Want to catch big walleye at night?  3 Reasons why the iBobber can help you do that!

If you’re like me and you either A) aren’t the greatest ice fisherman that ever lived, or B) simply don’t really like it, then you’re craving open water fishing and want to know exactly what you have to do to be successful this time of year.  With bass fishing much slower in the north this time of year than it is during the summer, it’s easy to get frustrated.  But by switching gears a little bit, you can find that the Walleye are very active at night, and you can catch some pure giants if you know where to go and what to look for.  That’s where having an iBobber is key!

LIke I said, you’re going to be fishing at night.  So seeing depth with the naked eye is absolutely not possible.  But because these fish are going to be on or just off the bottom, you need to know depth so that you can properly target them without losing tons of lures.  Many river beds fluctuate in depth this time of year.  So you can’t really be sure from one day to the next if you’re fishing in 7 feet of water or 8.5.  Not to mention that river bottoms change all the time.  What is normally a 10 foot hole one year can be filled in and only be a 5 foot hole the next.  This is another reason why it’s always good to know the depth from day to day.  

Because you’re going to be fishing on or near the bottom, you will need to know your depth so that you can determine what baits to use.  If it’s 7 feet deep, a jerkbait that runs 6 feet is perfect.  But if it’s 9 or ten feet deep, you’ll want a 9 foot diver because the bait that dives to six feet won’t get down deep enough.  A couple quick casts with your iBobber will also tell you right away if there are any large obstructions that you need to avoid, so that you can properly work around them.  

It can also tell you if the fish are suspended, rather than tight to the bottom.  This is very helpful to know because you don’t want to use a bait that will be running beneath the fish.  Fish will often come up to get a bait, but very seldom will they go down to get one.  This will also help you determine what depth to target with your slip bobber if you’re using live bait like minnows.  

Because you’re on a riverbank, having the iBobber is key to your mobility.  Having a bigger, bulkier unit will limit your ability to move from spot to spot, which is really key when trying to locate big schools of walleye.  By being able to carry the iBobber and your phone easily, you’ll be twice as mobile as people with big units that require dedicated batteries.  Also, don’t forget to bring your ReelSonar scale and gripper tool.  The screen on the scale lights up with a soft green light, making it easy to see the weight without blinding you in the dark.

Wow what a year 2016 has been!  We've had a great response to our products and we're really excited by all the great photos that our customers are sending us!  We get a lot of questions/comments about the iBobber on a daily basis, so we thought that it would be a good idea to put the 10 most submitted out into the open for your viewing pleasure!  So here they are, in no particular order, with our best attempt to answer them.

10.  Is cell service required to use the iBobber?

No. iBobber connects to your smartphone and/or tablet via Bluetooth Smart technology. This is a direct connection from your iBobber to your device, so it will work the same if you're standing under a cell tower, or in the middle of Antarctica. Unlike units using Wi-Fi, using Bluetooth also means that you can still use your phone if you ARE in cell range.

9.  What happens when you lose it?

iBobber is a fish finder first and foremost, and that is the primary use for this device.  We recommend people use heavy braid for line, and attach it with a swivel. When used in this manner it is very difficult to lose. You may, if you wish, use iBobber as a traditional bobber. Of course you'd be risking a snag, but even then remember that the iBobber floats, so you should be able to retrieve it. (We will not replace your iBobber because you got it snagged on a submerged structure or in a tree. Speaking of trees...)

8.  It's great until you get it snagged in a tree...

iBobber is not intended to detect squirrels or to determine the ripeness of apples, and should therefore NOT be used in trees. The iBobber is intended to be used ONLY in the water to detect depth, submerged structure/vegetation, and of course, fishes (see wise-guy video).

7.  What does it cost?

MSRP is $99.99

6.  Where can I buy one?

iBobber is currently available at Dick's Sporting Goods, Cabela's, Academy Sports and Outdoors, Amazon.com, TackleDirect, Argos, and a variety of smaller brick-and-mortar shops throughout the U.S. and Canada. http://reelsonar.com/pages/retailers 

5.  Can you use it for ice fishing?

Yes, but you must drill a hole, and place the iBobber in the hole directly onto the water. iBobber will not read the bottom while you're holding it in your hand or if you simply place it on top of the ice.

4.  How deep will it read?

iBobber will measure depths and fish down to 135 feet.

3.  How far will it stay connected to my device?

100 feet in good conditions. We have tested it to reach as far as 150+ in perfect conditions with clear sight-lines, but the real world is not perfect. Users may experience differing ranges depending on environmental conditions, charge on your device, charge on your iBobber, and most commonly the quality of the Bluetooth receiver on your device (phone, tablet, etc.).

