The slip bobber rig is a staple when it comes to fishing for catfish, especially channel catfish. They can be effective for blue catfish and flathead catfish in certain applications but for channel catfish they are the “go to” catfish rig for many anglers.
I’ve used a lot of slip bobbers over the years but rarely use them any longer as I rely on the Secret Catfish Rig almost exclusively for channel catfish. The increased sensitivity helps my clients catch more fish and it outperforms slip bobbers every time.
In the absence of using the Secret Catfish Rig, you need to know how to rig and fish with a slip bobber if you are going to fish for channel cats, and you just might find situations when fishing for blues and flatheads where you want to fish with slip bobbers as well.
The Advantage Of The Slip Bobber Rig
When you think of fishing with bobbers you may think of someone fishing lazily on the side of the shore with one of those big red and white plastic bobbers that clips on your line, but the slip bobber is nothing like this.
Slip bobbers have an advantage over other traditional bobbers because when you choose the right kind they are much more sensitive than others, like those old red and white plastic ones.
Outside of the advantage of sensitivity, they are also easier to cast. The biggest benefit of slip bobber rigs is the depth is easily adjustable.
Unlike most other types of bobbers, you can adjust a slip bobber to fish at any depth and can even fish it in very deep water. This is all done by adjusting the bobber stop up or down on the line.
Finally, the streamlined design makes for much easier casting and allows you to get your slip bobber rigs in and near very tight cover.
Choosing The Right Slip Bobbers
There are many options when it comes to slip bobbers. I’ve used just about every type over the years and the key to choosing the best slip bobbers is pretty simple.
I’ve paid as little as a couple of dollars (or less) for slip bobbers and as much as ten dollars for one over the years and my experience has always been that the more expensive they are, generally they do not perform as well.
You’re looking for a few key features when choosing slip bobbers:
They need to be light
They need to be streamlined
They need to be inexpensive
They need to be sensitive
After trying everything out there, or at least close to it I have found that the Comal Tackle 2” Slip Stick float outperforms everything else available. Not only does it work better than anything else but it is the cheapest option I have found as well at less than $1 each.
Items Needed To Rig The Slip Bobber Rig
Comal Tackle 2” Slip Stick float or your preferred slip bobbers
Preferred catfish hooks. For channel catfish use a size #6, 4x strong treble hook.
*You can find all of these items on the suggest tackle page
Bobber Stops – The Critical Device
Bobber stops are critical when it comes to the slip bobber rig and fishing with slip bobbers and are often the piece of tackle that confuses everyone the most.
The bobber stop slides on the fishing line before any of the tackle and then the small bead follows. The bobber stop and bead are what sets the depth of the float and allow you to adjust how deep you fish.
The bobber stop can be reeled into the fishing reel so you can fish the slip bobber rig as deep or as shallow as you need to.
How to Rig the Slip Bobber Rig
Rigging the slip bobber rig is very simple.
Slide the bobber stop on the fishing line. There are a variety of styles of bobber stops but I prefer to use this style. Other options like these affect casting and do not perform as well.
Slide the fishing line through the plastic tube of the bobber stop and then carefully slide the bobber stop off the plastic tube. Then slowly pull the two strings so the knot tightens and cut the excess line from the strings with a pair of scissors.
Now, slide the bead (included with the bobber stops) onto the fishing line.
Slide the slip bobber onto the fishing line.
Attach your preferred catfish hook to the fishing line using a Palomar knot.
Add a split shot sinker 2-3 inches above your hook. The amount of weight you need to use will vary depending on the type of slip bobber you use. You only need to use enough weight to make float stand up in the water, no more. Adding too much weight will cause the slip bobber rig to not perform as well.
Once you have finished the slip bobber rig you adjust the location of the bobber stop on the fishing line based on how deep you want to fish by simply sliding the bobber stop up or down the fishing line. The bobber stop will have little impact on casting and it can be reeled onto your fishing reel so you can fish the slip bobber rig as deep or as shallow as you would like.
To get more information check out the catfish rigs tutorials to learn everything you need to know about catfish rigs for all species of catfish and techniques.
If you really want to increase the number of channel catfish you catch and get the very best rig for channel catfish check out the Secret Catfish Rig. Many anglers report catching as much as 500 to 600 percent more channel catfish using this catfishing rig. The Summer Channel Catfish Techniques eBook is also a great place to start if you want to learn how to catch more channel catfish.
About Chad
I use exactly this rig continuously. Like you, I buy the premade bobber stops and don’t mess with fiddling with tying knots. I have so many poles on my boat it isn’t funny so keep a couple of poles with this rig ready to hand. One pole has a dip tube attached (I use Secret 7) and the other has a plain old J hook for my old-faithfull walmart luncheon meat (has to be Great Value brand).
