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Bottom Bouncer Tactic (Video Included)

Wade's World Fishing: A bottom bouncer is a trolling rig designed to present live bait at a controlled depth just above a lake or river’s bottom. It is used primarily to catch walleye, crappie, catfish, white bass, black bass and other pan- and sport fish that dwell near bottom.

The bottom bouncer consists of an L-shaped piece of wire with a weight molded around the longer wire arm. A nightcrawler harness, live bait rig or spinner rig is attached to the non-weighted (shorter) arm of the wire. The angler’s line is attached to the bottom bouncer via a loop at the center of the L-bend. Standard baits with this rig are nightcrawlers, minnows and leeches.

Bottom bouncers are sold ready to use. They come in various sizes and weights. To view or order bottom bouncers, visit the web site for the Northland Tackle Company (www.northlandtackle.com).

Here are tips for fishing the bottom bouncer rig.

• Use casting tackle and mid-pound test monofilament line: 10- 14-pound test line.
• Lower baited rig to bottom, then begin trolling run, watching depthfinder to maintain desired depth/contour.
• Troll slowly. A good indicator of proper speed is to have the line entering the water at a 45-degree angle.
• Hold the rod. As you troll, the bottom arm of the bottom bouncer should bounce along bottom, touching the bottom every 5-10 seconds. This holds the bait rig 1-2 feet above bottom and provides realistic action to attract strikes.
• Experiment with different structures, depths, speeds, and bottom bouncer weights to find the right combination for your lake and day.
• When you feel “life” on the end of your line, reel up slack and set the hook with a long horizontal sweep with the rod, then play your fish to the boat.