Dan Dannenmueller uses slip corks when fish want a slow or stopped presentation. He says the beauty of slip corks is that you can use them whether you’re fishing shallow, mid-depth or deep water. (Photo: Tim Huffman)
Slip Corks Produce Fun and Action
by Tim Huffman
Feeling a crappie “thump” a jig is awesome, but who doesn’t also like the fun and excitement of watching a cork disappear?
Slip cork techniques have been around forever with our grandfathers using them with a cane pole. The theory is the same today, but tackle and floats have improved.
“Crappie Kirby’s” Slip Corking
Kansas guide Kirby Hamm, known for his Fish, Eat, Live on YouTube, says, “People think shallow when it comes to fishing corks, especially during the spawn. Corks are excellent then, but my favorite way is to fish a minnow under a slip bobber 14 to 18 feet deep, in structure.”
He says post-spawn fish in April and May will go out and suspend 8 to 12 feet, but as water warms, they’ll suspend in deeper water. On the lakes he fishes, summer fish are often 14 to 18 feet.
“The best time is when it starts getting hot. The best window of opportunity gets small as water temperatures rise, with early morning and late afternoon being prime time. The fish are really turned on when the sun is low.
“If you’re in an area with a thermocline in the summer, it’s like air conditioning for crappie. You can see it on a graph. You can wear them out with a slip bobber. I place the minnow just a foot or two over the crappie. They prefer to feed up because biologically their eyes are in the top of their heads.
“Any time crappie aren’t hungry and they don’t want to bite, don’t give up. If I drop a hamburger in front of your face and keep it there, you’ll slap it away or eventually get hungry and eat it. A crappie doesn’t have hands to slap it away, so they’ll hit it to kill it or eventually just eat it, so either way they are likely to get hooked.”
Hamm says to use a float with little resistance.
“A fish will hold on longer if it doesn’t feel resistance, giving more time for you to set the hook. Weight should carry the bait down with a tantalizing fall that can trigger a bite. When watching a bobber, a bite can be a slight twitch, disappearing or laying on its side.”
Slip Cork Q&A: Tips
Reasons for using a slip float?
“There are several good reasons,” says Dan Dannenmueller, CrappieNow Publisher and tournament pro. “First, the water up north now is still cold but warming. Crappie want the bait at a dead stop. Fish aren’t moving much because they are cold, so they want the bait still and easy to inhale. Water in the south is warm and fish are post-spawn, so baits can have some movement because the fish are more aggressive.
“Long poles are good this time of year in the south or anywhere with warm water. A slip float is physically easier than holding a long pole all day long, especially for a kid or older fisherman. A slip cork allows a pole, whether a long pole or casting rod, to be placed in a holder or rested inside the boat without having to hold it. It can be fished any depth to present the bait. Use minnows for this method.
“There are several other reasons for a slip cork rig including getting the jig or minnow further from the boat to avoid spooking fish. Also, a slip cork forces a slow presentation that crappie usually want. The cork keeps a bait at a constant depth. And the cork is a perfect strike indicator.”
Minnows are obviously a good slip cork bait. What about using jigs?
“The middle states are usually having spawning temperatures in April. When the fish are really shallow, I prefer clipping my cork directly to the line. But from several feet or deeper, the slip float is still good. I’ll use a jig when the fish are shallow and aggressive. The shallowest crappie are males up toward the banks. You can catch them, have a great time and fill the cooler. Because fish are getting more active, a jig will work under a slip cork.
“Catch the females a little deeper than the males. Females are holding on a ledge or some structure out away from the spawning bank. Minnows are always a good choice under a cork, but hair and plastic jigs can be used, too. Sometimes bait size isn’t critical, but spawning fish are often heavily pressured, so I’ll use a small jig. My favorite is a Bobby Garland Itty Bit on a 1/32-ounce head. You need a small cork when using a light jig. When fish are aggressive and not too spooky, I prefer a 1/16-ounce jig.”
What about speed and action?
“One of the primary things live-imaging sonar has taught us is to use less action. Fish don’t like the hopping and jigging like we once thought. So, a safe way to present a bait is stopped or use a slow and steady swim. A slip cork allows that. There’s no hopping except for wave action. We must move baits slowly to keep them from coming up toward the cork.”
Final Tips
Dannenmueller’s setup for casting a slip cork is a BnM 7.5-foot 75th Anniversary spinning outfit, Gamma 6- or 8-pound test line, #4 TruTurn hook and Thill slip corks. He says the Thill floats are marked with the best weight on the side of the float so it’s simple to match the right weight jig or split shot.
“Watch for bites. Shallow fish will take it and run. Deeper fish may lay it on its side or slowly take it under. A bite can be just a little ‘tic’, a complete take away, or anything in between.”
A slip cork is a great tool whether you call it a slip cork, bobber, float, or strike indicator. Try it out to put more fish in your boat and have the excitement of disappearing corks.
Tim Huffman has specialized in crappie fishing writing and photography for over three decades. He is currently Senior Writer for CrappieNOW Digital Magazine, freelance writer, and book author. His books are available at Grizzly Jig Company or www.MonsterCrappie.com
