Bottom Bouncing Basics

BOTTOM BOUNCING IS A STAPLE IN THE WALLEYE INDUSTRY, AS MACK’S LURE’S NICK HARRINGTON EXPLAINS

Nick Harrington is a seasoned walleye angler, educator, and outdoor communicator based in Pierre, South Dakota. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences from South Dakota State University and brings firsthand expertise from fishing the legendary Missouri River reservoirs, including Lake Sharpe and Lake Oahe. As the owner of Lip Ripper Fishing and a respected Mack’s Lure Pro Staff member, Nick is known for his science-based approach, clear instructional style, and ability to simplify advanced techniques for all skill levels. Whether teaching through videos, articles, or seminars, Nick’s depth of regional knowledge and experience has made him a trusted voice for anglers seeking to master walleye strategies and bottom bouncing methods.

By Nick Harrington

Bottom bouncers have become a staple of the walleye fishing industry. The reason they are so popular is because they are easy to run, versatile, and just downright catch fish. This setup is so simple, yet can have so many alterations and different styles of fishing. Here are the different types of systems we like to fish and why.

RODS & REELS

I like to use a stouter rod when bottom bouncing. This is because I like to run bigger bouncers and have a firm backbone when I set the hook. I favor a 6’6-7’0 medium-heavy rod with a fast or moderate action. The reason I favor these setups is because I still have a good feel for what is happening with  my line, but I have a firm backbone for setting the hook and fighting a fish.

For reels, I favor a larger spool baitcasting reel. Line counters are not critical for bottom bouncing, but if you are fishing with someone that has not bottom bounced much, it helps to make sure that the lines are set at the right depth. As far as line, I favor 8-12 lb. Berkley Fireline. This is because it has no-stretch properties. This allows me to feel every pebble that the bouncer ticks across and also even the slightest bites. It also is strong for reeling in larger fish, especially with the heavy bottom bouncer. I like the crystal color because it is easy to see so you always can tell the angle that your bait is running.

Mason Propst runs a slightly difference system. He favors the heavier rods as well, but he prefers to have an 8 ft. rod and a 6 ft. rod. He also runslarge spool baitcasting reels and Fireline for a mainline. He favors the brighter neon green color because it allows him to see the lineeasy — much like the crystal.

a mainline and sees the pros and cons to each.

“Mono is less visible for when I am fishing clear water,” Seylar says. “Also, if I am fishing around a lot of snags, when I do get snagged up, it breaks easily. This allows me to spend less time fighting a snag and get re-rigged and back on the fish.”

The braid also has it’s own benefits because, Seylar says, “it is much stronger and has better sensitivity, but it is more visible and I feel that when fish are finicky, it can deter bites.”

BOTTOM BOUNCER SIZE

All three of us like to run heavy bottom bouncers. When I am back trolling, I like to run 1.5 oz. bouncers out the front and 3 oz. bounders out the back. This allows me to have my front rods let a little more line out and the back rods stay right below the boat This keeps my lines away from each other and avoids tangles. I have a perfect angle to. ounce across all snags and I still get a firm hookset. 

Mason has a different style of avoiding tangles. He runs 2 to 3 oz. bouncers on all of his rods, but as discussed above, he runs a long and short rod system. “I like to use the 8 ft. rod to get the bait further away from the boat, while the shorter 6 ft. rods keep it tigher,” he says.

This system allows him to fish the same weight, depending on depth, but still avoid tangling. When he’s fishing shallow, he runsto 2 oz., while deeper he will go up to 3 oz.

Chris also prefers 1.5 to 2 oz. bottom bouncers. When he is fishing shallower or in thick cover he goes with the lighter bouncer.This allows it to bounce around easier and it is less likely to be snagged. When he is deeper or fishing a less thick area, he goes withthe heavier bouncer.

BLADE SELECTION

I prefer two types of blades. Early in the season I like to use smaller blades. I occasionally use a size 0 silver Colorado blade, but the majority of damage I do when fishing with a smaller blade is with a Mack’s Lure Smile Blade®. I really like the Smile Blade®0.8, as these are a nice, compact profile that adds a little flash and vibration to your bait. This makes it attractive, but doesn’t steal the show. I love fishing these blades at slow speeds, but they are also extremely versatile at higher speeds, as well.

How I like to approach the rig early in the season is to have a size #2-#4 Aberdeen or Octopus hook with a single 5 mm. bead. Usually, either the plain setup like that is going to be the top option or simply sliding a Smile Blade® 0.8 onto it will be the ticket (see above).

As the season moves on, blades seem to be a bigger factor. Generally, what I will do is just put a different colored blade on. If I have multiple anglers in the boat, I will keep one plain hook out or possibly put out a size #2 Colorado blade. I will generally keep my Smile Blades® out, but as the summer progresses, I will be switching towards size #3 Colorado blades. I really like the metallic colors with these blades. Gold and silver are colors that I feel are pretty universal and baits I often have out when fishing a new bodyof water or I just do not know what to do. As far as Smile Blade® colors go, my favorites are Pink Silver Tiger, Chartreuse Sparkle, Gold Sparkle and Silver Scale.

 Towards fall, I begin the transition to size #3 and #5 Colorado blades. This time of year the bigger blades resemble the bigger prey species and many walleye are going to be chowing on them. The larger baits are also going to giveoff more flash and vibration and be really appealing, especially in dark and dingyconditions. Many anglers are switching to crankbaits, but the Smile Blade 1.9 isanother tremendous option.

Mason is also a huge believer in Smile Blades®. He also prefers the Smile Blade® 0.8 as he feels that smaller blades are just enough to attract attention to your bait, yet still present naturally. His favorite colors are Purple Scale, GreenSilver Tiger, Silver Mirror and Pink Silver Tiger. He also favors using Tru-Turns orSlow Death hooks to get more action out of his nightcrawler.

Chris prefers size #2 and #3 Colorado blades. He likes gold blades as well because they have a nice flash and pop when fishing clear water. He also likes Fire Tiger and natural perch colors to emulate the yellow perch that are in theIowa Great Lakes system. The Colorado blades produce a lot of flash and thump so they can attract fish from a greater distance in the deep, clear bodies of water.

Bottom bouncing is a very simple concept. This article outlined the basic setup, but when walleye anglers get their minds to work a simple concept can becomevery complex. This was all about laying the foundation for the basic bottom bouncing rig.