Schooley Spring Bobber Question !

[DmDuck]

Anyone ever use the Schooley Spring bobbers ? Just wandering if they work or are more hassle (ie. cut lines , tangled hook sets ect ect ) I have a couple I was gonna give a try !!

[whizkids]

Thought that was an ice fishing bobber. What would be the advantage over a regular bobber when used in open water?

[slab happy]

I used the Schooley rods with spring bobbers for many years ice fishing. Is ice fishing the application you are asking about? When vertical fishing they do give a very good indication of light biters.
This past winter I tried another type spring bobber made by the folks at Thorne Bros in Fridley,MN. Theirs is a true spring (not a piece of flat spring steel like the Schooley version). This one worked better than any other I have tried. These are pricey, but I think worth the cost. You may still be able to check them out at: www.thornebros.com
slab happy :D

[DmDuck]

Thought that was an ice fishing bobber. What would be the advantage over a regular bobber when used in open water?

that's what I'm asking ? My fingers are less sensitive than they used to be and I have numbness in my hands more than I used to , I was wandering if using them may help me notice the light bites visually sooner than I would with none at all or if the fish would notice less resistance as they would have with a float and just be all around a better choice when suspending jigs deep ?

[slab happy]

DmDuck, this is a very interesting question. As I said above, my experience with spring bobbers has been on the ice. I have tried using my short ice rods for open water from a boat when jigging vertically and they can be very effective at times. Yes, the spring bobber is more sensitive than your typical float or cork...if you watch them closely (which you need to do) you can see even the slightest movement from below. So, those shy biters, sniffers and other slackers that simply want to steal the bait and not play the game can be detected and more often than not get a hook into their lips. One thing you will need to do (and this may be obvious) is to be anchored or stationary over the fish so you don't have wave action or motion moving the spring bobber up and down or you will lose the advantage. I have seen spring bobbers rigged so they hang off the end of the rod with the line passing through the eyelet and I have also seen them rigged the way the Schooley rods are rigged, with the spring bobber attached to the rod blank behind the tip top so that as you get a bite the eyelet on the end is pulled down to the tip top. Either way, just remember that you can't have too much weight on the business end of the rig or you will pull the spring bobber down and out of its effective range of motion. I would say give it a try and let us know how you do.
slab happy

[DmDuck]

I'll be puttin it to the test this weekend .... still workin out the kinks before the Monroe Tournament , it'll be my first so we'll see how everything goes !!

Thanks