Bottom Bouncer Thread

[Kickemup]

I like to run an ounce for every 10 feet of water. I do on occasion run a 3 in 10 feet of water or less if I want to run close to a weed bed that zigzags alot.

 

[deleted member]

I've run cranks behind them at 2 mph over the humps/islands on the south end of devil's with mixed results a few times. Nice fish. Just not a lot of them. Then I would lose a crank. Get pissed off and move. 3 Oz of course. Feels likemail you might as well throw on a down rigger though.

A lot of the reason I use them and often use bigger ones though really comes down to speed. 1.8-2.5 often produces consistently bigger fish for me. The only way to pull spinners that fast in water deeper than 12 feet is to throw some weight on the line. Hope it ain't too blasphemous for you purists.

 

[Davy Crockett]

I usually short line a heavy bb right out the back of the boat and long line with a lighter bb or something else. Wife and I Can fish 4 rods without problems that way. Funny how some days most and biggest fish are caught right below/behind the boat in shallow water, Then some days it doesn't work. The only thing I can figure out is some days they are scared of the boat some days not ?

 

[Ericb]

2 and 3oz are the standard in my boat. I fish with several people in the boat and alot of times kids. Knowing where lines are at makes for a lot less messes I have to untangle. It's also helpful fishing the river where one side of the boat may be in slack water and the other have some current.

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I hate how bb's make fish feel WAY bigger than they are upon initial hookup

Why would this be a problem?

 

[Davy Crockett]

Nothing is too whateverthatwordwas for me espringers, I do Whatever it takes to put supper on the table, even if it means a bunch of wire and stuff between me and the fish. Speaking of that, Did anyone ever try those umbrella rigs ?

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I found the fancier they are the fewer fish they catch. I snagged a fancy painted one that had a 2 miniature rubber propellers on it , Pulled the darn thing around devils lake half the day and all I caught was a slimy northern.

 

[Ristorapper]

Don't get me wrong. 2-3 ounce BB were not the norm for me either. I generally like to fish 3/8 to 1 ounce IF i can get away with it. There are many reasons to go heavier; including depth and wind.

 

[DJE]

I've never used anything larger than 3/4 and have fished from 15-40 feet of water. This year the 3/4 oz produced well over 250 walleyes for me and my dad on the big lake most comining in that 30' range. Of course lots of line out but I personally like feeling the fish bite instead of feeling like I'm dragging an anchor off my rod. When bottom bouncing I only run about .9 mph also but it produced lots of eyes so can't complain.

 

[Rut2much]

5/8 95% of the time and 3/4 if i absolutely have to..I like putting out more line and unlike my buddies; I absolutely despise putting the rod in the holder unless on lead core/long-lining obviously.. (fishing isnt fishing without feeling the bite/nibbles to me personally..)
I Giggle everytime i see my bouncer skip over the same structure while they stick like a pig with their 1 1/2 bouncer, tell them stubborn bastards every time that they're too damn heavy and that its science while they continue to tie another skud missle on. Nothing but gulp for me trolling while they prefer live bait, but nothing like throwing the kitchen sink at em i suppose.. Goooood times had nonetheless.

 

[deleted_account]

2 and 3oz are the standard in my boat. I fish with several people in the boat and alot of times kids. Knowing where lines are at makes for a lot less messes I have to untangle. It's also helpful fishing the river where one side of the boat may be in slack water and the other have some current.

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Why would this be a problem?

excited then that oh hum feeling sucks while fishing. bbs are a great search tool to find active fish but definetly not the funnest way to put quantities in the live well (atleast for me). there is no doubt they DO consistently put fish in the boat like few other presentations do, just not my cup o tea.

 

[DJE]

Rut2much you and I are on the same page. Have taken many friends that just set rods in the holders and wonder why I'm catching more fish. Feel the bite feed them a little line then bam set the hook and fish on.

 

[MuskyManiac]

I love BB fishing Walleyes. You can fish any depth. You can fish almost any presentation. Plain hook, spinner, crank bait. 1 oz. for every 10 foot depth. Keep the rod in your hand and you can feel the bites....the biggest Walleyes actually feel like you've caught a weed. Nothing like setting the hook on a big eye when all you felt was a little extra weight on your rod--no real "bite", per se.

