Add a Little Spring to Your Ice GameBy:
Matt JohnsonThere are a lot of tools out there that can increase an ice angler’s productivity, but one has to rank the spring bobber high on their list of priorities. If you seek out panfish—and by panfish I mean bull bluegills, slab crappies, and jumbo perch—then the addition of a spring bobber can make or break a day on the ice.
A spring bobber serves several purposes. The most obvious advantage of a spring bobber is for detecting light biting fish. As a strike indicator, the spring bobber opens the angler’s eyes to a whole new world of “sight.” You begin to see things that you never noticed before and no longer do you have to “feel” for a bite. Even the slightest movement from your jig, up or down, will trigger the spring bobber to dance. A fish doesn’t even have the privilege of breathing on your bait without you counting every breath. Plain and simple, the spring bobber makes your job as an angler much easier.
Outside of the fact that a spring bobber allows you detect more bites, it also equips the angler with more confidence and room for error when working a jigging sequence or setting the hook. A spring bobber absorbs some of the tension between your rod and the bait, which causes the presentation to perform naturally instead of erratically. Aggressive movements are slightly minimized, which aids in coaxing a wary fish into striking. Essentially, the spring bobber acts as a buffer between you and your presentation.
Besides the increase in jigging productivity, the spring bobber also allows the angler more time to set the hook. The spring bobber can load to a certain point before the fish feels a ton of resistance. So instead of feeling the strike, only to have the fish spit out the bait moments later, we can now see the strike in action, giving us a definite answer for when the time is right to bring home the bacon.
When it comes to spring bobber options,
Thorne Brothers—a leader in ice fishing rods—has once again stepped up to the plate and designed a rod that takes all the qualities of the
Thorne Brothers rods you know and love but added a dynamite spring bobber system to the end of it. This new rod is called the Tripwire. The Tripwire takes the ever-popular
Thorne Brothers Finesse rod blank, kicks it out to 23-inches, and adds a 5-inch cork handle, Outside Fuji Alconite guides and a 3-inch Titanium wire to the end of it. The Titanium wire is wrapped and epoxied onto the rod (which in essence becomes a part of the rod) and the wire is tipped with an over-sized Titanium REC Recoil spring guide and a hi-vis bead. Your line goes through the guides of the rod and then through the guide on the Titanium wire. There is minimal freeze-up with this system and you have literally no extra weight due to the spring bobber. If you’re looking for the ultimate in finesse fishing, no matter the weather conditions, then the new Tripwire from
Thorne Brothers is a perfect fit.
Another leader in the industry, Clam Outdoors, offers a wide-variety of spring bobber rods to meet just about every finesse application. First on the list is the Clam True Blue 24-inch Ultra Light Micro-Bite Combo. This combo comes with the smooth Dave Genz signature series True Blue reel and a locking reel seat. The spring system for this rod acts as an extension of the rod and is very sensitive at detecting even the lightest bites. Next on the list is the Clam Power Stick 24-inch Ultra Light Micro-Bite Combo. This rod is very similar in concept as the True Blue option, but at a more affordable price with a straight cork handle. And last, but most well-known in the Clam line-up of ice rods is the Jason Mitchell 24-inch Spring Bobber Combo. This rod offers a straight cork handle with the signature series Jason Mitchell reel. The spring bobber system on this rods performs exceptionally well is cold conditions and with a variety of presentations. This is an excellent option for the run-and-gun finesse angler and also comes available without the reel. Couple any of these combos with 2 or 4-pound Clam Ice Line and you have yourself a complete panfish package.
These are only a couple of the many options that are available for spring bobber rods, but the important message I want to pass on is just the simple advantage of using a spring bobber. A lot of companies also offer stand-alone spring bobber attachments that can be added to most rods as well. It’s an effortless and easy tool to use, yet it’s so effective when out on the ice chasing your favorite species. Companies are out there with the intentions of making the angler’s job less frustrating and more productive, and spring bobbers do just that.
Check out the ALL NEW Tripwire from Thorne Bros...
Thorne Bros Tripwire - CLICK HERE
