Northwest Reel Life April 2023 Volume 2 Issue 10 - Flipbook - Page 34
Bottom Bouncing Basics for Walleye Fishing
Mack’s Lure Pro Staff / Lip Rippers Guide Service (S.D.) Nick Harrington
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Bottom bouncers have become
a staple of the walleye fishing
industry. The reason they are
so popular is because they are
easy to run, versatile, and just
downright catch fish. This setup is
so simple, yet can have so many
alterations and different styles of
fishing. In this article, I’m going
to go over the different types of
systems we like to use in our guide
operation.
RODS, REELS AND LINE
I like to use a stouter rod when
bottom bouncing. This is because
I like to run bigger bouncers and
have a firm backbone when I
set the hook. I favor a 6’6” to 7’
medium-heavy rod with a fast- or
moderation- action. The reason
I favor these setups is because I
still have a good feel for what is
happening with my line, but I
have a firm backbone for setting
the hook and fighting a fish
For reels, I favor a larger spool
baitcasting reel. Line counters are
not critical for bottom bouncing,
but if you are fishing with
someone that has not bottom
bounced much, it helps to make
sure that the lines are set at the
right depth. As far as line, I favor
8-12 lb. Berkley Fireline because of
its no-stretch properties.
34 | NWFISHING.net
This allows me to feel every pebble
that the bouncer ticks and even
the slightest of bites. It’s also strong
for reeling in larger fish, especially
with the heavy bottom bouncer.
Many walleye anglers have turned
to braid as a mainline and there’s
pros and cons to that when
ompared to monofilament.
Mono, for instance, is less visible
when I am fishing clear water.
Also, if I’m fishing around a lot of
snags, it’s easier to break off if I
do get snagged, allowing me to
spend less time fighting a snag
and enabling me to get rigged
and back to fishing quicker. The
braid, on the other hand, is much
stronger and has better sensitivity,
though the downside is that it’s
more visible and when the fish are
finicky, it can deter bites.
BOTTOM BOUNCER
SIZE SELECTION
For the most part, I prefer to run
heavier bottom bouncers. When
I am backtrolling, I like to run a
1.5 oz. bottom bouncer out of the
front of the boat and 3 oz. bottom
bouncers out of the back. This
allows me to have my front rods
let a little more line out and the
back rods stay right below the
boat. Additionally, this type of
setup helps me spread my line
sand avoid tangles.
I have a perfect angle to bounce
across all snags and I still get a
firm hookset by using this setup,
as well. If you’re running a long
and short rod system (long in the
front, short in the back) you can
get away with running all 2 to 3 oz.
bottom bouncers. In this setup,
use the lightest bottom bouncer
to reach the bottom. For instance,
in shallower water (30 feet or less)
use all 2 oz. bouncers, whereas
when in deeper water, you can
switch all the rods to the 3 oz.
bouncer.
BLADE SELECTION
I prefer two types of blades. Early
in the season I like to use smaller
blades. Occasionally, I’ll use a Size
0 silver Colorado blade, but the
majority of damage I do when
fishing with a smaller blade is
with a Mack’s Lure Smile Blade.
I really like the Smile Blade 0.8,
as these are nice, compact
profiles that adds a little bit of
flash and vibration to your bait.
This makes your presentation
attractive, but doesn’t steal the
show. I love fishing these blades
at slow speeds, but they are also
extremely versatile at higher
speeds, too. How I like to approach
the rig early in the season is to
have a size #2-#4 Aberdeen or
Octopus hook with a single 5