As a general rule, larger bait will need a bigger bobber. There isn’t an exact science to picking the right size, so you may need to try a few different bobbers out to see if they’ll work.
Place a fixed bobber 3–4 ft (0.91–1.22 m) above your hook.
A little space between the hook and bobber keeps you from scaring fish. The
length of line below your bobber determines how deep your hook will go. Most
shallow-water fish swim a few feet below the surface, so measure up from the
top of the hook and pinch the line so you don’t lose your place
Keep the water conditions in mind when you’re attaching your bobber. If
you’re fishing in an area with a lot of weeds or underwater debris, you may
want to shorten the line below the bobber to 1–2 feet (30–61 cm).
Putting your bobber much higher on the line makes it difficult to cast
properly. If you want to fish in deeper water, you’ll have to use a slip bobber
setup instead.
Clip the bottom of the bobber to the line.
You may need to press a button down to expose the hook. Locate the
cylindrical button on top of the bobber and push it down with your finger to
pop the hook out on the bottom. Wrap your fishing line once or twice around the
hook. When you let go of the button, the line will get pulled in and stay
securely in place.
Thread the line through the hook on top of the bobber.
The line will clip in without tying any knots. Put your thumb over
the bottom of the bobber to hold your line in place. Pull the line tightly
against the side of the bobber up toward the top cylinder. Use your fingernail
to press the edge of the cylinder down and expose the hook. Wrap the line
around the hook a couple of times before letting go of the button
You can tie an overhand knot for added security to keep your bobber from
moving further up the line, but it’s not necessary.
Unclip one end of the bobber to change its position.
Moving the bobber lets you easily adjust the depth of your hook. If
you ever want to fish in shallower or deeper water, press down on the button
again to expose the hook. Unloop your fishing line and you'll easily be able to
move your bobber further up the line or closer to the hook. Once you have the
bobber in position, clip it back to the line
Secure a pencil-style bobber for more sensitivity.
Pencil bobbers are lightweight, so slight movements pull them under. Pencil
bobbers have long ends that stick out of the water and they’re more likely to
tip or go under when a fish bites. To attach a pencil bobber, push the spring
on the end up to expose the hook underneath. Loop your fishing line 2–3 times
around the hook before letting go of the spring.
Pencil bobbers work great for trout, crappie, perch, and bluegill.
Use a transparent bubble bobber to avoid spooking fish.
Transparent bobbers look like air bubbles so fish won’t notice them. Bubble
bobbers will either clip in like a standard round bobber, or they may slide
directly onto your line. If you don’t see any clips, then you’ll just slide the
bubble bobber onto your line before you tie on the hook and set its position
Try a bubble bobber for panfish or trout.
Try a slip bobber to fish in deeper water.
Slip bobbers slide up and down the line to adjust to the water depth. Since
slip bobbers can move around, attach a rubber bobber stop to your line at the
maximum depth that you want your hook to sink. Then, slide your slip bobber
onto the line so it’s against the stop. Finally, attach your sinker to the line
about 1 foot (0.30 m) below the bobber before attaching your hook
Slip bobbers work well for any type of fish, but especially for deep-sea
fishing.
Hook a small piece of bait on your line.
Smaller bait makes it easier for fish to eat. Using a full worm
when you bait your line could let the fish nibble off pieces without actually
setting the hook. Rip off a portion of your bait that’s about 1 inch
(2.5 cm) long. Slide the bait onto your hook to cover up the barb so it’s
less likely that fish will see it.
It’s okay to attach full minnows to your line as bait.
