The Key to Slip Bobber Fishing for Walleyes

A new study correlates catching fish and smiling!

There are lots of tricks out there for slip bobbering for 'eyes.  And I will concede on many details of terminal tackle except one:  the business end (i.e. hook).  

Slip bobber fishing shines the brightest for me in the late summer and early fall, when fish tend to be a little on the lethargic side.  They may not chase a jig snapped in their face, but they have a hard time passing up a leech, wiggling right in front of their translucent eyes.

My favorite way to present the leech is under a float.  And my favorite business end is a 1/32 oz jig head.  The problem up til recent was finding a jighead with a hook worth fishing.  Enters Old Fart Lures Carl Meinke.  Carl designed a 1/32 oz jighead with a super quality 1/0 Mustad hook.  Last week I got a chance to test the business end out and the results were super impressive!  Since then, we had another group out who pummeled the walleyes on this jighead.

We caught lots of walleyes on these jigs and the hook up ratio was awesome (not even sure if we dumped one fish!!!).  I had him paint them citrus shad which is my go to color for jig heads.  I like to fish them 18-24" off bottom.  And I like to fish them aggressively.  I pitch the float and jig/leech out and let it sit for a moment.  If nothings going on, I sweep lift the rod up and let the jig/leech settle again.  We are constantly moving and searching.  When we find a pod of fish, we drop the Talons or hit the anchor button on my Xi5 trolling motor and sit on them for a bit.

Some might lift their nose in disgust of bobber fishing, but I don't care how accomplished of a fisherman you are, there's nothing like watching that float slowly descend beneath the surface of the water.  Make sure the business end is an OFL 1/32 oz jighead and you'll increase your hook up and catch rate under a slip float!