Admit it—you still get excited at the sight of a disappearing float. A slip cork, also called a slip float or slip bobber, is an old-school item that works today like it did many decades ago. The theory of use is the same today as it was then.

“People think shallow when it comes to fishing corks, especially during the spawn,” says guide and YouTube Fish, Eat, Live host, Kirby Ham. “Corks are excellent during the spawn, but my favorite way is to fish a minnow under a slip bobber 14 to 18 feet deep in structure after the spawn.”

Ham says post-spawn fish go out and suspend at 8 to 12 feet, but as water continues to warm, they’ll suspend in deeper water. In most lakes he fishes, summer fish are often 14 to 18 feet, or deeper. A key is to find fish on electronics and fish just above the fish.

Post-spawn fish have the reputation of being difficult to catch and may be compared to other seasons, but the fish can be patterned and caught. Target spots should include deeper drops away from spawning areas, and channels toward summer hangouts.

Ham says that fishing gets good when water starts heating up. “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.

“Late spring and early summer bring hot temperatures, and in some waters, a thermocline develops. It’s like air conditioning for crappies. You can see the thermocline on a graph with the fish being above the ‘cline. You can wear them out with a slip bobber. I place a minnow just a foot or two over the crappies. They prefer to feed up because, biologically, their eyes are in the tops of their heads.

“Don’t give up when crappies aren’t hungry and don’t want to bite. 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.”

Ham says that it’s important to use a float with little resistance, because 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 cork, a bite can be a slight twitch, a disappearing cork, or the cork lying on its side.

Slip cork tips

Why a slip float? There are several reasons and situations for using a slip cork. Northern waters are warming slightly, but are still cool or cold, so crappies prefer a bait at a dead stop or moving slowly. Slip corks allow a perfect presentation.

Southern waters are warmer. Fish are post-spawn, so baits can have movement because the fish are more aggressive.

One tactic is using a slip-float with a log pole presentation. A slip cork is physically easier for a fisherman to use, whether using a long pole or casting rod. The float can be put in the right spot and the pole placed in a holder or rested inside the boat. Minnows are important for this tactic.

Slip corks allow you to get a bait farther from the boat to avoid spooking crappies. Casts are easier with a slip cork rig. A slip cork forces a slow retrieve because, if pulled too rapidly, the bait rises toward the cork.

Why minnows? Jigs can be used with a slip cork, but the float must be pulled extremely slowly. Minnows have many advantages. A minnow works to entice strikes, so the cork can remain still. A minnow presentation is ideal around cover or when allowed to drift slowly in the current around good stumps, logs, or a good drop off.

One exception from using a single hook and minnow is when a jig head tipped with a minnow is used to get to deep water. A jig head can quickly get a minnow down to deeper water and put the bait close to cover. There will be some break-offs due to hang-ups, but the effort can be worth it.

What about bait action? Forward-facing sonar has taught us that less action is best. We once believed that a hopping jig triggered strikes. Occasionally, jigging action works, but most times we’ve seen crappies run the other way. A slow, steady bait is more likely to draw strikes.

Spinning outfit with slip cork? A good, 7- to 8-foot spinning rod is great for pitching a slip cork rig to good spots. Setup should include 6-pound-test line, a #4 TruTurn hook, split-shot sinker, and a slip cork. Thill floats are good because some models are marked to match the float with a sinker or jig head weight.

Hooksets should not be bass-style hard, over-the-head sets. Instead, a long, steady, sideways sweep of the rod provides a good set without ripping the hook from the lips of a crappie.

Bites are obvious, right? Bites take many forms. The best is a disappearing cork. It indicates that a fish aggressively took the bait and is swimming away or down.

A cork might lay on its side. This happens when a fish takes the bait and swims upward. The hookset must be quicker than normal, or the fish will spit the hook out.

A common bite is when a fish takes the bait and swims sideways. Set the hook.

Other bites might be seen as a slight ‘tic’ of the cork. Anything is possible, so pay close attention to any cork movements.

Don’t miss the opportunity to enjoy the fun and success of fishing slip corks this year.

Looking for some new fishing techniques to try this season? You’ll find plenty of suggestions in every issue of MidWest Outdoors. Subscribe on our website.