Bobbers Revisited

Hi Lawrence, I have been looking at your website and I find the information very helpful.

I have been blind all of my life and also enjoy fishing from time to time. Most of the people I fish with rely on bobbers. It’s very common to catch bass, Croppy and blue gill in my area. Bobbers don’t work well for blind people as you know so I am looking for suggestions to make the experience good for me and other blind people that I know. Fishing on bottom definitely gives some results with catfish and so forth but how can I fish for Bass, croppy and bluegill? Your input is appreciated.

Regards, Cory

Hi Cory, I hear you about the bobber thing my friend.

I will fish with very tiny bobbers myself when need-be, but it means constantly reeling in line to maintain light pressure between the bobber and the rod. Otherwise, for pannies I generally throw small jigs tipped with either plastics or live bait, and simply let them sink while maintaining light tactile contact with the jig.

For Bass I do a lot of drop-shotting — an excellent productive tool for anyone, and very much something blind people can excel at. Spinnerbaits for Bass also are effective.

Fishing for cats is something I do with jigs and worms. Mostly vertically with good results, but also more horizontally. Again, the key is to keep light contact with your bait when it is at rest or falling. Good extra fast rods are key, like the Crucial or Compre line-up from Shimano — many of which are extra fast. Go with a good push button reel so you can maintain contact with the line with your rod hand while retrieving. If you scroll back through my articles you will find tons of tips.

Good luck and let me know what you end up liking the most.

Warmest, Lawrence