Thread: Casting bubbles

Since the Spanish have been hitting well on bubble rigs, I've gone through a bunch of them and have listened to the griping about cheap bubbles not lasting. I've heard a couple of helpful solutions that I though I'd pass along---first is using tape around the seam to make them last longer, and I've found that the wide shipping tape works better than the regular Scotch-type tape. I've also seen people using electrical tape, but don't know how that works. With the tape, the bubble seems to last until a fish cuts it off, which is a lot better than the dang thing popping in two due to a change in barometric pressure from the pier to the water, which is the only explanation I can come up with for the way some of them fall apart.

The second is to get a tube of Shoe Goo (Yes there is such a thing, and they have it at Wal Mart) and run a bead around the seam of the bubble. I just sealed up a few like that last night, and the result is impressive looking. I have yet to try it in real life to see how well it holds up, but the clear seal looks better than tape, which begins to come loose and hang off after a few casts. If your seam isn't even, you can wet your finger and smooth it out and the Goo stays on the bubble and not your digit.

I just thought I'd pass these tips along and since bubbles aren't used on trolley rigs, it would make a nice break from the interminable argument that has been going on. Good fishing everybody, and I'll see you on the pier in a few days. I'm having severe withdrawal symptoms being up here in the woods working of food plots---need some salt air and fish slime.

thanks for the tips if I ever use a bubble in the future, and I am sure I will if that is working and jigs are not....but for now I like jigs for the spanish and have gotten away from the gotchas(and I have many), that I would always use in the past....saw that over on Pensacola pier.... just one older guy was slaying the BIG spanish when no one else was catching(including me standing right beside him) with what he called a hair ball jig, (spear head tied with white hair)....so that is what I'll be throwing, till it isn't working and something else is
Thanks for the tips

I have run into the bubbles coming apart too. So, I keep a tube of craft super glue in my bag. I dry off the edges, use the brush and apply some glue along one seam. Then I put them back together and rotate them to get the glue around the circle. Leave them hanging on my rod for a couple minutes... fill it with water and right back into business. Until I get a bite-off at the swivel or leader and lose my whole rig... again. Which is why I usually have 8 or 10 zip locs with bubble rigs in my bag. When they're biting big, there's gonna be bubble rig casualties.

I also keep a tube of BB's in with the super glue and while the bubble is open I'll drop in three BB's and seal them when I glue it shut. Makes quite a racket coming across the surface... and the Spaniards don't seem to mind.

Back in the late 80's/early 90's when I fished Fort Walton & Navarra, instead of bubble, guys there used a short piece of broom handle with eyes screwed into the ends. That could cast them about a 1/2 mile and the Spanish didn't seem to know the difference.

Carl, I tried using dowel rod, but the wood was too light. I guess broom handle wood is denser. I've heard they use wooden casting aids on the east coast a lot.

The folks at Navarre were using a PVC model....I think we've had a thread mention that before. Looked like about 3 inches of 1.5 inch PVC with two caps on the ends. Eyelets were screwed in and sealed somehow, no doubt. They cast forever.

I've had great luck ordering these:

https://www.rainbowplastics.com/toug...php?x=122&y=64

I've never had one break. Maybe some of you have, but I haven't.

FWIW.

thanks for the link Rich, those look nice and very reasonable for a 12 pack

When I was a kid My dad would fish with a weighted popping cork and about 5 foot of mono leader. He would then use a white crappie jig because they were a dime a dozen. We absolutely crushed the Spanish with that rig. The cork has lead built into it

hello all. I came across this old post and thought i'd chime in. I usually half fill and seal the bubble with clear silicon. It adds weight, keeps it together and remains clear to avoid (usually) bites to the bubble.