Bottom Bouncing

[Tony]

I've been fishing at Port Dalhousie the last few weeks, hoping to catch a trout. I'v heard the term "bottom bouncing" being used, but I'm not sure what it means. I've seen people fishing with different set-ups at the Port. Some have their hook up the line, and a sinker at the end of the line. Others have their sinker first on the line, with a hook at the end. They are using roe bags as bait. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[smerchly]

Guys who use tubes with a lead head inside or a lead head worm combo , bounce them off the bottom holding the rod high to help avoid snags . I like using a 3 way swivel with a 3 to 4 ft. lead....some guys like a longer lead , with a roe bag , minnow etc. on the end. I put a lighter line on the drop line that has the sinker on it so it will break off if snagged . I also use a 3 way set up with a floating lure like a J-11 and bottom bounce it or very slowly reel it in close to bottom. That's 2 methods I use......anyone else ?

[Guest canadadude]

Bottom bouncing is when you throw into the current and drift your bait through an area!! I ussually use a 3-way rig although at times I will change to 2 barrel swivels!! The way it works is on the 3-way, one end goes to your main line the other to a 6'-8' leader and then you drop your weight off the third eye of the 3-way!! I like to use pencile weights anywhere from 1oz to 1 1/2 oz, they don't snag up as much, the secret is to get your weight just ticking the bottom without constantly hanging up!! I also carry a cheap pair of cutters with me so I can trim alittle lead off the sinker to aquire the proper drift!! It takes some practice to get really good at it but it really isn't that difficult to master the technique!! I bottom bounce roe, streamers and roe imitations and know matter how good you are, your still going to hang up on bottom!!! It's difficult sometimes to tell a troutie hit from the bottom, but with alittle experience I'm sure you'll get it down

[packrat]

Bottom bouncing "sometimes" also consists of weight above your hook---anywhere from 18-24 inches **

The idea is to have just enough weight to get the bait down and still be able to let it "drift" with the current.

This will run your bait just above the bottom---you should be able to feel the weight just tick the bottom occasionally. After you've done it awhile you'll be able to tell the difference when you get a strike.

** Mostly used in shallower water then Port D

[rick]

For the basic rig that many use around this area, check out THIS LINK from Captain John's web site. A few other great articles there as well for fishing the Niagara area.

[Guest canadadude]

For the basic rig that many use around this area, check out THIS LINK from Captain John's web site. A few other great articles there as well for fishing the Niagara area.

Great link Rick ...... that pretty much shows the proper rig just added that site to my favorites list

[jwl]

I thought it was that jigging technique that my kids have used over the years in the boat when they start getting ants in thier pants...and are up...down...up down...up down...out of thier seats bouncing around on the bottom of the boat

[Guest canadadude]

Bottom bouncing is a technique I use on my Girlfriend aswell but we get into that on this site

[RAUMASTER]

Hmmm A little Junk in the Trunk eh CD..?

[RAUMASTER]

Bottom Bouncing Techniques

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Bottom Bouncing Techniques

A drizzly and overcast day, lots of flow in the big river, the water just starting to clear. Everything so right for fishing that it seems you can smell rainbows. The sound of water gurgling over rocks can be heard over whispers of wind in the cedars. The whistle of wings pass overhead as a family of bufflehead ducks circle and land close to the far bank. Suddenly the taps of split shot along the bottom are displaced by the slight tug and then slam of a good fish. The surface is broken by a silver form that bursts into the air, flushing the ducks and making your heart pound. Bottom bouncing pays off again.

Part One

Basic bottom bouncing technique is using the river current to sweep or bounce bait along a river bottom in order to entice fish to bite or strike. To accomplish this, an angler needs a rod long enough to minimize surface water contact, enough weight to take the bait to the bottom rapidly and line that will minimize break-offs yet not spook the fish. Ideally a good BB rod will be at least eight feet long and in bigger rivers, a rod eleven or twelve feet long is much better. Weights in a basic rig are split shot and heavy enough to take your rig to the bottom.

Basic rigging means using a bait and hook on main line of six to twelve pound test line with split shots about 18-24 inches above the bait.

Three or four smaller shot placed close together work better than one large shot as they minimize snagging between rocks but a slight loss in feeling bottom taps occurs. Split shot transmit vibrations better than most weights although they will snag up quicker than some of the other weighting methods available. Spinning or casting reels provide good line control and allow anglers to “milk” their bait with the current. Milking is the practice of either holding back to allow the bait to rise and swing within the water column or allowing more line to feed out to maintain bottom contact...

