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4/20/2001
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Article/Press
Release
Bottom
Bouncers As Easy As 1,2,3
by Rick Olson
 More and more
anglers are finding out just how effective bottom bouncing can be.
Initial reactions may include questioning why a finicky walleye
would even come close to something as clunky as a bouncer, but
don’t let that bother you, as the walleyes sure don’t seem to
mind. In fact, the big clunky, hunk of burning love, may even act as
an attractor. Painted models have been to known to acquire teeth
marks, which are the direct result of a savage walleye attack. It
may also explain a few of the missed fish, that occasionally
happens.
A spinner and
bouncer combination is one of the most versatile weapons in an
walleye angler’s arsenal, and has proven to be effective in
natural lakes, rivers, and even the Great Lakes. The thing they do
best is keep a bait in the “zone”, which is that area close to
the bottom. Walleyes aren’t always hanging on or near the bottom,
but when they are, bouncers can definitely be the ticket.
Although bottom
bouncers constitute a simple presentation, there are some
considerations that need to be addressed, if you’re to be
successful. Considerations like bouncer size and snell length, are a
couple of the areas that require some thought and attention.
The most common
use for a bouncer is to pair it up with a spinner and live bait
combination. Although spinner length can vary, three feet would
cover most applications. If you go any longer, the spinner will end
up dragging and you’ll be snagging up. If you’re trying to work
through the toughest walleye hangouts, you may want to go even
shorter, which can help reduce the amount of time spent stuck in the
junk.
Packaged spinners
come pre-tied with specific length snells, and can greatly reduce
your ability to adjust. The Wired Spinner from Pro Tackle of
Aberdeen South Dakota ( 1-605-216-1203), is a new twist on an old
idea, and is built with a blade that rotates on a unique wire shaft.
It comes without a snell, and users actually tie in their own,
allowing for greater flexibility. Also, spinners rotating in the
same place weaken the line, and manufacturers are forced to use
heavier pound test to overcome the problem. With the Wired Spinner,
you can lighten up your leader, which may come in handy when you do
get hung up.
By keeping your
leader line lighter than that from your reel to the bouncer, you can
simply break off the spinner, instead of losing the whole works,
when you get seriously snagged. Most of the time you’ll get your
bouncer back, and most of your snell, which allows you to quickly
tie on a new spinner and get back in the water.
Deciding what
size bouncer to use for a given situation is rather simple: Use one
ounce to ten feet, two to twenty, and three for anything beyond.
Another factor that will help you duplicate a productive spinner
speed is to keep the angle of your line at no more than a forty-five
degree angle. A mistake that most first time bouncers make is
letting out too much line, which will result in more snags, more
frustration, and worst of all; No fish.
Bait casting
equipment is the way to go, when pulling bouncer and spinner
combinations. Medium action rods in the six and a half foot range,
cover most applications. Reels with a flippin’ feature are
preferred, as they allow you to let out more line with one hand,
which can be a big advantage when you’re working with two rods.
When things get a
little tough and a spinner presentation is getting passed up, you
may have to scale down, and slow down, to keep catching fish. Tough
times call for light bite tactics, like live bait rigging.
But instead of
the usual walking type sinker that is prone to snagging up, you’re
better off by using an ultra-light bouncer with a plain hook and a
long snell. Bouncers in the ¾ oz. range are the way to go, along
with a snell of five or six feet in length, or more. The extra long
snell will give your bait some room to roam, and buy you some extra
time, after a strike.
Live bait options
include minnows, leeches, and crawlers. To get the most out of a
minnow, try hooking it just under the dorsal fin. This method will
allow the minnow to kick and swim for all it’s worth, and can
drive walleyes nuts. Leeches work best when hooked through the
sucker, which leaves them free to swim
up and off the
bottom, but requires a dead slow trolling speed. Crawlers can be
hooked one of three ways, and includes once through the tip, through
the middle (creating a double trailer), and using half of a crawler
thread completely onto the hook. The half crawler technique can be
particularly effective when dealing with walleyes showing a little
reluctance to take the standard fare. Maybe it’s the size, or
maybe it’s the scent it creates; Who really knows, or even cares?
The thing is, sometimes less is more.
Bouncer choices
include the fixed arm variety, as well as sliding models. Fixed arm
bouncers are usually your best bet, but the sliding models can come
in handy when using extra big minnows, as you may have to let the
fish run to ensure better hooking percentages. The down side is the
fact that you run the risk of hanging up your bouncer by letting it
fall on it’s side. An option is using the fixed arm model, and
waiting out short striking fish. After the strike, try to patient
and wait a bit before setting the hook, as there are times when a
little resistance may even tease a fish into completely taking the
bait.
Good rigging rods
run a little longer, let’s say the seven to eight foot range, with
lighter tips. A longer, lighter tip, is more forgiving, and will
keep an undetected fish holding on much longer.
The next time you
get to the water and are trying to decide on just what to do, you
might think about giving bouncers a try. Once you do, you just might
surprise yourself, and you’ll then find more and more places to
put them to work.
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