 

[Duckslayer100]

I'd love to fish with someone who actually knows how to use BBs. I wind up with a tangled mess, or spend so much time letting out line or reeling it in to stay "ticking" the bottom that I can't control the boat. Just where and how do people fish where they can just set the depth and throw the rod in a holder??? I've never found a walleye spot with that much depth consistency where that was even remotely possible.

 

[shorthairsrus]

5/8 95% of the time and 3/4 if i absolutely have to..I like putting out more line and unlike my buddies; I absolutely despise putting the rod in the holder unless on lead core/long-lining obviously.. (fishing isnt fishing without feeling the bite/nibbles to me personally..)
I Giggle everytime i see my bouncer skip over the same structure while they stick like a pig with their 1 1/2 bouncer, tell them stubborn bastards every time that they're too damn heavy and that its science while they continue to tie another skud missle on. Nothing but gulp for me trolling while they prefer live bait, but nothing like throwing the kitchen sink at em i suppose.. Goooood times had nonetheless.

Keep in mind that my go to is a 1/2 slip bottom bouncer -any depth -- has been since the early nineties when the pwt was one on them in MT. This is an interesting thread. Not to many fish under the 5/8 weight and not to many over the 2oz. What i have found is the heavier bouncers come out when the access parking lots start getting bare, in other words late august, sept, oct....

 

[Jigaman]

2oz is my go to BB. My favorite way to fish. This summer I bought a new rod for pulling BB's/spinner and put a bait caster with a flippin switch on it. Wish I would have done that years ago!

 

[deleted_account]

a reel with a flippin switch is on my list of things to upgrade next spring. Sucks putting your beer down to let more line out :;:smokin

 

[Davy Crockett]

I'd love to fish with someone who actually knows how to use BBs. I wind up with a tangled mess, or spend so much time letting out line or reeling it in to stay "ticking" the bottom that I can't control the boat. Just where and how do people fish where they can just set the depth and throw the rod in a holder??? I've never found a walleye spot with that much depth consistency where that was even remotely possible.

I'm no expert by any means but when I started fishing with them I didn't have a depth finder and that method has stuck with me.
When I sweep the rod tip back I like to feel the bb tag bottom and I constantly spool line in/out accordingly. Boat speed and the buoyancy of what you have tied on determines how far off bottom your bait is.
When in sunken trees or snaggy bottom I almost always run a floating rig of some sort, Some days a floating rig works best some days right on bottom works best. I start out with one of each. I try to keep a good variety of long/short /floating/sinking rigs, they all get a quick change spinner clevis. Also a good variety of spinner blades both plastic and metal.

Like others mentioned fireline or heavy line on rod saves on bb, I like wire hooks VS harder brittle hooks , I would rather reshape a hook with a needlenose than snap a hook or line when snagged.

 

[DirtyMike]

a reel with a flippin switch is on my list of things to upgrade next spring. Sucks putting your beer down to let more line out :;:smokin

When you figure out which is the best option, let me know.

 

[Bowhunter_24]

I'd love to fish with someone who actually knows how to use BBs. I wind up with a tangled mess, or spend so much time letting out line or reeling it in to stay "ticking" the bottom that I can't control the boat. Just where and how do people fish where they can just set the depth and throw the rod in a holder??? I've never found a walleye spot with that much depth consistency where that was even remotely possible.

bottom bouncers is the easiest way to fish I've always thought. Let out line until u feel the bottom and start trolling.

 

[Jigaman]

a reel with a flippin switch is on my list of things to upgrade next spring. Sucks putting your beer down to let more line out :;:smokin

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Abu-...=GoogleProductAds&WT.z_mc_id1=03337490&rid=20

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this is the one I have with a 6'6" MH scheels rod. really like it and not too spendy.

 

[DirtyMike]

I looked at those silvermax's last year. Looks like a good deal too. Now, to find a bigger boat since my rod locker is already full.