How to fish with a wobbler correctly: casting and catching techniques

Types of wobblers and their markings

Wobbler is a bait made of hard material, which is designed for catching predatory species using a spinning rod. Wood, cork, plastic, and polymers are used in its production. It comes in the form of a small fish, a frog, or a newt. There are forms resembling insects and crustaceans. Depending on the fishing conditions, there are several hundred types of gear.

Fishing with a wobbler

The bait has several parts:

• body – monolithic or consisting of several parts;
• blade - a special element located in the front part of the bait;
• hooks - double type or tees.

The main features, in addition to the external shape, by which one can distinguish the type of wobbler are buoyancy and immersion depth. The size, color and material of each type of bait may be different.

Buoyancy

This feature characterizes the behavior of a wobbler on water. There are different types of bait:

• floating - wobblers that always remain on the surface of the water and do not sink;
• sinking - baits that sink to the bottom under the weight of their own weight;
• neutral (another name is suspenders) - immersed up to 20 cm in water without additional weighting.

An international classification has been developed for each type of buoyancy. Marking of floating wobblers:

• SF – after casting, the bait slowly floats to the surface of the water and remains on it;
• F – the wobbler floats and does not submerge;
• FF – the bait floats up quickly.

For sinking wobblers the following designations are accepted:

• S – bait sinking to the bottom;
• FS – fast sinking;
• SS – the bait slowly sinks to the bottom.

Wobblers with neutral buoyancy are marked:

• SU, SP – the bait is constantly located at a depth of about 20 cm from the surface of the water;
• SSS – the wobbler sinks very slowly from a neutral position to the bottom.

Wobblers also vary in the depth to which they dive.

Immersion depth

There are three types:

• The bait does not sink more than 1 meter. Among these wobblers, the most famous are chaggers and gliders.
• The wobbler can go to a depth of over 10 meters. They are designated DR.
• Gear operating at medium depths - MDR.

For branded bait models, the immersion depth indicator is indicated on the body. Deep-sea wobblers can be distinguished by their massive blade, which has a slight angle of inclination to the base.

Case shape

The shape of the wobbler body can be elongated, spherical, or teardrop-shaped. These varieties allow you to imitate the behavior of the most common prey for predators - fry or small fish:

• Minnow. Thin and elongated body. The shape of the bait resembles a minnow or bleak.
• Crank. The body is flattened from the sides.
• Shed. Shape resembling a small herring.
• Fat. Shortened teardrop-shaped body.
• Popper. A bait that has a recess at the base that imitates the open mouth of a fish. When retrieving, noise and splashes are created, which make the wobbler play similar to the real behavior of the prey of a predatory fish.
• Crowler. This species has two lobes at the base. When retrieving, the bait deviates to the left and right.

Some models have small propellers installed instead of blades. This device may be located at the base or tail of the housing. Sometimes they are made in both parts. These wobblers are called proppers.

Classification of wobblers
A separate type - baits consisting of several connected parts. Another variety is wobblers that completely imitate the shape of frogs, crustaceans, shrimp, and large aquatic insects.

Classification by depth

Wobbler is a unique type of spinning bait. Its uniqueness is due to the range of depths at which the bait can be used.

According to the depth of immersion, wobblers are divided into 3 classes

Superficial

Minnow surface wobbler with small blade

Those models that practically do not go deep during wiring (up to 1 m) and go along the surface of the water are called surface ones - SSR - surface (Super Shallow Runner).

This type of bait most often includes:

• poppers;
• gliders;
• chuggers;
• crawlers;
• walkers;

Surface wobblers either have a small blade, which is located at a strong angle to the direction of the fishing line, or have no blade at all.

Medium depth

Darter - bladeless wobbler of medium depth

SR - shallow running (Shallow Runner) - the next type of bait refers to medium-depth wobblers (1-2 m).

• jerkbaits;
• rattlins;
• darters.

Most often, medium-depth models are bladeless wobblers, but they also come with blades (an intermediate model between surface and deep-water ones in terms of inclination and blade size).

deep sea

Deep-sea wobbler (Crank) with a long wide blade

MDR - going at medium depth (Middle Deep Runner) or DR - deep diving (Deep Runner) - wobblers that dive deeply when retrieved (from 2 to 10) are called deep-sea.

This type most often includes:

• minnow;
• fat;
• shad;
• crank.

Depending on the size and shape of the blade, as well as on the angle of its inclination, the wobblers are buried more or less.

If the blade is small and at a large angle to the line, this means the wobbler is shallow and is unable to dive deeply, while wobblers with a wide blade and barely deviated from the axis of the line are deep-sea.

What kind of fish are wobblers used for?

All types of predators inhabiting the waters of Eurasia are caught with this bait:

• Pike. When catching this predator, large wobblers are used. Various types of massive poppers are effective.
• Perch. Small baits are used to catch it. To improve the result, the wobbler is equipped with shiny elements.
• Zander. Prefers hunting at great depths. The nozzle should have a bright or glow-in-the-dark color.
• Som. To catch large specimens, large wobblers with a splash effect and imitation of the real behavior of the prey are used.
• Trout. Hunts near the surface of the water. An effective bait is in the form of small insects with bright colors.
• Asp. Picks up prey from the water surface. Small and medium sized wobblers are used.

