Heavier snells hold up to faster speeds so much better. If I must fish slow with a light line, I often prefer to slip bobber or live bait rig. Since I do like to run bottom bouncers at faster speeds, I am also a big believer in using heavier snells. Often, we simply catch more fish with bottom bouncers by simply speeding up to cover water to find active fish and triggering fish. Usually, if there is any doubt, error on the side of heavy because heavier bottom bouncers are much more forgiving with not only depth but speed. As you change depths, you can always let out more line or pick up line. This keeps your presentation close to what you are seeing on your electronics. An ounce for every ten feet of water will enable you to easily fish the bottom bouncer below the boat at about a forty-five-degree angle. There are exceptions, of course, there are times when we will run lighter bottom bouncers behind the boat at faster speeds, particularly along shallow flats but this is the basic starting point. Choosing the right weight is important so that you can keep the bottom bouncer along the bottom upright and close to the boat. which ultimately greatly aids your boat control and understanding of a location, the wire on a bottom bouncer transmits so much valuable information.Īs a rule of thumb, we recommend an ounce of weight for every ten feet of water. Great tools for really fine-tuning bottom transitions and feeling rock, gravel, etc. Feeling a hard strike on a bottom bouncer and setting the hook is right up with catching a fish on a jig.īottom bouncers can also help you really learn what you are fishing. I have often joked that bottom bouncers are a guide’s best friend because you can catch a lot of walleye with a bottom bouncer regardless of experience or feel. Bottom bouncers are so simple to use and so effective. You can also simply put the rod in the rod holder and the rod simply loads up with a fish. Through this entire spectrum, bottom bouncers are forgiving in that you can slide out into deeper water or move up shallow and keep your presentation near the bottom if need be.

You can run spinner harnesses with blades.Īll these options enable the angler to fish slow or fast, with subtle or vibration with flash. You can run half-crawler Slow Death style hooks that have become so popular over the last decade. You can also slow down at a mile per hour or less. You can speed up to cover the water at over two miles per hour with a bottom bouncer. The reason bottom bouncers are so effective is the simple versatility. Come mid-summer, bottom bouncers are probably my go-to presentation to catch walleyes day in and day out on many different fisheries. The popularity of bottom bouncers however has expanded far and wide. In both North and South Dakota, bottom bouncer rigs have been catching walleye on the Missouri River reservoirs for an awfully long time.

Bottom bouncer storage container