The first time I used a bottom-bouncer was probably ten years ago and I still remember thinking, “this is silly I wonder how long until I snag this thing on the bottom.” Well it wasn’t long before I was snagged, but let me tell you, it is certainly not silly. It may not be the most fun application to use, and depending on what weight you are using your arm may be sore after five minutes, but it will be worth it because this is truly a great way to cover water and land numbers of Walleye, even when the bite is tough.
A bottom-bouncer is a weight with two wire arms. They are fairly easy to use; just take the line from your rod and tie it to the top, and on the wire that extends outward you would attach a separate piece of line with a hook on the end. There are many different hooks to choose from but I always have the best luck using an octopus hook tied using a snell knot. You can add floats, beads, or spinners to really customize your presentation, or buy pre-made ones at the local tackle store.
Bottom Bouncer Basics
Selecting a proper weight is important and you won’t really know what you need until you dial in what speed you need to troll them. If you drift too slow you may experience more tangles and snags, but troll too fast and the fish may not bite. There is a fine line when it comes to trolling speed and you will know when you’ve hit the sweet spot because the fish will start to bite. If you know for certain that a structure is currently holding fish this would be a good time to pull your bottom bouncer and experiment.
Try one pass at 0.8 MPH and at 1 MPH and so on. The fish will let know what speed they prefer that day. From past experience I’ve used 1oz up to 2.5oz on lakes, and I’ve also been in fast current where up to a 5oz bottom bouncer was needed, so it is always a good idea to pick up a handful in each size to be prepared. This presentation works especially well in river systems or any area with current. If the water is flowing too fast to vertical jig, tie on a bottom bouncer and give it a try, you will not be disappointed.
When I first started to use bottom bouncers my Dad gave me a few easy, but key tips to remember that still stick with me to this day. Try to keep your line at less than a 45 degree angle; don’t let it get away from you. If your line is way behind the boat and you need to keep letting more line out, change to the next weight size up and everyone in the boat should always be using the same weight.
Be careful when you are letting your line out, letting it slam on the bottom is like asking for a snag. Slowly release your line a bit at a time, keeping your thumb on the spool and feathering it down. Once you make contact adjust your line so the bottom of the wire is just tapping once a while. If you are on structure where the depth varies, or trolling down shorelines, you will need to constantly adjust your line.
The first time I used a bottom-bouncer was in Minaki during the July Minaki Walleye tournament, where I was competing with my friend Don. Little did he know it was my first time trying this application! I took the tips above that my Dad gave me, memorized them, pretended I knew what I was doing and actually had a great two days of fishing, we caught so many walleye this way it was a real eye-opener for me.
The hardest part was deciding if I wanted to use a crawler or a leech and let me tell you it does make a difference. It’s funny how one day they won’t bite anything except a leech and the next day you try again and can hardly catch any. Keying in to small behavior changes and learning when to change your bait or presentation comes with practice. The best thing about fishing is that you will never learn everything there is to know, the conditions are always changing and the challenge of trying to figure it out will never leave you bored. One thing I do know for certain however is that the bottom bouncer will always be a great way to put a few fish in the boat!