By Mark Romanack
To walleye
fishermen, the bottom bouncer and spinner rig is affectionately referred to as
the “money rig”. This common walleye presentation has won more money for more
tournament anglers than all the other fishing presentations combined!
The question is - why is the bottom bouncer and spinner rig so effective and the answer is as
simple as the fact this fishing method works just about everywhere walleye are
found. From natural lakes, to the Great Lakes, reservoirs and even in rivers
this “go to” structure fishing rig catches walleye day in and day out.
UNDERSTANDING BOTTOM BOUNCERS
Getting a grip
on fishing the bottom bouncer and spinner rig starts with an understanding of
the bottom bouncer itself. A trolling sinker designed to fish slowly and make contact with the bottom, a bottom bouncer consists of a length of wire bent into the shaped of an
upside down “L”. On the long arm a lead weight is molded into place and on the
short arm a snap swivel is added to accept the spinner rig. The most common
sizes of bottom bouncers are 1, 2 and 3 ounce models.
The main line is
tied to the elbow formed between the long and short arms and a spinner rig
ranging from 40 to 50 inches in length is attached to the snap swivel on the
short arm. Most spinner rigs are tied on fluorocarbon line and come equipped
with a blade that spins on a clevice, some colorful beads and a pair of beak
style live bait hooks.
The rig is
complete when baited with a live nightcrawler and lowered to bottom using just
enough “line out” that the bottom bouncer makes contact with the bottom every
few feet as the boat slowly trolls along. Meanwhile, the trailing spinner is positioned just off
bottom where walleye can spot it easily.
Bottom bouncer
sinkers come in many variations. The Hildebrandt Hammer Time Bottom Walker is a
little taller than most bottom bouncers, making it user friendly and easy to
set. The biggest mistake made when fishing bottom bouncers is letting too much
line out while setting the rig. If too much line is played out when setting the
bouncer, the rig will lay on its side and drag on the bottom instead of
standing up, ticking the bottom every few feet and presenting the spinner just
off bottom.
Taller bouncers
like the Hammer Time Bottom Walker can be set with a little too much line out
and still keep the spinner positioned up off bottom.
THE RULE OF 45
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Young Jordan Nelson, the grandson of Fishing 411 videographer Paul Chilson, caught this awesome walleye on a Hammertime spinner, fished in combination with a bottom bouncer sinker. |
Before the
bottom bouncer can be set, the boat’s forward speed must be established and
maintained. Speeding up and slowing down makes it impossible to set a bottom
bouncer rig and keep it fishing properly.
A good trolling speed for bottom bouncer fishing ranges
from 1.0 MPH to about 1.5 MPH. Once the boat speed is consistent, lower the
bottom bouncer and spinner rig a few inches into the water and check to be sure
the blade is rotating properly and that the harness isn’t tangled on the
bouncer or the hooks tangled in the crawler.
Once it’s
confirmed everything is functioning properly, the rig is lowered to bottom by
free spooling line off the reel. The second the bottom bouncer contacts the
bottom, the reel spool will momentarily stop spinning. Put your finger on the
spool to prevent additional line from playing off and allow the boat to move
forward for a few seconds.
The forward
motion of the boat will pull the line tight. As the boat moves forward friction
on the fishing line and the bottom bouncer rig causes the sinker to rise up off
bottom a couple feet. At this point, free spool the bottom bouncer a second
time until it hits the bottom again.
Put the reel in
gear and place the rod in a conveniently located rod holder. Set in this
manner, the bottom bouncer will travel near bottom, making contact with the
bottom occasionally and presenting the trailing spinner just off the bottom.
Baitcasting rods
and reels are the ideal choice for fishing bottom bouncer rigs. A medium action
rod from seven to about nine foot in length is ideal. Matched to this rod, a
baitcasting reel loaded with 10 to 12 pound test monofilament line makes for a
perfect bottom bouncer set up.
NOT ALL SPINNER RIGS ARE CREATED EQUAL
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Spinner fishing is fundamental to walleye success during the spring and summer months. The rewards are countless eating sized walleye like this one caught by Jake Romanack of Fishing 411. |
Until recently
most serious walleye anglers custom tied their own spinner rigs because it was
difficult to find commercially produced rigs that meet all of the critical
features outlined here. The Hildebrandt Hammer Time Spinner is a premium
product built with the professional angler and serious recreational angler in
mind.
Available in 10
popular finishes and in No. 4, 5 and 6 Colorado blades the Hildebrandt Hammer
Time Spinner is perfect for fishing in combination with the Hammer Time Bottom
Walker sinker.