I read your review of the “Bobber with a brain” product and bought some to give those a try. I am hoping they will give me a similar slip bobber style but at varying depths … which is the biggest hassle with the slip bobber. If I am fishing a very un-even bottom where the depth can change on the order of feet per cast, I can be too high or too low for where I want to be.
I hope they work well for you. I would be interested in any feedback you might have on the bobbers.
Maybe I’m having a problem with my slip rig due to my inability to set one up properly. About 3-4 times out of ten casts, my rig fouls with the hook sometimes hanging up on the float or the line. Would 3 or more evenly spaced split shot that equal the weight of the one big split shot be a more effective way to set this up? This is especially a concern while night fishing with a lighted float because I can’t see how the float is riding in order to see if it is fouled. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again. Great site! Gene
If rigged correctly and cast correctly you shouldn’t be having these issues. My guess is you are probably doing something when casting to cause it to foul. Try something different (when casting) or see if you can diagnose what you are doing during casting to cause the issue.
Thanks for the reply. Will try some different techniques while casting.
Chad, I’m laid up on the couch with a bum knee, but as soon as I can move around, I’ll shoot you a quick vid of these line stoppers that I use that are even easier to use than the pre-tied knots. They are beads that are pre-loaded onto really thin wire. You run your line through a metal wire loop and pull the bead off the wire loop onto your line. Really easy to use. BPS sells these bober stops. Great for quick riggin’! I’ll shoot you a quick vid within the next day or two to demonstrate and I’ll mail you a sample so that you can try them out yourself. Stay tuned! Steven
Love to look at them, and the reels worked great!
Awesome! Glad You’re happy with the reels. Check your GMail. I’ve sent you a quick vid showing you how easy it is to use these slip bobbers. A fishing buddy of mine introduced them to me and I think they are the greatest thing since sliced bread! I’ve also sent a follow up email with some more info. If you reply with your address, I’ll pop a few of these in an envelope so you can try them out.
Steven
Chad, I’m popping a sample of these slip bobbers in the mail as soon as I get off of work in the morning. I’m sending it to the same address that I sent the reels to. The video I shot was pretty bad and I’m not sure if you can see how to pop them on, but if you have any questions, drop me a line and I’ll explain it. It’s fairly simple, though. These bobber stop beads are on little strands of wire with a loop at the end. You slide your line through the wire loop, then pull the bead off the wire and onto your line. Easy Peasy! Be on the lookout. You should get them before the week is over.
Steven
Here’s some useless info about my set ups. I actually do use a swivel and tie on a mono leader because I have braid on my rigs (TC Nuclear Yellow, to be exact…it’s pretty bright, so I like it because I can see if I have slack in the line). Using braid, I have a problem keeping split shots on. I’ve also taken a cue from reading your articles and I tossed 3 of my Abu’s (5×00 series) onto some Berkely Cherrywood rods. The rods are 20 bucks, and not the best quality out there, but they are light as a feather. That will help since I’ll be holding the rod. Anyway, thought I would share since I won’t be hitting the water until the weekend.
Steven
Thanks I will check them out.
Couldn’t you use a really small split shot for a bobber stop?
No, it won’t function correctly
Chad, is it alright have a bead at the top of the bobber after the bobber stop or not?
You want the bead of the bobber stop to be between the bobber and the stop (string).
Chad do I need.a seperat rod and real.set up for this or can I use the rig with.20 lb test line that I use for slip sinker rig?
I prefer to use a lighter weight line like 12 lb test but I know many who use 20 lbs. Same rod and reels will work but I like to use 5500′s because they are lighter.
Howdy Chad,
Hope your wife is doing good, after her surgery!!
This was a great article and Steve’s comments helped, also!!
GO CATCH A CATFISH!!!
Great info. Thanks for being so patient with the ignorent public.
Where can I get size 1 slip-shot sinker at? Looked at Walmart and couldn’t find size 1. And about #6 Treble Hook, Eagle Claw makes 2x, 3x, 4x. Which one do you use and getting a size 1 slip shot sinker may be tough what could I use instead Chad? Thanks for your info and knowledge really do appreciate it. Want to set this rig up by the way. I’m a perfectionist as you can see. Missing those 2 well actually one. Walmart has #6 treble hooks but in 2x 3x 4x or whatever.
They should have the sinkers anywhere. 4x on the hooks
When rigging this for channel you use your main line that’s all? The main line is your leader line to? Do you recommend having a clear mono leader line with a swivel attachment?
I tie direct to my main line using 12 lb mono. No leader.
I’ve used this setup and done great. I use cut shad for bait with a kahle hook in 5/0 or a circle hook. I have done good using treble hooks. I have caught 12-15 lbs. blues & channels right off the bank in a foot of water in late spring. I have tied my own slip bobber knot with good results. Thanks Chad for the Video! Good luck fishing in 2013.