Fishing Bobbers Compared

Why Use Bobbers When Fishing?

Plain and simple, using fishing bobbers improves your fishing technique. Here are the top five reasons you should be using bobbers.

5 Types of Fishing Bobbers Explained

How to Choose Quality Fishing Bobbers

Fishing Preferences Vs. Bobber Type

When you are fishing, you will benefit from having a variety of bobbers to choose from. When you pick one to use, you should know what kind of fish you are going after. Do you need a sensitive strike indicator like a pencil bobber or something a little hardier like a ball or slip bobber? Maybe a popping cork is in order if that topwater noise might entice the fish you want? 

Fishing Environment

Accuracy & Precision

Spring and pencil bobbers are more accurate strike indicators than say, a ball bobber. A ball bobber can be better suited for floating bait at a specific depth than a slip bobber. The degree and type of accuracy or precision you need will determine the kind of bobber you should have. 

Visibility

Some bobbers light up, others glow in the dark, and some you can barely see even in broad daylight. Once you consider when and where you will be fishing, you can think about the kind of visibility you'll need. Bright yellows, oranges, and reds are common along with white. Neon yellow is one of the most visible colors and is one of the best options to go with. 

Material Type

Bobbers have been made from a wide range of buoyant materials, including plastic, balsa, cork, foam, and even yarn. Natural materials are the better choice when possible because they are biodegradable and less harmful to the environment if they become detached from your line. Balsa and cork will break down fairly quickly while foam and plastic will still be floating somewhere years from now.  

Cost

It's important to consider all of these factors together with the price to make sure you are getting a good value for the bobber you need. Most bobbers are relatively cheap, so you shouldn't end up spending a lot, no matter what you get. Some specialty bobbers with LEDs or special materials such as titanium can be a little pricer, but even they aren't too expensive.

1. Eagle Claw Snap-On Floats

The Eagle Claw snap-on floats are a fishing classic and our top pick. When you picture a traditional red and white ball bobber, this is what you see. These bobbers are very affordable and come as a multipack so you can select the exact bobber you need for the situation. They are also available in less traditional colors like green and white, pink and white, and orange and yellow. This fishing staple is very easy to attach to your line, just as easy to adjust or move, and works well to keep your hook at the exact depth you need. 

These bobbers are great strike indicators, so when the fish start biting, you definitely will know. Then it's just up to you to catch them.

2. Trout Magnet E-Z

These Trout Magnet E-Z trout floats come in packs of 4, or more economically, 36 floats with stoppers as well. The larger pack includes the usual vivid green and yellow floats but also includes bright red as well. The colors make these floats easily visible even at a distance, so each nibble from a trout is easily detected. The floats themselves are the perfect small size to drift baits or lures so you can access even the hardest to reach fishing spots.

They are also very easy to put on and to take off. The slot design allows you to adjust or remove the float without having to cut the line or remove your lure. Simply slip on the float and secure it with a stopper. This setup also means it is effortless to adjust the float to the exact depth you need to fish at. Fish won’t be able to hide or evade your lure with the precision and access granted to you by the Trout Magnet E-Z floats, our best bobber for trout fishing.

3. Eagle Claw Balsa Style Oval Fixed Float

Here we have another great fishing product from Eagle Claw, a U.S. based company with over 85 years of experience making products like these. These balsa style oval fixed floats are beautifully crafted pencil floats that offer amazing strike sensitivity. They are lightweight enough to detect light bites yet durable enough to withstand casting in all sorts of environments. The vivid orange and yellow tops offer high visibility at a distance, too, so you know exactly where your bait or lure has landed.

The float attaches to your line with a built-in spring bobber, so all you have to do is pull down the spring, slip the line in where you want it, and release. It's that easy. This allows you to reposition the float quickly and as needed so you can rapidly fish different depths as situations change on the water. If panfish are what you are after, this float has proven especially useful, and it is one of the best bobbers on the market for just that purpose.

4. Thill Wobble Bobber

The Thill Wobble Bobber float has made a name for itself in certain fishing circles and has become essential in some angler’s arsenals. The aerodynamic shape and internal weighting system make this what is, arguably, the longest-casting slip float on the market.

No matter where you're casting from this float offers distance and accuracy, unlike any other floats. As a bonus, the unique design of the Wobble Bobber transfers the motion of each wave into a jigging action for your bait or lure in the water.

If you're fishing for catfish or crappie, they don't stand a chance. Sizes are available to handle everything from panfish to walleye and salmon to steelhead too. This bobber is versatile, durable, and highly visible on the water. Once you try it, you'll see why so many anglers swear by it.

5. QualyQualy Electronic LED

The QualyQualy Electronic LED fishing float is the best bobber you can find for fishing at night and in low light scenarios. The orange and green tops of this pencil bobber shine very brightly so you can see exactly where your cast has landed and when a fish is biting in the darkest of nights. The bobber itself is made of lightweight nanophase materials, and it has been engineered to be durable and waterproof so you can continue to use it again and again.

