Bobber
Also called float, strike indicator
A float clipped to the line that suspends the bait at a set depth and signals a bite when it goes under.
A bobber does two jobs at once. It holds the bait off the bottom at a depth you choose, which keeps it out of weed and in the fish's view, and it tells you when something has taken it. When it dips under, a fish has the bait.
The round red-and-white clip-on is the one everyone knows and the right one for a kid. Slip floats are the upgrade: the line runs through them and a small bobber stop sets the depth, so you can fish twelve feet down and still cast, which a fixed bobber makes impossible.
Pencil and slim floats are more sensitive because a fish feels less resistance pulling them under. Fly anglers use the same idea and call it a strike indicator.
Set the bobber so the bait sits just above the weeds, not on the bottom. Depth is the adjustment that matters most.
Related terms
Where this comes up
The guides that use bobber and show it on real gear.
Bobber is one of 206 terms in the glossary.
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