*** In 1972 I had a bad run of luck with rainbows and in 13 day-long trips, I never landed a single decent fish. Sometimes the river was dirty, sometimes I was a day or two late for a fresh run, sometimes the river was just plain too low and clear for my skill level. It was maddening. My friend Jim was single at the time, he fished every chance he had, sometimes even when he should have been sleeping, and soon he was doing very well. He kept urging me not to give up and finally, after weeks of disappointment, I started to get the “feel” of the bottom. Next I began to hook some good fish, although I lacked the skill to land them. After lots of coaching I remember him saying that I was finally getting the idea and: “now you’re away.”

Well, I’ve had lots of skunks since then but learning the “feel” he was talking about made a real difference.

Bottom Bouncing

Part Two

The basic BB cast should be across the current at about 90 degrees from the angler or just slightly upstream if the current is strong. The effective drift begins when the weight hits bottom and begins to “tap” off rocks and gravel. The bait will usually proceed ahead of the weight downstream, at bottom current speed or slightly slower. Often river currents will be faster at the surface than at the bottom where fish are laying so bottom bouncing allows a bait to be presented naturally to fish. Ideally, the bait drifts downstream at the speed a fish normally sees insects or other food items approach. Following the cast, line should be allowed to leave the reel freely in order for the bait and weights to hit bottom with a minimum of downstream travel. When the weights meet the bottom, line outflow should be stopped; slack taken up and the rod should be held at approximately 45 degrees from the water surface. Reeling up slack line allows the angler to feel vibrations made by the weights against the bottom contour. The longer rods keep your line from lying across the surface when fishing longer casts and keep you in touch with the bottom vibrations. One style is to drift while holding the line under the index finger of the rod hand. By partly opening or closing the bail of a spinning reel you can maintain a taunt line, somewhat like mending a drift while fly fishing. The same effect can be accomplished with the thumb on a casting reel. When a movement other than stone or gravel hopping is felt, the rod hand should clamp down on the line and the rod swung up or back to set the hook. Any slack can be taken up with a quick turn or two of the reel handle. If no fish is felt, lower the rod, allowing the bait and weight to continue bouncing through the chosen run or pool.

*** Jim and I began to figure out bottom bouncing methods in the Saugeen River in 1969 and 1970. Up to date information on river conditions was not available to us back then and specialized tackle was only a dream. This was in the days when almost everyone used 6-7 foot rods and we soon figured we needed more length. We changed the snake eyes on our 8 foot fly rods to spinning rod eyes, taped on spinning reels and found a considerable improvement in line control. This was well before nylon netting was available in Ontario tackle stores so we used nylon stockings or pantyhose to tie up roe bags. This tough material worked not too bad except the nylon was so tough that sometimes our hook barbs would get jammed in the material and fail to penetrate into the fish’s mouth Later we started to borrow nylon scarves from family members and that was a big improvement over the stockings. Hooks back then weren’t of today’s quality, they had big barbs and poor heat treating so that some would straighten out while others would just snap off while playing a fish. In the tail-out of one deep pool, the rocks were basketball size and spaced just right to snag split shot between them so we started to use lead solder for weights, held in place with clear aquarium air tubing. For a while it was our secret weapon and allowed us many more drifts through prime water while anglers around us were kept busy snagging, breaking off and re-tying. It was an exciting and rewarding time with new tackle ideas and methods discussed almost daily between trips.

Bottom Bouncing

Part Three

Once the basics are understood, bottom bouncing success can be improved by selecting optimum water and by varying tackle rigs. Ideal bottom bouncing water has a gravel or rock bottom, a slow to moderate current flow and is deep enough so that you can’t see bottom. Gravel and rock bottoms are preferred locations for trout and salmon if the fish have a choice available. The idea is to allow the lure or bait to cover as much prime water as possible on every drift while maintaining bottom contact The current flow most fish will hold in depends on water temperature, clarity and light conditions. If the water temperature is above 40 degrees F, for example, rainbows will hold in faster water while below that magic point on the thermometer they will hold in deeper and slower water. Lead wire held in place on your line with plastic tubing will minimize snagging but transmit less information on bottom conditions to the angler. Slinkies are lead shot held inside a nylon sheath like parachute cord and they have the same advantages and disadvantages of lead wire. Three way swivels and sliding sinkers all have their uses in various conditions but split shots definitely send back the strongest indication of bottom contact. Leaders allow an angler to lower the visibility of terminal tackle to suit water clarity conditions and also to minimize the loss of tackle. A good terminal tackle rig includes a leader of three to four feet of monofilament at least two pound test lighter than the main line with shot placed above the joint to save constant re-rigging. Swivels can be used and fluorocarbon leader material can be tied on as well as new hooks when snags are frequent.

