Slip bobbers are versatile delivery systems for walleye fishing that suspend live bait in the strike zone virtually all season long. “You can spring slip bobber walleye fish slip bobber rigs in any number of situations, at various depths in the water column,” says Team Northland member and avowed walleye warrior Mark Courts.
Northland Fishing Tackle’s Lite-Bite Slip Bobber is his favorite float, not just for its versatility but also for the ubiquitous brass grommet that rests jauntily atop its colorful stem. “The brass grommet is a big deal because it allows the line to slide freely and quickly through the stem, without hanging up,” he says, explaining that this speeds jig drop rates and eliminates time wasted while your bait is hung up at the wrong depth.
“A brass grommet is also a Godsend when you’re fishing with super braid, which many anglers like to do,” he adds. “Braids can slice through ordinary plastic bobber stems, but they can’t cut the Lite-Bite’s brass.”
One of Courts’ favorite slip bobbering scenarios transpires in the spring when hungry walleyes prowl shallow water weedbeds in search of abundant baitfish.
“You can never overlook slip bobbers, especially in the spring,” he says. “I look for emerging weedbeds and pitch slip bobber rigs into open pockets, over weed tops, and along weed edges.”
Courts pairs the Lite-Bite with a small Northland Fire-Ball Jig in shades of perch. “It’s deadly under a bobber in this situation because it imitates yellow perch that walleyes are feeding on, and has a wide gap that works well with a variety of live bait choices,” he explains.