The float attaches to your line with flexible and robust rubber clips. These clips are included, along with batteries, when you purchase the floats, and the batteries are rated for 300 hours of use so you can get in plenty of fishing before you have to replace them. The bobbers come in various sizes and floatages for catching fish such as crappie, panfish, steelhead, walleye, catfish, and carp. This bobber is built to last and gives you the upper hand in the darkest situations. 

6. Thill Ice 'N Fly

7. Frabill Titanium Spring Bobber

The Frabill Titanium Spring Bobber is the much-needed answer to a long line of frustrating spring bobber designs from other companies. The Titanium wire construction makes this bobber remarkably lightweight yet highly durable at the same time. It holds up to all kinds of abuse, stores easily at the end of the season, and is ready to be attached to any existing combo you might want to try. The adjustable design also allows for varying weights of jigs. 

The versatility of the bobber, combined with its excellent construction, makes it stand out from others. Fishermen who have taken this bobber out on the ice and used it notice the difference.

This is a bobber that changes how you fish.   

8. thkfish Fishing Bobbers

These thkfish slip bobbers are beautifully crafted from balsa wood and painted to be highly visible with red, pink, black, orange, and yellow all included. The slender design casts smoothly and works very well to detect even the lightest bites. The design also allows for jigging action without a lot of horizontal movement so you can stay in the strike zone longer. This bobber puts you right on top of the fish you want so you can work the spot and get them on your hook.

We chose this as the best bobber for bluegill fishing because it has proven so well against them, but you would also fare just as well against other species like crappie or walleye. These bobbers are also very environmentally friendly. The balsa wood construction alone is a significant plus but they are also painted with a low VOC paint scheme with water-based varnish. Not only will you catch the fish you want with this float, but you can do so without harming the environment around you.       

Comparing Bobber vs. Sinker

Bobbers, or floats as they are known, help keep your bait or lure suspended in the water, and sinkers pull it down. We have covered different kinds of bobbers here, and there are many kinds of sinkers as well. Usually, they are small heavy pieces of metal that attach to a fishing line. You can successfully catch a fish using only sinkers, only bobbers, or a combination of the two.

It depends on what you are trying to catch and how. If you need to cast your bait or lure to a specific depth in the water or you need an aid to tell when the fish are biting, then you should use a float. If you need something to weigh down your bait or lure and keep it from floating, then use a sinker. A combination of the two can be advantageous as well because a sinker can often help stabilize a bobber. 

Setting Up Fishing Bobbers

Now, let's cover how to put a bobber on a fishing line. There are a few different techniques depending on which type of bobber you have, but here we will cover the basics of attaching a traditional ball bobber to your line.

How to Use a Spring Bobber & How to Rig a Slip Float

The Spring Bobber

There seem to be endless ideas floating around on the best way to attach a spring bobber to a fishing rod. From using glue and string to rubber bands, most ideas are in use. One common method is to use shrink tubing. This works well because when you apply heat to the tube, it shrinks down to form fit whatever it is over. If you do this make sure to attach the spring bobber without trapping your fishing line in the shrink tubing as well. Once the spring bobber is attached, just run your line through the tip, and you are good to go.

The Slip Float

Attaching a slip bobber can be a little confusing the first time around, and for more visual people, a video usually helps. They are great once you get the hang of them, though. You can easily adjust the depth to fish as deep or shallow as you like.

People Also Ask (FAQs)

What is the best material for fishing bobbers?

The best materials for fishing bobbers are natural biodegradable materials like balsa wood and cork. They are just as effective as the plastic and foam alternatives but don’t have the nasty side effect of polluting the water and endangering aquatic life. Plastic and foam can take hundreds of years to break down and usually ends up getting consumed by a fish or other animal and can kill them.

How far should a bobber be from the hook?

Usually, you will do well placing a bobber 1-2 feet away from the hook, but it really depends on the environment you are fishing in. Sometimes 3-4 feet is appropriate. Just keep in mind that you can't reel past the bobber, so however long the hook is from that point is free line that you will have to cast.   

Are fishing bobbers absolutely necessary for fishing?

Fishing bobbers are not absolutely necessary for fishing, but they can drastically improve how much you catch. It all depends on the kinds of fish you want to catch and the methods you prefer for doing so. Bobbers generally offer better accuracy and visibility, so you are more likely to land the fish you want.

What’s the best bait for bobber fishing?

The best bait for bobber fishing is usually some kind of live, or recently live, bait. Earthworms are great for many species of fish. Instead of using the whole worm, you can simply use small pieces. Otherwise, fish will nibble on the bait without hitting the hook. It is possible to use some lures too, but if they are too light and float, then you will need to add a sinker as well.  

Do I need to attach bobber stops on my fishing line?

You won't need a bobber stop with some bobbers, such as ball bobbers, for example. Bobber stops are simply there to help hold a bobber at a certain position on the line, so your bait or lure will always present at a set depth. Slip bobbers require bobber stops so they don't slide back up your line. If the bobber you're using doesn't have a mechanism to hold it in place, then you will probably need bobber stops on your line.

Conclusion