Do You Really Need Bobber Stops for Ice Fishing?
If you’ve ice fished with a slip bobber long enough, you’ve used bobber stops. They’ve been part of the setup forever.
But here’s the honest question most ice anglers never stop to ask:
Do you actually need them?
Or are they just another piece of gear we’ve accepted because that’s how it’s always been done?
Why Bobber Stops Exist in the First Place
Bobber stops were designed for one reason:
to control how far your slip bobber can slide down the line.
In theory, they let you: set precise depth, Adjust your depth quickly, and detect bites.
And when everything goes right, they work.
The problem is… everything rarely goes right on the ice.
The Real Problems with Bobber Stops (That Nobody Likes to Admit)
If you fish in real winter conditions, you’ve probably dealt with at least a few of these:
❄️ They freeze
Knot-style stops soak up water, then freeze solid.
Now you’re pulling a frozen rock through your guides.
🧤 You have to cut your line to set it up
Cold hands, thick gloves, tiny knots — enough said.
🎣 They slip when you don’t want them to
You set depth perfectly… then it changes mid-day.
Or worse, mid-fight.
🧵 They damage light line
Especially with panfish setups and thin fluorocarbon.
And here’s the big one:
🐟 Uneven pressure when fighting fish
Even when not frozen, bobber stops going in and out of your rod guides and on and off your reel means uneven pressure when fighting fish, essentially rendering your reel’s drag worthless. Bobbers stops are like speed bumps on your fishing line.
That lost fish?
Sometimes it’s not you.
It’s the bobber stop getting hung up on the edge of the ice, your rod guides, or your reel spool.
So… Do Bobber Stops Still Make Sense?
To be fair — yes, sometimes.
If you’re:
-
fishing open water
-
using heavier line or braid
Bobber stops still have a place.
But ice fishing is different and requires more finesse.
And that’s where the old setup starts to fall apart.
A Simpler Way: Slip Floats Without Bobber Stops
This is where tension-based slip floats come in.
Instead of relying on a knot or rubber stop, the float itself: grips the line with controlled tension and releases when the hook it set.
The bobber transforms into a traditional slip bobber without a pesky bobber stop on your line.
Why This Matters on the Ice
No more lost fish due to pesky slip stops.
No damaged rod, reels, and line.
Just the ice fishing float doing the job.
And when you’re re-rigging outside in January?
Not having to mess with bobber stops is a win all by itself.
The Bottom Line
Bobber stops aren’t “bad.”
They’re just not the best option anymore for ice fishing.
If you’ve ever missed or lost a fish due to a bobber stop, it might be time to rethink your setup.