You can fish with a wobbler from the shore or from a boat.

Wobbler wiring technique

10.1 Uniform wiring Most effective in strong currents.

10.2 Aggressive wiring

10.3 Twitching

10.4 Ripping Ripping is a synonym for the words “twitching” and “derking”. The peculiarity of this technique is vigorous pulling of the short tackle down and up, with long pauses, which serve as time to wind the slack line onto the reel.

10.5 Jerking Suitable for using heavy deep-sea baits. A detailed article about what jerking is and how to use this spinning fishing technique.

10.6 Stop and go wiring The stop and go wiring diagram looks like this

Rules for selecting a wobbler

The bait is selected depending on the fishing conditions and the type of predator. Various wobblers are used in size, shape, and color. The method of conducting the spinning rod is taken into account, attention is paid to the depth of the reservoir, current, and transparency of the water.

Wobblers for trolling

Trolling is a type of fishing when the bait is towed on a rowing or motor boat. This method has another, more familiar name - “fishing on the path”. Trolling correctly with a wobbler is not particularly difficult.

You need to troll, or fish, with a wobbler, which has good mobility with slow retrieval. The most effective with this method of fishing are considered to be lures with a narrow long body and a silver color similar to small scales. Length 6-10 cm.

Wobblers for trolling

In summer, in warm weather, wiring is carried out near the surface. Select gear with neutral buoyancy or floating. With the arrival of autumn, when the water in rivers and lakes cools, the fish go to shelters at the bottom. At this time, sinking baits are used.

It is important to choose a wobbler with maximum noise effect and realistic play. The bait should vibrate, play and imitate the behavior of a small fish located at the surface of the water. When trolling, you can deepen the wobbler with a sinker.

Sizing

The size of the bait is selected depending on what type of predator is being fished. For perch and small specimens of pike, small gear sizes are used - 5-7 cm. For larger specimens, wobblers 9-13 cm are selected.

The size of the tackle does not always depend on the type of fish. It often happens that large specimens prefer small baits.

Oscillation frequency

The oscillation frequency of the bait depends on the shape and location of the blade:

• wide blade – increases the amplitude of rotation;
• narrow - the frequency of oscillations of the bait increases;
• small angle of inclination to the base - the wobbler is susceptible to floating;
• The greater the angle, the deeper the bait dives.

Deep models have a long blade with a large angle relative to the body of the tackle.

Degree of buoyancy

If the fish is at the surface of the water, pick up floating wobblers. This type of gear is good for moving past obstacles - vegetation, snags, driftwood. Such models are effective for fishing methods when the bait is floated downstream and then the retrieval begins.

Neutral buoyancy is suitable for jerking retrieves. The bait remains close to the surface of the water, which provokes the predator to attack.

In strong currents, it is better to use a sinking bait. Wobblers with negative buoyancy will help lure predators out of hiding at the bottom of a reservoir.

Your question to an expert

Luka Strelnikov

Professional fisherman with extensive experience

Ask a Question

What are suspenders

Suspender literally means “suspend”. A complex model of wobblers, the peculiarity of which is that when there is a pause (stop) in the wiring, it does not immediately float up, that is, it behaves like a floating model of a wobbler, but it does not sink, but remains in a neutral position.

The downside of a suspender is its slowness when retrieving, which is bad when catching an active predator. Plus - an excellent bait for lazy fish!

How is it arranged? The wobbler is equipped with a neutral buoyancy system (balancing). The body is made of plastic, a hollow chamber and balls, which help when casting the wobbler and ensure its balancing.

Outwardly it resembles a wobbler - a minnow.

To test a wobbler at home, just immerse it on a leash in a container of water and if it “hangs” in one state for a while, then it is a suspender.

Suspenders are:

• suspending or SP – neutrally buoyant model;
• super Slow Sinking or (SSS) – after a pause in the retrieve they slowly begin to sink.

Advice: when purchasing the right suspender, depending on the fishing conditions and gear, you need to pay attention to the packaging, where the manufacturer indicates the conditions under which the bait can hang in the water.

7.1 Fishing technique and fishing with suspenders

The first stage is to involve the wobbler in the game:

• rapid rotation of an inertia-free or multiplier reel;
• rod movement;
• trolling;
• jerking.

The best way is to use the rotation of the reel, since after twitching and pulling the wobbler stops and the fishing line weakens, so the ability to catch a bite is lost, and the reel makes the fishing line ready. In this case, the tackle must be in working position. If the suspender is brought into play only by the tackle, then at that moment it is not ready to accept a bite and the fish will leave.

The second stage is speed. If the fish is active, then the pauses are short and vice versa.

Advice: use braid, as the lack of stretch will allow you to clearly feel the bite and make a sharp hook.

