Bottom-Bouncer Presentations for Walleyes
By: Jeff Simpson
For bouncer fishing use a rod with a softer rod tip. This allows an extra second or two for the fish to work its way up the bait and hook itself before feeling the rods resistance. (Photo courtesy of In-Fisherman.com)
A hop, a skip and a bounce. A ground ball to shortstop? Nope! A bottom bouncer propelled across the bottom of a reservoir, trailing a flashing, wobbling walleye spinner harness and usually dressed with livebait. Perhaps the ultimate combination of coverage, triggering and temptation for walleyes, the undisputed favorite with many reservoir anglers coast to coast.
Why are bottom-bouncer presentations so popular? Because they're both effective and easy to use. You don't even have to hold the rod. Just pop it in a rod holder, and wait for it to bend. Fish on.
The intriguing bent-wire design of the bouncer incorporates a weight to get the sinker down, a wire leg to let it crawl over obstructions without snagging, and the ability to self-adjust to depth changes without your changing line length every frustrating five minutes. As long as you keep the line tight and the rig moving ahead, it doesn't fall over and snag.
Bouncers in the 1- to 2-ounce range are most popular among walleye anglers, allowing them to troll 5- to 20-foot depths at modest speeds of 1 to 2 mph, ideal for walleye spinners dressed with livebait. Fish much deeper, and you can beef up to 3 ounces; in the extreme shallows, 1/2 ounce may be enough.
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