Blade and Bouncer questions...

[Jim Uran]

I've never been too much of a bottom bouncer guy unless I was out on big water.. But recently I've been intrigued by them.

For those of you that pull them, what are the common sizes you use (weight)?

And what depths do you use the different weights in.

Also what kind of rod/line is best suited?

Thanks!!!

[Hoey]

Bottom Bouncer - 1/2 oz at .3 to .5 mph real slow. 3/4 oz at .5 to .8 mph slow. 1 oz to 1-1/4 oz 1 mph pretty fast. Typically 3/4 oz is my most common, switching to others as needed and this is fishing 20 to 35 ftow either drifting or trolling.

[kfk]

Don't be afraid to go heavier either. Depending upon conditions, I'll use 2 and 3 ounce bouncers alot of the time. It's all really personal preference. There is not really a set guideline about how heavy your bottom bouncer should be and it depends on waves, speed etc. and how well you can feel the bottom. Try to keep your line as vertical as possible when bottom bouncing and the key is to bounce them, occasionally feeling bottom instead of dragging them on the bottom. All you're trying to do is keep your bait near the bottom and not right on it. Keep in mind that a walleye will come up to feed so you just have to keep it near the bottom if that's where you're seeing fish.

Personally, I prefer a baitcasting reel with 14/6 Fireline and a 6 1/2 to 7 ft. rod with a fairly fast tip. It's all what a person is comfortable with.

[mnviking28]

I agree with KFK-I have almost all 2 and 3 ouncers in my tackle box. They are what I use almost exclusively, especially when you are fishing a particularly snag filled, rocky reef type of environment. You never want to have more than a 45 degree angle to the bouncer. If you do, you are defeating the purpose of using it. You want to try be as vertical as possible. It helps you to work your way up and down the rockpile and not wedging it in a crack. I have been on fishing trips with guys using those light ones and by the time the trip is over, they are borrowing mine as they have wedged and lost all of theirs in the rocks. I fish those weights all the way down to about 35 feet.

[james_walleye]

If you guys like bouncers, you would love the new slick sticks. Ive been using them when lindy rigging nasty rocks and they work great. I will still use the bouncers with blades though. I also run heavier ones.

[JohnMickish]

My bottom bouncer bag has them from 1/2oz up to 4 oz. I usually run weights between 1 and 2 ounces.

[oleWalter]

A good rule of thumb to go by is for every ten feet of water you are fishing add an ounce to your bottom bouncer. Ex: 20 FOW 2 ounce bottom bouncer, 40 FOW 4 ounce bottom bouncer.

Just got back from Lac Seul, used bottom bouncers on a particularly windy/stormy day and had no troubles feeling/setting into bites.

[TyGuy02]

I agree with not being shy with the weight. I typically run 2 oz for 20-30 FOW. It also seems to help keep the junk weeds off the line much better than a roach weight that many people use exclusively

[jigginjim]

I have even used bouncer for deep suspened crappies, 3/4 to 2 oz.

[Stick in Mud]

I like using longer rods with fairly slow action, but if you do end up pulling more than an ounce of weight, you'll also need a pretty beefy rod.

For line, I like any of the braids. I don't know if there's a big difference in terms of performance, but the braid is thinner, which means it has less resistance on the water, so it'll stay more vertical than the same lb test mono.

[MN Shutterbug]

I used to make and sell fishing tackle and my best selling size to Babes's Bait in Ely was 1/4 oz. I never could understand that one.

[RJMOEN]

When we are in BWCA we use a ton of 1/4oz for backtrolling lindys. Works awesome....but every 5th fish is a pike that cuts you off.

[Stick in Mud]

You backtroll in a canoe????