Slip bobber and killies

[njfish4life]

Got my limit up to 21 inches (and a 25 inch gator) using a slip bobber and killie from the bank. Been modifying this method for a few years now and definitely finding success. Fun way to fish from land.

[Gerry Zagorski]

Interesting..... I'd like to hear more about this if your willing to share.

[Keystonefisher]

While not from the shore, there was a great Veteran who ran No Bones out of Wildwood who did some shows from the ICW using the slip bobber. His name is Fred Uhlman. You can still find some of his stuff on YouTube. Great guy who was always willing to share his knowledge.

[Broad Bill]

Many years ago we had a boat at fisherman's Den in Belmar. There were a few guys who slammed fluke using the technique you're describing. Key obviously is setting the slip knot to position your killie a foot or so above the bottom and weed. You don't want to drag your presentation along the bottom. It's essentially the same as fishing spros or jigs completely vertical over unfishable bottom slightly off the bottom but with live bait. I've personally used the same technique in very sticky bottom with snappers and peanuts in the ocean with great results under the right conditions. it's an excellent presentation when there's little to no drift. Key is set your knot at the right depth, you need little drift or light winds otherwise it's almost impossible to control the depth of your presentation with a fast drift. Areas that have significant changes in depth in the ocean are hard to fish if you're drifting as you'll get caught up so anchoring in those conditions if you come across a concentration of fish is an option. If you're fishing a wreck, anchor up and use this technique to fish the edges. That's not a problem in back bays and rivers as there's less changes in water depth. Believe me in the right area and with the right conditions, it works very well. I wouldn't at all be surprised if you take Reasons near shore swim bait technique and use a slip with live bait, it would be equally effective. Your simply providing a presentation to put a bait right in the face of fluke when bottom structure or drift conditions don't allow more traditional presentations. I've seen fluke years ago on the long branch pier chase a strip bait to the surface in 20 plus feet of water, they'll chase a live bait a foot off bottom in a blink and can't resist a well presented live bait in the back bay or snapper / peanut / spot in the ocean. I used 12 lb. fluoro in the bay, 20 lb. in the ocean. I've caught fish over 8 lbs. on this rig and guys in back bay fishing areas with a lot of weed will out fish traditional presentation 10:1. Fluoro to a barrel, bead, appropriate egg sinker to get it down based on conditions, slip bobber and stop. That's your rig.

[Capt John]

I'm always open to trying something new to me...so what the hell does a slip bobber look like?

[njfish4life]

If you search "pole float" you can see the type of slip bobber I use. From the bottom of the rig up, I use either a 2/0 or 3/0 circle or octopus hook on about a foot of 20lb mono or flouro tied to a swivel (if the leader is longer, it will foul when you cast the rig). I use about 1 oz or 1.5oz barrel sinker depending upon how far I need to cast or how big the bobber I am using (I use beads on both sides of the sinker to avoid damaging the knot on the swivel and the bottom of the pole float). The pole float I use is 10in because it is easier to see. The most complicated part of the entire rig is the bobber stopper- it is set to the depth of the water you are fishing. If you see your bobber leaning to one side or not drifting in the current, you have the stopper set too deep. I take a few casts before baiting up to make sure I have the depth correct, and I adjust as the tide rises and falls. Great technique in my opinion when you are on the bank of a bay or river and you have the tide going in and out. I think of it as presenting a killie naturally drifting along in the current. It also give bank fishermen the chance to present a bait sweeping left to right where the fish are rather than reeling a bait to and from you from the bank.

[Gerry Zagorski]

If you search "pole float" you can see the type of slip bobber I use. From the bottom of the rig up, I use either a 2/0 or 3/0 circle or octopus hook on about a foot of 20lb mono or flouro tied to a swivel (if the leader is longer, it will foul when you cast the rig). I use about 1 oz or 1.5oz barrel sinker depending upon how far I need to cast or how big the bobber I am using (I use beads on both sides of the sinker to avoid damaging the knot on the swivel and the bottom of the pole float). The pole float I use is 10in because it is easier to see. The most complicated part of the entire rig is the bobber stopper- it is set to the depth of the water you are fishing. If you see your bobber leaning to one side or not drifting in the current, you have the stopper set too deep. I take a few casts before baiting up to make sure I have the depth correct, and I adjust as the tide rises and falls. Great technique in my opinion when you are on the bank of a bay or river and you have the tide going in and out. I think of it as presenting a killie naturally drifting along in the current. It also give bank fishermen the chance to present a bait sweeping left to right where the fish are rather than reeling a bait to and from you from the bank.

Thanks for that NJfish! This makes total sense since these fish lay on the bottom looking into the current waiting for a meal to be washed their way. This sort of presentation is exactly what they are looking for since your bait is floating along the same direction and pace of the tide regardless of wind direction.

Based on Keystone's suggestion I found this video that does a good job explaining things, albeit from a boat... https://youtu.be/p7Ixic312BU?si=1xJHJZxFXQecV1L2

[Jigman13]

Ive seen guys in the back bay of the raritan doing this with live peanuts. They caught fish, but nowhere near as many as I did with a single jig.

[Broad Bill]

Ive seen guys in the back bay of the raritan doing this with live peanuts. They caught fish, but nowhere near as many as I did with a single jig.

Every technigue has it's time and is condition driven. This technique works extremely well when fishing very sticky bottom or areas with a lot of weed where jigging or dragging bait won't work. Case in point, the guy I referred to in back at the Den would literally at times catch one fluke after another when bait and jig guys were taking grass off their presentations every cast since parts of Shark River are covered with grass. In the ocean, this was a very effective way of fishing the stickiest areas of the Shrewsbury Rocks and other areas between the Highlands down to Asbury Park / Long Branch. Live or dead bait, preferable live, on this rig drifted over the stickiest stuff no one else can fish is deadly. Just another tool to use when conditions warrant but it's a proven way to put quality fish in the boat in areas almost inaccessible to most other boaters. They drift it, 4 guys get caught and lose their $10 spro and they leave. Once you have the stopper / depth ratio figured out, you can fish that piece all day without getting snagged once.