Nick Harrington’s Guide to Rigging the Smile Blade for Bottom Bouncing

Professional walleye guide Nick Harrington has built his reputation on consistent results, and one of his go-to presentations centers around the versatile Mack’s Lure Smile Blade rigged behind a bottom bouncer. In a recent tackle tip video filmed at Eagle Lake, Harrington breaks down his exact setup and explains when this presentation outshines the more aggressive Colorado blade options.

Nick's Bottom Bouncing Setup

Harrington’s bottom bouncing setup starts with a JB Designs Depth Strike bottom bouncing rod, a 7’6” medium power, moderate fast action rod specifically engineered for this technique. “I use a JB Designs Walleye Series bottom bouncer rod,” Harrington explains in his tackle tip video. “So, this is medium moderate fast rod, 7 foot6.”

The rod selection is critical for bottom bouncing success. As Harrington notes in his Mack’s Lure blog contributions, “I like to use a stouter rod when bottom bouncing. This is because I like to run bigger bottom bouncers and have a firm backbone when I set the hook.” The JB Designs rods feature Japanese Carbon Fiber construction, making them exceptionally light yet strong compared to traditional graphite blanks.

For his reel setup, Harrington pairs the rod with 10 pound Berkley Fireline as his mainline. “I’ve got 10 pound Berkeley Fire line as my main line here. That’s what I run on the main line,” he states in the video. This choice provides the no-stretch properties essential for feeling bottom contact and detecting subtle strikes.

The real finesse comes in Harrington’s leader construction. He uses 12 pound Berkley Trilene XT monofilament to tie his snells. “All my snail rods, those are tied all my snails, those are tied with 12lb Berkeley Triline XT. So monofilament here, I just like that little smoother. It’s uh it absorbs a little bit of shock. It stretches a little bit,” Harrington explains.

This mono leader serves multiple purposes beyond shock absorption. The slight stretch helps when fighting pike, which are common bycatch in many walleye waters. “It does okay when it comes to pike and and we haven’t caught any muskies on the bouncers, but does okay when you get some pike,” he notes.

Rigging the Smile Blade Presentation

Harrington’s Smile Blade setup is elegantly simple yet effective. He starts with Mack’s Lure tapered beads - specifically the five-count tapered bead sequence. “I got a Max Lure um taper five tapered beads and then a couple 5mm beads around the end,” he details in the video.

The 0.8 Mack’s Lure Smile Blade sits at the heart of the presentation. “What I’ve been using is a 0.5 Max lure smile blade,” Harrington says, though he appears to reference the 0.8 size in the footage. The Smile Blade’s unique design allows it to spin effectively at extremely slow speeds - as low as 1/4 mph - making it ideal for targeting lethargic or pressured walleyes.

The rig concludes with a #1 Aberdeen hook, which Harrington favors for its fine wire construction and excellent hooking properties with live bait presentations.

When to Deploy the Smile Blade

Timing and fish mood dictate when Harrington switches from his standard Colorado blade presentation to the more subtle Smile Blade setup. “When they want it just a little bit less aggressive, what I’ve been using…what I’ve been using is a 0.5 Max lure smile blade,” he explains.

This principle aligns with broader seasonal patterns observed by other professional anglers. According to Midwest Lip Rippers content, “Throughout this transition, I generally have half my rods with Smile Blades and half my rods with plain hooks. Fish will generally prefer one or the other.” By June, many guides transition to pulling exclusively Smile Blades as walleyes become more selective.

The Smile Blade’s effectiveness comes from its ability to provide “life-like action at speeds as slow as 1/4 mph” while remaining “quick tuned” for rapid adjustments. Professional guide Johnny Candle from Devils Lake echoes this sentiment: “This summer on Devil’s Lake, Johnny’s go-to bait behind a bottom bouncer is the subject of this week’s Pro’s Pointer.”

Bottom Bouncer Weight Selection

Harrington typically runs 1.5 ounce bottom bouncers for his presentation, though he adjusts based on depth and conditions. “I rigged that up with a 1 and 1/2 ounce bottom bouncer,” he states in the Eagle Lake video.

This follows the general rule of 1 ounce per 10 feet of water depth, though many professionals err on the heavy side to maintain proper line angle and avoid tangles when running multiple rods. The heavier weight also helps maintain bottom contact in current or wind.

Color and Size Variations

While Harrington’s Eagle Lake video focuses on natural presentations, the Smile Blade system offers extensive customization options. Mack’s Lure produces Smile Blades in “over 40 colors and multiple sizes,” allowing anglers to match specific fishing conditions and target species preferences.

The blade angle can also be adjusted on the water - “wide for a slow, rolling wobble or narrow for a vigorous shake and spin” - giving anglers the ability to fine-tune their presentation without retying.

Seasonal Application Strategy

The Smile Blade presentation fits into a broader seasonal progression that savvy walleye anglers follow. Early season typically starts with simple hook and minnow presentations, transitioning to Smile Blades as spring moves into summer. By July and August, when the food web reaches peak performance, anglers often need larger, more aggressive presentations to stand out from abundant natural forage.

However, the Smile Blade maintains its effectiveness throughout the season for targeting neutral or negative fish that require a more finesse approach. As one professional notes, “The key to these baits is they produce a significant amount of vibration, flash and are a larger profile to stand out among the rest.”

Equipment Recommendations

Beyond the core components, Harrington’s system benefits from quality terminal tackle. The Aberdeen hooks he favors provide excellent penetration with live bait, while the bead sequence creates both visual attraction and subtle noise that can trigger strikes from following fish.

The Berkley Trilene XT leader material offers “superior abrasion resistance” and is “over 45% more flexible” than previous formulations, making it ideal for the rocky, snaggy bottoms where walleyes often hold. The 12-pound test provides adequate strength for walleyes while remaining nearly invisible to the fish.

Proven Results

Harrington’s confidence in this presentation stems from consistent results across various conditions and fisheries. During his Eagle Lake trip, the bottom bouncing presentations with both Colorado blades and Smile Blades produced “numerous 12-17 inch walleyes” when fish were holding along rocky structure in 22-30 feet of water.

The system’s versatility allows anglers to quickly adjust to changing fish moods without completely rebuilding their presentation. As Harrington concludes, “When they want a little softer, a little more fine-tuned, that’s when we break out the Max Lower Smile Blades.”

This refined approach to bottom bouncing represents the evolution of walleye fishing techniques, where subtle presentations can often outperform aggressive offerings when conditions and fish behavior demand finesse over flash.