I’ve heard slip bobbers can work well for crappie fishing… can you tell me how to use them?

A slip bobber is a bobber that consists of a hollowed out middle that resembles a straw. Built around this straw is the body of the bobber that indicates a strike. The top is generally an easy to see florescent color. Slip bobbers work well for Crappie fishing for several reasons. First of all it is easy to adjust the depth of your bait using a slip bobber. This is very important when Crappie fishing. The Crappie is a species that often feeds at a particular depth and will not move up or down in the water column to feed. The ability to accurately set the depth of your bait in a timely matter will improve the amount of fish you catch. Slip bobbers also allow you to cast your bait farther. Crappie quite often suspend in water up to thirty feet deep. It is impossible in situations like this to use a conventional bobber. With a slip bobber you can reel the line up all the way and improve both your casting distance and accuracy. The shape of a slip bobber also is beneficial to Crappie fishing. Its long thin shape allows it to go under the water easily. This accomplishes two objectives. It will indicate when a light hitting Crappie is making a play at your line. It also does not alert the Crappie to a presentation that is not natural. With a standard bobber the fish will feel the added pressure required to bring it under the water and often let go of your line.