Bottom Bouncer-Rod/Reel setup

[Vollmer]

I am wanting to buy a rod and reel setup for bottom bouncers. I dont know what lenght, action I need. Also should I buy a better rod and a cheaper reel or reverse? I am looking for a rod and reel to slow bottom bounce with and without slow death hooks. Also what type of reel do I want on this set up and any recommendation of brand and model of reels? Thanks for any help.

 

[raider]

this is me 95% of the year... have run tournament on up scheels rods in 6-6 1/2' medium fast or extra fast with pfleuger patriarchs and supreme's for the past 10 years... has worked very well for me over the years with enough sensitivity for the 13"ers @ 35", several over 30", and a few pike up to 26#... fwiw, i have combos that have caught 1000's of fish each and are still in great shape...

for many sets i paid more than i wanted at the time, but they have lasted way longer than i expected, so i guess it worked out well for me...

my rule in life, "buy the best you can afford", has served me well...

 

[Norske]

Okay, here's what I've learned to prefer over the years. Al Lindner was right when he wrote that spinning gear is best for fishing under yourself (jigging) and bait casting gear is best for fishing horizontally. Don't buy a high-modulus graphite rod. Buy a more durable one, maybe even an Ugly Stick. I have rods that made nasty cracking sounds when I snagged something and my boat didn't stop immediately. One of these days they will break. A bait casting reel with a flipping switch is more convenient, but not absolutely needed. However, pick a reel whose level wind operates whenever line is going out (even free spooling) as well as during the retrieve. I have reels that don't do that, and after a couple hours of letting line out for depth and rewinding some of it for shallows, the line is visibly not level. Then I have to let out a bunch of line and rewind it all to level the spool (irritating).

 

[deleted_account]

Definitely don't need a spend rod for bouncers. Spend the money on a good reel that will last. I like 7 foot or longer rods for trolling bouncers/cranks. I currently run a st.croix eyecon bounce/troll rod that also works great as a dead stick due to its rather spongy tip and moderate action.

 

[SDMF]

I like 7' rods. Med action up to ~1oz bouncers, Med-Hvy after that. I upsize the reels on the heavy bouncer rods as well under the assumption that the heavier bouncers are going to mean deeper fishing thus more line out. 2500/3000 series Shimano spinning reels or 250 sized Calcutta baitcasters as the rod dictates.

 

[Captain Ahab]

http://www.cabelas.com/product/St-C...er%3BSearch-All+Products&Ntt=St.+Croix+eyecon

 

[ssmckeeves]

6 1/2 to 7ft ugly stick med cabelas line counter bait cast 30lb braid of your choice total price inculinding line $80 been running them for years

 

[Kickemup]

I run 7 foot med baitcasters with 30lb braid for cranks and bb. My combos are not bottom of the line but close at around 120 each. I have had them going on 5 years. Might be time to upgrade now that this came up.

 

[livininavandownbytheriver]

7 Foot for sure. Longer is better for rigging. I would still use a good graphite rod. I run a Scheels walleye series rod in medium/moderate baitcaster I believe. It is very sensitive and has a great back bone. The warranty is awesome so I do not worry about breaking it. The rod flat out works. If you want to be serious about this, run a line counter too. I can run bouncers and cranks on this rod. I would not run an ugly stick, it is nice to be able to feel light bites... Especially if you are fishing a lake with jumbo perch.

 

[DirtyMike]

7 footer here too. Medium heavy scheels guide series with a xx30 pfleuger president. I'd go with bait casters or line counter if I started over again but this setup worked well for casting crank baits as well. So I'll stick with what I have. Line counters only pull cranks so far so maybe I'll try something new this year.

 

[Fishmission]

7 footers are perfect for bouncers
Got a Falcon Micro 7' Medium Casting Rod at Wallyworld couple years ago and it's perfect sensitive wise and still has a soft tip. I use a flipping switch reel. Makes it so much easier to manage with one hand while steering

 

[martinslanding]

Where are you fishing and what weight are you using? Snell length and spinner size?

Longer snell and larger the spinner size will create greater drag…for me I like med/hvy action rods, but with good sensitivity…I usually pull 1oz bouncers with 48in snell and smaller spinners…however I am not usually deeper than 20 FOW most of the year…I tend to go a at a decent speed between 1-1.3 mph, however this is all depends on the cooperation of the fish.

On SAK I know a lot of guys run 60in snells with some of the larger spinners once they get over 20 FOW, and generally 1.5-2oz bouncer…but may slow the speed down, depending on conditions.