The figure shows the wiring diagram of several types of suspenders

You can observe the behavior of the wobbler when wiring the suspender in this video (from 4river)

DIY wobbler

You can make the tackle yourself, using a model purchased in a store as a sample. Stages of work:

1. Choice of material. Wood or polymers are used. For floating models, it is better to choose lightweight plastic or polyurethane.
2. Manufacturing of the body. The future body of the wobbler is marked on the workpiece according to the selected dimensions, then cut out. Two cuts are made - a longitudinal one for the equipment and a transverse one, closer to the base, for the blade.
3. Shaping. Use a sharp knife, file, needle file. These tools cut out the body of the tackle. You can use a lathe. Grinding is carried out using an abrasive material. Polish before painting.
4. Manufacturing of equipment. Stainless wire is used to make equipment for attaching fishing line and hooks. Depending on the model, there may be two or three tees.
5. Making the blade. The blade is made from fiberglass up to 2 mm wide. Its shape and size may be different.
6. Installation of elements. Using glue or epoxy resin, the blade and equipment are strengthened on the body. All gluing areas are sanded.
7. Coloring. After polishing, paint is applied. You can insert foil and plastic elements glued to the base. The body is varnished.

During the manufacturing process, additional lead weights can be added to the body. Video on how to make a wobbler with your own hands at home:

Fishing with a wobbler

The technique of casting this bait differs from trolling. With the help of special wiring, you can achieve similarity in the behavior of a small fish, which serves as a good bait for predators. Beginners need training to fish correctly with a wobbler.

Casting bait

It is necessary to accurately deliver the bait to the places where the fish are expected to be located. To do this, the fishing line on a spinning reel is wound so that the distance from the leash to the tip of the rod does not exceed 20-30 cm. The bracket is moved back, the fishing line is pressed on the crook of the index finger.

The rod is pulled back and with a sharp flick of the wrist the bait is sent to the fishing spot. If the tackle is diving, it is given time to sink. The reel handle is used to wind the line. At the same time, a wobbler plays, imitating the behavior of prey for a predator.

Fishing from the shore

It is better to fish with a wobbler from the shore using a floating or neutral bait. This will prevent snags on bottom vegetation and driftwood. This type of gear will also help to avoid surface obstacles when guiding. Choose the longest possible rod for long casts.

From the boat

If you fish with a wobbler from a boat, you can use sinking and surface bait. For convenience in limited space, choose a rod up to 2 meters long. You don’t have to make long casts and send the bait 10-15 meters to the fishing spot.

Twitching

This is a method of spinning fishing with a wobbler. It consists in the fact that during wiring, wrist jerks of varying degrees of intensity are made. The bait begins to actively play and provoke the predator to attack. Constant hand movements can lead to fatigue; for this, select a light rod up to 1.5 meters long.

For beginners who are not familiar with this method, you can watch a video on twitching for beginners to learn how to fish with wobblers:

How to tie correctly?

Some fishermen believe that there must be a metal leash between the wobbler and the main fishing line. Others disagree with this statement, since a rough metal leash negatively affects the quality of the suspender's play.

Wobbler manufacturers recommend using fishing line. But the problem is that in our reservoirs there is an abundance of pike, which can easily bite fishing line and even braided thread with its sharp teeth. For this reason, anglers who do not use metal leaders often lose expensive baits.

According to statistics, approximately every fourth pike bite on a wobbler tied with a fishing line ends with the bait breaking off.

The use of fishing line leashes is justified only in those reservoirs where pike are not found for some reason, but there are other types of predatory fish, such as asp and chub. On the other hand, a metal leash can ruin the performance of a wobbler, especially a small one. If you are using a small suspender that needs to hover in the water column, then when using metal it may begin to sink. The play of large wobblers depends less on the weight of the leash.

Summer and winter fishing

In summer, the tactics of fishing with a wobbler do not differ much from traditional lure methods. Any type of bait can be used. The predator actively hunts in the warm season and is located in the upper and middle layers of the reservoir. Floating and neutral baits are used.

In winter, the fish are inactive and are in a sleepy state near the bottom. The space for fishing is limited by a hole drilled in the ice. Short fishing rods with a sinking wobbler are used. The bait sinks to the bottom, with vertical jerks it is forced to play and provoke the predator to bite.

Pros and cons of a wobbler as an artificial bait for a predator

Pros:

1. Suitable for strong currents.
2. A wide range of colors and variety of shapes allows you to satisfy the needs of any predator.
3. Game soundtrack.
4. Duration of use.

Minuses:

1. Not all models are designed for long-distance casting.
2. Not all models are equipped with high-speed tempo.
3. It is not a universal attachment, there is a limited range of fish for catching (for example, the wobbler successfully uses fish such as: sole, flathead, sea ruffe, sea dragon, dorado and other fish that live in the depths of the Mediterranean Sea, however, they will refuse the proposed attachment red mullet, pompano fish, etc.).
4. Not suitable for use with all gear and types of fishing.
5. High cost of bait.