Team Northland’s Eric Naig goes through everything you need to know to get started using bottom bouncers for walleye. He covers rod/reel setup, weights, along with giving you some tips on how to put more fish in the boat.
Equipment is key with this technique and Naig prefers a baitcasting outfit with a line counter reel to allow to stay consistent with how much line you’ve got out. The weight of the bottom bouncer will vary based upon the depth you’re fishing and Naig will go as heavy as 3 ounces in some situations to make sure his rig maintains that bottom contact and also keeps you from getting snagged. You can also shorten your leader length to avoid snags as well.
Naig prefers gold or perch pattern blades on Lake of the Woods and tops the rig off with an Impulse Rig’n Leech on the two hook harness which has the perfect profile to imitate live bait.
Although this technique is mostly a dragging style technique you can impart pauses and twitches into the routine to try and trigger following fish or fish you see on your electronics.
Don’t be afraid to search through different depth ranges for walleyes as fish will move up and down the breaks throughout the day to chase bait or reposition based on weather conditions and water temperature. Bottom bouncers are a good way to cover water and follow these breaklines to find out where fish are congregating and can entice even the wariest of walleyes to bite even in the dog days of summer when the water is hot and fish are sluggish and not feeding during the day.
Northland Tackle has everything you need to be successful using bottom bouncers for walleye so click the links below and get geared up today.
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