble bobbers, don’t knock them till you’ve tried them. Great floats.
Thill pro recommendations for a rig with a 1/8 slip sinker and 1/8 gum ball jig? The 7/8 or 1?
Thill pro recommendations for a rig with a 1/8 slip sinker and 1/8 gum ball jig? The 7/8 or 1?
Whichever one gives you the most neutrally buoyant presentation.
Trial and error.
I use thill wobble bobbers all the time and have never had problem with the line.
I carry small Dia. wire about 6 inches long with a small loop on one end.
Push the wire up thru bottom of the bobber, Thread line in wire loop and pull thru. A small BB shot sinker about 8in.up between the hook and bobber will save losing a bobber when snot rockets trim the line.
I don’t understand what problem the wobble bobbers and new kalin bobber are trying to solve. You can’t tell if your bait is sitting true or if you’re set too deep because the bobber doesn’t lay on its side like a normal bobber would if you’re hung up or set too deep. Call me old school but I like the tried and true bobber styles.
I don’t understand what problem the wobble bobbers and new kalin bobber are trying to solve. You can’t tell if your bait is sitting true or if you’re set too deep because the bobber doesn’t lay on its side like a normal bobber would if you’re hung up or set too deep. Call me old school but I like the tried and true bobber styles.
I agree with you totally. The only plus to the wobble bobber is just like its name it has more action to it. That and they help you cast a mile, probably doesn’t help with the line tangles.
after first ice out i never use bobbers, i’m straight lining. when i do its the Thills early ice out. and not the ones where you thread the line through.
winter rods….thats different.
I have a few of the gizmos Thorne Bros sells that helps pull line through bobbers that work excellent!!!
I agree with you totally. The only plus to the wobble bobber is just like its name it has more action to it. That and they help you cast a mile, probably doesn’t help with the line tangles.
do you really need action on a bobber tho? waves will give a regular bobber a natural motion. I just spent 5 days bobber fishing in the bwca with 5 other guys, one of which used a wobble bobber and the guys using regular bobbers outfished the wobble bobber.
I don’t see the need to cast a mile either. Never thought to myself “I wish I could cast this bobber farther” but maybe I’m in the minority there. I bobber fish with a 7.5ft rod which allows me to huck a bobber as far as I’ve ever wanted.
do you really need action on a bobber tho? waves will give a regular bobber a natural motion.
Nope. Just trying to explain what the claimed benefit was. I bought a bunch of those stupid things and haven’t used one in years. Anyone wants them you can come by and pick them up.
Nope. Just trying to explain what the claimed benefit was. I bought a bunch of those stupid things and haven’t used one in years. Anyone wants them you can come by and pick them up.
sorry john – my comment was more a generic question. not a shot at you.
About any slip bobber will work for traditional bobber fishing. My traditional walleye setup is a 7/8” thill pro series, split shot, and 1/32 ounce jig. I use this setup when we are anchored/spot locked and fishing out the sides and back of the boat.
I am still trying to find the perfect bobber for hunting down or sharp shooting fish with forward facing sonar. On clear bodies of water fish might spook as far as 60’ from the boat, so I need to make long casts. Add any wind into the equation, and line tangles are very real. Tangles happen mainly when casting into the wind which is very common when sharp shooting. I want a bobber setup that I can cast 60-80’, doesn’t tangle, and allows the line to pass through the bobber as quickly as possible.
My best setup so far is a 1” Thill Pro Series with an 1/8 ounce egg sinker, bead, swivel, leader, and a 1/32 or 1/16 ounce jig head. I have setups with both braid and mono main lines. The wobble bobbers work but tangle more in my experience. I thought the Kalins bobber might be better, but it tangles as much if not more and the paint quality is poor.
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sorry john – my comment was more a generic question. not a shot at you
No worries, my feelers are all good here. 
My best setup so far is a 1” Thill Pro Series with an 1/8 ounce egg sinker, bead, swivel, leader, and a 1/32 or 1/16 ounce jig head. I have setups with both braid and mono main lines. The wobble bobbers work but tangle more in my experience. I thought the Kalins bobber might be better, but it tangles as much if not more and the paint quality is poor.
my favorite bobber is made by Rods n bobs. I wish you could find them in stores but I’ve only found them online but I believe they’re locally based in MN/WI. They’ve got a metal (brass?) grommet at the top so your line doesn’t cut slits into the top like a plastic bobber does and it also threads the line very easily. Its also high vis, stands tall and is easy to see if you’re hung up or not, rarely tangles, and they’re cheap (half the price of a wobble). Highly recommend these bobbers for anyone that does a lot of slip bobber fishing – they’re better than anything you can buy at any tackle shop around me
Thanks GG I placed an order but went with the weighted version, worth a try.
Has anyone tried these Everlasting slip bobbers?
I got some a few years ago for salmon fishing but never used them.
Buffalo Fishhead
Thanks GG I placed an order but went with the weighted version, worth a try.
Love to hear it! I buy a lot of their weighted ones also. The weight is held on with a rubber grommet that you can take off or put back on if you want to add/remove the bobber weight. Versatility is always nice.
Love to hear it! I buy a lot of their weighted ones also. The weight is held on with a rubber grommet that you can take off or put back on if you want to add/remove the bobber weight. Versatility is always nice
Yeah I switched to weighted a while back and like it to be able to cast a little further. Doesn’t seem to change the action of it too bad, I can still see a crappie up bite.
I think my favorite Thill bobber has been discontinued.
It was the TG Bodied Waggler.
The thing I loved about it is that it can swim into the wind.
The secret is to use very little weight at the bait
and let the bobber lay flat on the water.
When a wind wave swell comes along, the light tip weathervanes like a kite tail.
Then as the body goes over the crest of the wave it accelerates and slips down the back side of the wave, propelling it into the wind.
I think my favorite Thill bobber has been discontinued.
It was the TG Bodied Waggler.
Thill brought European float ideology here many years ago and the floats worked like a charm. For those who learned to fish the floats correctly, they were a blessing. For those who were lazy and fought with them they were a bane.
My pet Thill was the #2 and #3 Mini-Stealth. They’ve been gone from the market for years, but I still have a couple boxes of each size, plus I make my own version of the float so my panfishing carries on without a worry. Here are a couple of my version of the Mini-Stealth showing the proper way to rig them as a static float…. good for depths to 4 feet. Beyond 4 feet of depth I use then as slips. This Thill design is easily the most reactive and sensitive float ever made.
The one on the left is rigged static and can be adjusted for depth by simply sliding the float up or down the line. When set for a depth, it stays put until you decide to change the depth. The right side float shows it as a slip. I simply slip the latex bands back up on the stem above the line eye in the stem when they’re fished as a slip…. don’t lose the latex bands that way.
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I like it. Will see if I like it as much as a stick bobber.
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