July 19, 2021
By In-Fisherman Staff
Whether you call it a bobber, float or cork, this ‘bait buoy’ is the most iconic and employed piece of fishing equipment in the world. In its simplest form, a bobber elevates a lure or bait to a certain level in the water column, and then indicates a strike by plunging beneath the surface, swimming away, or in some instances, just acting peculiarly.
That’s where the similarities between brands end.
Northland Fishing Tackle has made a career out of taking basic and essential lures and elevating their performance. Bobbers are no different. To this, Northland introduces new sizes (3/8 and 1-1/4 inches) to the sophisticated yet easy to use Lite-Bite Slip Bobber, in addition to the all-new Lite-Bite Weighted Slip Bobber.
The Lite-Bite Slip Bobber It begins with balsa. All Lite-Bite Slip Bobbers are constructed with premium balsa wood. Balsa is incredibly buoyant, lending the ideal floatation for bobbers of every size. Secondly, balsa is extremely lightweight, able to manage even large bait without the bobber being massive in size.
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Balsa is a soft wood, so Northland adds protective armor to Lite-Bite Slip Bobbers. Each is carefully painted and then coated with a clear lacquer finish to mitigate chipping. You’ll also appreciate the color spectrum. The stems are painted fluorescent orange, the brilliant brightness continuing onto the top of the body. At that point, florescent yellow takes over, greeting a white stripe and finishing into a rich and natural stained wood. The vibrant colors yield extreme visibility at distances and during low-light conditions, while also serving as metering to determine how sensitive the bobber is set, as determined by the mass of sinkers, size of the bait and or weight of the jig. The lower it floats on the surface, the more sensitive the setting.
A well-anchored plastic stem cuts through the center of each Lite-Bite Slip Bobber. The tube acts as the delivery medium for line sliding through the bobber until your bobber-knot hits the top of the stem. The tip of the stem is unique, too. Instead of having a raw opening that can crack and crush like a drinking straw, Northland inserts a “Slip-N-Slide” brass grommet that both protects the tip and causes line to flow effortless through. To that, the grommet also lets you operate without the customary bead that acts like a washer between the knot and tip so the knot doesn’t slide through the stem. The results are smoother casts and less tangling.
Slip bobbers in general are recommended when fishing deeper than 3-feet. Any deeper with a fixed float and it’s like casting a lasso and trying to land a fish with the bobber reeled to the rod tip, and more than 3-feet of line between the bobber and fish makes landing a challenge. Slip bobbers are easily fished in depths of 20-feet and more with proper sizing and weighting for the conditions.
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Lite-Bite Weighted Slip Bobber As if new sizes of the Lite-Bite Slip Bobber weren’t enough news, Northland is also releasing the all-new Lite-Bite Weighted Slip Bobber. Now you have the weaponry to cast even the lightest jigs or bait with amazing distance. Perfectly weighted, the Lite-Bite Slip Bobber sails through the air like an arrow, and once hitting the surface, stands tall and telegraphs light bites, dunks and sideways swims just like the unweighted version.
The Lite-Bite Weighted Slip Bobber Whether you’re fishing for crappies, bluegills and perch, or walleyes, bass and pike, Northland’s Lite-Bite Slip Bobbers are the ultimate strike indicator.
New sizes of the Lite-Bite Slip Bobber and Lite-Bite Weighted Slip Bobber series will be available in early 2022. The Lite-Bite Slip bobber comes two per pack and retails from $3.99 to $4.99. The weighted version comes two per pack and retails for $5.49 to $6.49 and will be available six sizes.