2.  What is the sonar angle?

iBobber has a single beam sonar at a 90 degree angle, 42.5 degrees from center. This should give you a very good range of views of what's below. For example, if you are at 20ft deep, iBobber "sees" about 40ft diameter on the bottom. It also means that anything solid, like a dock pylon or thick ice just under the surface of the water, will reflect the signal and potentially give you some 'interesting' readings.  

1.  Why does the screen move even though my iBobber isn't moving?

The sonar units in iBobber and other fish finders send and receive signals, then “print” the echo on its display. iBobber starts plotting on the right side of the screen and moves to the left every approximately 0.5 second. In addition, echoes returned from any object in the water between the surface and bottom are also displayed. By knowing the speed of sound through water (4800 feet per second) and the time it takes for the echo to be received, the unit can show the depth of the water and any fish in the water.

Conclusion

So there you have it!  If you have a question that we didn't answer, leave a comment below!

Thanks! -ReelSonar Team

Girls in the Outdoors is dedicated to encouraging girls to participate in outdoor activities such as fishing, hunting, camping and geocaching. Founder Hilary took the iBobber out for a test run and wrote a long blog post detailing her experiences with iBobber, including charging, battery life, app usage, and yes, fishing with it. 

"I was surprised how well the iBobber worked. We were fishing in one of our favorite spots and the iBobber told us that the fish were shallow. We were fishing deep though because that is usually where we catch fish in that spot. The people next to us were fishing shallow and they kept catching fish and we never did. I must learn to trust my iBobber!

Another benefit of the iBobber is more than one phone can log into one iBobber, so your friends and family can enjoy your iBobber too. You can also turn on a fish alarm and a hit alarm (if you're using it as a bobber). You can log your trips, check the weather and map the bottom of the area you are fishing. I REALLY like that the iBobber can be used while shore fishing, fishing from a boat, fishing from a float tube or kayak and even ice fishing! It was interesting finding out how deep some of our favorite shore fishing areas are."

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The folks at FirearmsGuide.com took iBobber out for some fall fishing:

"Pyramid Lake in California was the spot to try this hi-tech bobber that can make life easier for every fisherman. Packaged in an incredibly small package, the iBobber is a simple device that you can hook up to your fishing line and cast with your lure...

Weather on Pyramid Lake in September is great. I had no trouble at all gaining a connection to the iBobber, and it immediately began streaming the depth and lake bed visual to my phone. Within seconds this time, it started to pick up fish as well, sitting at about 18-24' deep. Quick adjusting of my fishing gear was all it takes to get a first fish. iBobber was working fine all day, helping me a lot and I was happy to have it that day with me. I have no idea how it would perform on ocean but on the lake it worked just fine!"

Check out the rest of the review at FirearmsGuide.com.

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Jo.K takes iBobber out for a test drive and comes home with a couple of nice bass. He describes what happened the first time he put iBobber into the water, showing both the app screens and the results of casting in the spot that iBobber marked. Then he details some of the app features and functions, such as the Trip Log, Lunar Calendar, Current Conditions and of course the Waterbed Mapping. His informative review is packed with pictures and is a great read for those considering a sonar fish finder. 

"With the iBobber being more on the budget side, I took a chance. I was a bit skeptical given the mixed reviews but so far, I have been very pleased with my purchase."

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America's #1 Bass Fishing Magazine for the Weekend Angler takes a look at the iBobber fish finder, digital scale and multi-tool pliers in their Summer 2016 Gear Review. 

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As our Facebook following continues to grow, we’ve been getting more messages from customers asking questions about how to use certain features of the iBobber. As the saying goes, if you have a question, chances are someone else has the same question. So for this week's blog, we're compiling your most frequently asked questions and answers about the iBobber - just in time for summer fishing!

Coach Magazine takes a look at the iBobber in the Time Saving Tech section of their April 2016 issue.

Spring has officially sprung, and we love how many of our iBobber fans have been taking advantage of this prime fishing weather. Oh, and by the way, have you noticed that we're almost to 9,000 Facebook fans?! So many fans means lots of customer-submitted photos of your fishing triumphs, so this week we're highlighting your contributions in a photoblog.

First, let's take a digital road trip...

Boot Camp Radio Interview with iBobber's Nina Kaseburg.

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Things That Make You Go Aww calls the iBobber "A Fisherman's Favorite New Gadget".

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