Bobber Down, A Beginner's Guide To Catching Steelhead

Although many would prefer to teach a beginning steelheader(or salmoner) the "drift-fishing" tactic of bouncing lead and lure along the bottom of the river, as it flows downstream and into the waiting jaws of upriver-moving searun rainbow, I prefer to teach the beginner a less used but absolutely effective tactic called "Bobber Down."

Wow, that was one long run-on sentence. And the tactic is actually just called "bobber fishing." But effective it is, for any fisherman, on an any stream.

The bobber itself is a large float, available in many different sizes and shapes. I tend to use a longish, just larger than an index finger, styrofoam floats. Generally, I buy West Coast Floats or wooden Thill bobbers, in the 1/4 ounce to 3/4 ounce range.

I also purchase the "bobber stop-knots" in packages that come with appropriate beads. The knot is fixed to your mainline, and the bead stops at the stopper-knot point, and in turn, the bobber stops at the bead. This occurs as the weight sinks to the set depth, of the stopper knot.

The first step, to tie the bobber rig, depends on situation and tactical gear. At first, let's examine the "bobber and jig," a mostly summer used approach, but equally deadly in winter. First, we slide the stopper-knot onto our mainline, remove the tube and cinch the knot about 3/4 tight, so we can move it later.

Slide the bead on, and then slide the bobber on. Because the jig is weighted, it is important we match the correct jig to the bobber(or vise versa), for example, a 1/4 ounce jig will load a 1/4 ounce bobber correctly. Tie the mainline to the "eye" of the jighead.

Now, the rig is almost tied completely. We can, at this time, cinch our stopper-knot. Generally, a four-foot depth is adequate for most fishing, and "reading" water is another lesson. Fish will rise to the jig, as I have seen it personally, so before adjusting the depth, learn to cast the oddly weighted rig.

I crimp two smallish splitshot on the line approximately 36 and 30 inches from the jig. This presents the jig a bit downriver of the bobber.

As one learns to cast the bobber and jig, experimenting with different depths, will help induce strikes. Hang on, the hook-up is fantastickly acrobatic.

As you see, I make up words.

The bobber also can be set up as a drift rig, albeit suspended. The rig is tied exactly like a drift rig, except when an inline sinker is used.

As we discussed earlier, the stopper-knot and bead are attached first, for all bobber applications. When tying a sinker style set-up, tie the snap-swivel on backwards(reduces twist), and attach weight and leader. This is particularly effective for bobber fishing with bait, such as shrimp or roe(eggs), and can be ultraproductive.

Another new word.

I've included photos of the tying process:

To fish the floating rig effectively(successfully) means fishing any water that is five to ten feet deep. Perfect conditions are six to eight foot water that is moving at about walking speed. Fish the seams, where water transitions from fast to slow, and fish the pools and deep runs.

The physics of the bobber, will show in the way it rides. Vertical is optimal. If the bobber leans, then one of two things is happening. The depth is incorrect, and the bobber is either dragging the lure along the riverbottom, or the weight is not heavy enough, causing it to float, and pull the float with it. Adjust accordingly.

Fish a "10 to 2" pattern(2 to 10 if the river is right to left) and keep your line off the water. A long, 10 foot pole is good for this, and enables the fisherman to keep a tight line. That directly leads to more successful hooksets.

"How do you know when you get a bite?" It is by far, my number one asked fishing question. When the bobber goes down, I reply.

Bobber Down!

Post any questions, and refer to Grog's Knots for knot-tying information.

Use 8-10 pound test for steelhead and 15-20 for salmon.

Thanks for reading, and thank-you for not littering!