ESB BOBBERS

[Thomas Berry]

Has anyone tried ESB Bobbers

[10.5" RES Sharon]

I would hope to use just the skin, or I would never be able to play hide and seek because the smell would give me away.

[SeaRay]

I just found them on the net and ordered some in different sizes. Free shipping so I got a good selection for $12, I've used Thill mostly.

SeaRay

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

Care to share the link?

[Johnny wilkins]

Well bobbers is my specialty. They guy who's name is on that package (those are not his floats) sold those off to that company. (They are brown balsa and the logo is a big yellow circle) - he was my teacher. He never fished with those products unless he was promoting them. He fished with a pro line of floats.

These floats were meant to be beginner series floats and are good for larger fish like walleye using leech or minnow. For panfish however - they are too large, too heavy and will not give you a sensitive bite indicator.

As for porcupine quills- I agree. While they are heavy - they are fantastic. They are very durable, cast well and are after all very cool. I will be adding these to a new line of floats I am working on and just got a letter in the mail regarding these floats.

I will have to get some statistics to compare these - but without measuring, I am going to say that I use a float that is 1/8th the size / weight of a porcupine quill. Let's just say it would catch 8x the fish - or be sensitive enough to increase my odds several times over.

An example I can give you is that I set up one of those brown balsa floats for a member of ours in our fishing club one Spring. He fished with the rig I made and I could barely see the take. (Note he was using one of their smallest models - the one they called most sensitive). Fishing next to him I landed 14.5 lb. of fish in 4 hours. He had under 1 lb. of fish - which I thought was good for that float! Trust me when I say - the MAJORITY of the stuff off the shelves in the U.S. (and I know I am talking about the stuff you are most confident in) is poor, beginner equipment.

You reading this- you are NOT a beginner, you have skills, knowledge and experience and you catch a lot of fish. Take zero offense, call me crazy - but with the proper equipment I wonder how much you would catch... We will have to wonder.

Many here are lucky to live in good fisheries with a lot of big fish. You are very lucky and in these cases - bigger, less sensitive gear might not even slow you down. I wish I had your waters...

[Lord of the Fly , Rods]

Hi Johnny,  I dont ever want to be accused of being an old dog that can't learn any new tricks , so if you have a float that is  8x's better than a porcupine quill I'm ready to field test it to learn some new tricks.  I have been using porcupine quills now for the last 50 years and have yet to find anything more sensitive, I've caught minnows on quills that were barely bigger than the hook. I use quills that are 6 to 10 inches long with o-rings to attach the line to the top part of the quill.  I like the top to stick out of the water at least 2 inches and I watch the tip for any lateral movement , this is when I know the fish are licking the bait. As for the weight of the quill , it can be a positive when casting with a fly rod, and with pointy ends the fish feel no resistance when pulling  the quill under.  So if you have something better I'm ready to try it, Woof Woof.     LOFR

[Johnny wilkins]

8x better than the Lindy balsa- I am a fan of the porcupine quill! I have a few thoughts and yes there are better BUT you fishing the quill have got a great setup.

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

Very cool Very cool -  porcupine quills!

[Johnny wilkins]

On this shot - your split shot are away from the quill. Do you have another photo showing where your split shot are located?

What brand of splitshot are you using? What main line is that (4 or 6 lb.)?

What is your leader strength -(looks like 2 lb.).

I am interested to see where the shot are resting in this rig and how much shot?

Does the quill lay flat on the water when you fish and then stand up?

What is that resting on the side of the boat? Is that a pole with elastic? I see the pole and then it looks like something coming out of the pole like a thick line.

Lastly - do you have open water where you can fish right now - if so I am extremely jealous! By the way - there are no wrong answers... Only infinite possibilities!

[Lord of the Fly , Rods]

 The split shot I use ,I attach to my line 6 to 8 inches above the hook to sink the cricket, I balance the quill with split shot so that about 2-3 inches is sticking out of the water horizonally ,so the quill is floating straight up.I use  10 lb test flouracarbon as my leader, invisible underwater, and #8 wire hooks, if I get hung up I just pull straight on line to free the snag, and bend hook back. We have open water all year long right now it crappie season down here, then we move on to bluegill, and fill in with smallmouth bass and catfish and trout and walleye.The walleye start running this month.

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

Thanks Johnny - as always, a great response from you. We are lucky to have folks like you among us.

I kind of got the same notion about the ESB bobbers: big, good for larger fish and maybe a beginneres type, for lack of a better way to put it. Some nice durability innovations, but not sensitive in the way we think of it. 

There is a cool factor with quills that is hard to beat. Im piddling around with some floats, too, and am looking for something to use as the slip tube. I think I will try some quillls. I wonder - are there enough porcupines around? :-)

I like the way you think. I agree with you; we build way too much buoyancy into our floats. There is no way you can detect soft taps or light pickups with the behemoths we normally use. To counteract this, I have used (or made) some of the smallest floats I can get away with. I have recently snagged some ‘coarse wagglers’ to try out.... the idea intrigues me completely and I plan to give them a whirl. 

 

[Johnny wilkins]

Now you are on track! I am importing a couple of lines of coarse-quality & pro coarse floats as well as accessories because we frankly don't have this stuff. As fishing gets tougher as the number of people grow and fishing near cities continues to be a challenge we need to adapt. It is very hard for me to post without coming off as a dillweed - not to be confused with a Weeds Magazine subscriber -  but I don't mean to be arrogant so to anyone - please do challenge what I type.  I am sitting at my desk in the middle of about 500 floats or so and many prototypes which will be recycled as they are junk. I don't know if I would even give them away to kids because I would rather have the kids fish with the good stuff.

Anyhow - someone posting who fishes with porcupine quills you are the man and I didn't mean otherwise!!! Seriously- since the French got the porcupine technology from the natives, float technology has gone down hill. Gimmicky stuff on the market gets my goat. In the 80's a man born near Chicago came back from Europe and rebirthed the float market (today's brown Lindy balsa line). Before he could take that to the next step, he parted ways / they parted ways with him. Thus float fishing has not moved forward for the past 30 years. Some have tried - but the only way a Bobber-with-a-brain would be better would be if there was a porcupine quill stuck in that brain.

I intend on carrying forward the work that was started 30 years ago and trust me - you won't believe what is available - battle tested, the stuff that wins tournaments and that is specifically matched to US fishing, fish & baits.

I am really excited and hope I am sharing this properly and not coming off as a dope. : )

I am making sure and certain that I can provide these at a good price, good quality and that they ship the same day. Customer service is the key. I have a lot of work to get finished but I am so excited that I can't help but commenting on the quill post!

Waggler fishing for bluegills is an excellent activity - and made all that more excellent if you:

1. Have a good performing float

2. Have it shotted properly

3. Are fishing the light line/leader & hook combination

Waggler fishing is more challenging than cane pole & float fishing - there is a lot more to it. Both are very rewarding and I am not sure which I enjoy more. Catching fish at long distance on the waggler or speed-fishing. I do know it beats this cabin fever I am suffering from right now.

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

Its a good point you make about adapting. Fish are gonna eat, but we know that can be picky and they can be lure shy, too. You have to be able to bring something that is new. You know you're probably doign something right when other anglers say, ..."Hmmm, I never seen that stuff before!"

It's also a great idea to bring to the market what isnt there, so they can say it! ;-)  

As for your supposed arrogance - really, you're kidding right? :-) Big difference between passion and arrogance. And I dont wonder if you can't have the former without a touch of the latter....