# bobber fishing with live shrimp dilemna



## stevesmi

okay check this out. 

I was fishing at Sikes over the weekend and there has been good success with people using live shrimp with a bobber so i copied them. here is my delimna though, when you throw it out and let it sit it moves very fast away from the bridge with the current. when i used to bass fish with a bobber in the lake there was no current like that. 

so when a Spanish hit my bait it pulled the rod and felt resistance and pulled the shrimp right off the hook cause the line was so tight, if you let more line loose the bobber just keeps going further away with the current. hope i explained this correctly for you guys to understand. 

so i decided to try something else, i loosened the spool so if i had a hit the reel would release line so the spanish wouldn't have resistance. 30 minutes later boom i get a hit and my spool goes zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz and the line gets all tangled and again the spanish gets loose. 

so what is the solution here when bobber fishing somewhere with a strong current besides holding all my rods and waiting for a strike? am i just gonna have to deal with losing a lot of fish ?

PS: on a side note if i leave the spool open the line just continues to go, i tried that too.


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## TSpecks

Some people will sit there and hold the rod in free spool on the tip of your finger so when the fish hits, you let him have it just for a second and come tight on the circle hook. Others will just lower the rod and try to cross eye the fish like bass fishing!!lol Good luck hope that helps


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## FishEyez

TSpecks said:


> Some people will sit there and hold the rod in free spool on the tip of your finger so when the fish hits, you let him have it just for a second and come tight on the circle hook. Others will just lower the rod and try to cross eye the fish like bass fishing!!lol Good luck hope that helps


^This. Many years ago we fished this way in Jax FL with my dad. Lots of current in and around the ICW. Free spool it watching the cork. When it went down dad used to tell me count to three then set the hook (non-circle). Probably would work in your situation as well. With a circle hook you wouldn't have to set the hook.


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## stevesmi

okay but what if i have 2 or 3 rods out there at one time? this is what people do on Sikes. i like to throw out some bobbers and then fish with my smaller rod for the smaller stuff.


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## Charlie2

*Live Shrimp woth Bobbers*



stevesmi said:


> okay but what if i have 2 or 3 rods out there at one time? this is what people do on Sikes. i like to throw out some bobbers and then fish with my smaller rod for the smaller stuff.


It then gets pretty busy.  C2


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## capt'n slim

get lots of shrimp, use only one rod at a time and don't put it down. I use a weighted bobber (it has a lead strip inside) this makes it easy when the spanish hits the resistance of the bobber will set the hook automatically. but yes you will still have tons of short strikes leaving you baitless. Fishing for spanish under a cork is one of my favorite things to do in the spring.


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## hjorgan

Use a bubble float with a straw, save your shrimp money!


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## WisconsinFisherman

Ok, first off if the pole is un attended then you need to keep the bail CLOSED and lossen the drag enough so that the fish can take line but NOT so lose that it "Rats nests" like you had happen. With a Penn or level wind reel, Keep the reel engaged and drag as loose as possible WITH the clicker on. OR you can leave the spool disengaged with the clicker on. Depends on current. Either method you try, keep this in mind. You only put a hook in the tail or behind the eyes of the shrimp so if the fish takes the end opposite the hook, they will get it every time unless they inhale the whole shrimp. That is the deciding factor. I got a couple Skip Jack/Lady fish last night from the north sikes bridge off bobbers. Yeah, I missed a few but thats why its called fishing and not catching.  Trial and error my friend with your equip. Try diff drag settings on the spool with the bail closed but remember to tighten OR put fingers on the base of the spool before you slam the hook home or you will still end up with a rats nest. Good luck and post pics.


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## Pier#r

If you're not going to be holding the rod try rigging some sort of a 'drop back' or release clip system to give a few feet of slack and the fish an extra second or two to get the bait further in its mouth on the strike.
On the old Pensacola Bay Bridge I would use an old lead sinker or a small piece of concrete placed on the line along the bridge rail. At any sudden tug (like a strike of a fish) the line would release but the slack would allow a couple of seconds before the fish set the hook on itself as it ran away.

On the boat we would use a heavy rubber band or a hair ponytail band on the rod and slip a loop of line under it to allow about 5 feet of slack on a strike.

Hope this helps!


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## stevesmi

I am a very experienced bass fisherman so its just a matter of transitioning bobber fishing into salt water. 

I am gonna go tonight to Sikes (assuming the bait shops don't run out of live shrimp) and give it another shot using 2 rods and a 3rd in my hand fishing off the bottom. 

i will try all the advice you guys have given me and will be using fluro instead of steel leader .. will report back at my results

thank you for your help. I definately would like to catch 2 or 3 keepers and I would be thrilled. heck even a couple good sized white trout would make my day. getting tired of catching just pinfish and croakers on cut shrimp


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## PompChaser315

Have you guys ever tried using a Cajun Thunder rattle bobber or whatever they are called with live shrimp underneath them? I used to TEAR UP the Reds and Specks over on the east coast when using this method. 

How long is your leader usually when using a cork?


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## biminitwist

If you have a spinning reel, place a piece of soft copper rigging wire on the post of the reel and bend it into a gentle curve, like the letter "J". A soft curve is needed as a tight bend won't release the line properly. Ensure there are no sharp edges on the end of the wire. This works in light to moderate current. For a ripping current, or if you have a bait casting reel, slide one of those really small rubber bands, about an inch or so across, down two or three eyelets of the rod. This also has the effect of alerting you to a strike with the sound of the band popping off or snapping when the fish hooks itself. Works when trolling in heavy winds and you need to keep the lines down low, too.

Hope this helps.


BT


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## Boat-Dude

tspecks said:


> some people will sit there and hold the rod in free spool on the tip of your finger so when the fish hits, you let him have it just for a second and come tight on the circle hook. Others will just lower the rod and try to cross eye the fish like bass fishing!!lol good luck hope that helps



bingooooooooooooo, I have even gotten so desperate that I use small 2" pin fish and have had good luck with them. I an just waiting for my all time favorite bait LY's. The best bait in the whole wide world. haha


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## jim t

Use a circle hook. Don't "snatch", just allow the rod to bow, Don't "jerk", simply start to reel.

Not as good as a rod held in hand, but better than a J-hook that is not attended.

Jim


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## Dolphin Passer

I like a Shamano Bait Runner reel for that situation. It has a clicker feature.


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