Questions from a bottom bouncer newbie

[guyonacouch]

So, I'm just getting into pulling spinners with a bottom bouncer. My questions are about what most guys do when they get a bite. Using a 2 hook crawler set up, do most guys use a slower action rod and just wait for the fish to sort of hang themselves up or will the fish feel the hooks and spit it? Would my faster action rods pull the bait away from a fish too early? Do you keep the bail open and feed the fish line for a couple of seconds when you have a bite like when you're lindy rigging? Thanks - I'm a newbie to this and will possibly be taking other even more inexperienced people out on my boat and would like to be able to coach them correctly and have them geared up right.

[TyGuy02]

it depends, sometimes if I'm feeling lazy I'll let it sit in the rod holder until the rod bends and let them set the hook themselves, while other times I'll really bounce the rig off the bottom, it'll almost feel like vertical jigging. I don't think the fast action rod will really ruin anything for you, it'll work. No need to open up the bail at all, it's not like a roach weight, just keep the line tight and set the hook. Just remember to think heavy weight. If you've been doing lindy rigs with a roach weight for years a bottom bouncer will feel like you have an anchor on your line, but you want it as vertical as possible.

[JohnMickish]

The rods I use are 7' medium power moderate action bottom bouncer/crankbait rods. I do not like a fast action for for BB work as I feel the fish can feel the resistance and let go. I spool mine with 30 pound Suffix 832 braid and usea Quantum Accurist reel with the flipping switch for fast and easy depth control.

If I am fishing some featureless area like the mud flats of Mille Lacs I will usually put the rod in the rod holder, especially if I am using heavy weights. If I am in less than 15 FOW or in rocks I will hand hold it. When I hand hold it and feel the bite, I just drop the tip back a couple feet and then set the hook with a nice sweeping power (not speed) hookset and let the moderate action rod handle the rest.

[Shorelunch]

MN Fish Guy summed it up pretty well. I like the Accurist reel too for the "flippin" feature. Just make sure you have enough weight to keep your line close to a 45 degree angle, or it defeats the purpose of using a bottom bouncer. Obviously the deeper the water and the faster your go, a heavier weight will be needed. I generally troll at a 1-1.3 mph GPS speed, and generally use 1 - 2.5 oz weights.

[low277]

When I first started using bottom bouncers with worm harnesses I normally was to light, thereby having to much line out to bounce on the bottom. Eventually someone told me to use enough weight to keep the amount of line spooled out should be no more than 1.5 - 2 times the depth of the water depth. It seems to work much better.

[Jarrod32]

The rods I use are 7' medium power moderate action bottom bouncer/crankbait rods. I do not like a fast action for for BB work as I feel the fish can feel the resistance and let go. I spool mine with 30 pound Suffix 832 braid and usea Quantum Accurist reel with the flipping switch for fast and easy depth control.

Pretty close. My medium power/moderate action rod is 6'10", I have Power Pro braided line, and I have an (older) Abu Garcia Black Max with the flipping switch.

I like to keep a hold of mine, and let it drop back from time to time to add a little different action to it. But generally speaking, you should be moving fast enought that if you feel the bite, just a large, sweeping type hook set - like was mentioned before - should do the trick nicely.