Hooks should be short- shanked and checked often as bottom bouncing is much harder on hook points that float fishing. If you suspect fish are holding off bottom, tiny floaters can be added to roe bags to suspend your bait somewhere between the bottom and the length of one’s leader, depending on current flow. When using worms, an air bubble will produce the same effect.

Fish tend to suspend in various circumstances, especially in the freezing conditions of mid-winter when slush is in the water. Yarn balls, yarn flies, Spin and Glows, Go-Goes and other floating devices all have their place in a bottom bouncer’s fishing vest and each can pay off in certain conditions. The most productive drifts start when you first feel the tapping of your weights on the bottom and continue to the end of the downstream drift, through the lateral swing that takes place when line is stopped from further downstream movement. At the end of the downstream drift, the bait or lure starts to swing laterally to your side of the river and begins to rise in the water column.

*** A big river changes every year and that keeps it interesting. In the early seventies Jim and I learned quickly how not to land fish. Knowing how not to land fish is useful because it helps you to avoid repeating your mistakes. Unlike today, there was very little deliberate catch and release but we did a lot of accidental releases. I remember trying to bring our fish up current when the fish had other ideas. Finally we learned to fool the fish, get below them after the hook-up when possible and make them fight the current as well as our rods. It only took a few trips for us to learn not to keep winding our reel handles when a big fish was running. Sure, we had caught lots of browns, bass and brookies before, but they fight not at all like a ten pound rainbow in a strong current. Cranking reel handles while a drag is slipping is a good way to make your reel fill up with knots and twists.

Bottom Bouncing

Part Four

The tap-tap-tap of stones and gravel is different than the tap you feel when a trout mouths your bait. Learning the difference is the whole key to bottom-bouncing successfully. A sensitive rod certainly helps but holding taunt line between thumb and finger of your non-rod hand can help a lot. If you aren’t feeling the bottom taps, something is wrong or you have a fish on, set the hook! If you feel a pause and then a gentle movement, set the hook. Coarse fish don’t hit much like trout but sometimes trout will hit lightly like coarse fish. Migratory rainbows often mouth and munch bait before sending it on its way as close observation with Polaroid glasses has shown us over the years. Anglers unfamiliar with rainbow habits often wait for a fish to swallow their bait before setting the hook, this seldom happens as these fish rarely eat while on a spawning run. They will taste and spit though and do so very quickly, so set the hook when in doubt. A sign of missed opportunities is a roe bag, crushed after a slight pause takes place in the drift. New anglers probably miss ten bites for every one they detect. Even top anglers miss at least one bite for every one they feel. Even top anglers miss bites because they lost concentration and failed to strike fast enough. It’s so easy to doze off now and then, especially after rising early and driving a long way.

*** Bottom Bouncing is a lot of fun and a useful skill to learn. It can be done in large and small rivers by varying tackle size from ultra-light spinning rods and reels with a bb shot to heavier 12 foot rods with casting reels and hollow lead. Sometimes, in certain conditions, bottom bouncing will out-fish other methods and even catch fish when other methods produce not at all.

Copywrite Grant Ferris for GreyBruceOutdoors, November 2006

[mikeymikey]

Anyone use Berkley Gulp! Minnow as a bait ?

[jwl]

I have lots of luck bottom bouncing/drifting the 7 inch chartruesse Berkely Gulp minnow worms, I think they work great, have hooked into everything from rockbass to big steelies,lakers,walleye, pike,muskies on them...even got a channel cat on one yesterday,and had a nice musky follow one up to the boat yesterday too

[durkin09]

Anyone use Berkley Gulp! Minnow as a bait ?

One of the biggest browns I have caught in Port D came on a Gulp minnow. Bottom bouncing a three way rig. However the action was hot that day and we were catching them on just about everything.

[Smokin Joe]

I have lots of luck bottom bouncing/drifting the 7 inch chartruesse Berkely Gulp minnow worms, I think they work great, have hooked into everything from rockbass to big steelies,lakers,walleye, pike,muskies on them...even got a channel cat on one yesterday,and had a nice musky follow one up to the boat yesterday too

And bikini bottoms too from what I understand

[smerchly]

Bottom bouncing is a technique I use on my Girlfriend aswell but we get won'tinto that on this site

Perv. .......ya , ya ya said the Beatles ! Hey dude .....I would think using a 7' -8' lead would have more hang ups. I haven't tried long leads on a 3 way swivel , it may give the fish too much slack line before you feel it pick up the bait .....I like a 3' lead approx. but I was using mono .line .I am now going to use power pro & will try experimenting with diff. leads & weights.

Is the ferry boat out of Port yet ????? I want to drift that area !!