Bottom Bouncer rod

[Norco]

Im looking for a rod for bottom bouncing specific and wondering what you guys reccomend in length and I assume in med? I use spin reels and am looking to spend around $150-200.

Cheers!!

[SwimRunFly]

I fish walleyes primarily with bait walkers, which are a little larger then a bottom bouncer. But the concept is pretty much the same. My favorite setup is a 6.5 ft medium to heavy action rod with a bait caster spooled with FireLine. This allows me to fish directly under the boat keeping the bait walker about 4 to 6 inches off the bottom (but finding bottom every 20 or 30 seconds quickly). The medium to heavy action rod along with the FireLine allows me to feel the bottom easily and then raise just enough so I can feel any subtle tug. The FireLine also allows me to feel soft, hard or rocky bottoms. With bait walkers I fish either a leech or minnow depending on the time of year on a 6ft snell. I also fish close or locked spool. When you feel a tug you simply point your rod tip toward your bait make sure you still feel the pressure and then set the hook. Remember with FireLine or SpideWire and a medium to heavy action rod you do not need an overly aggressive hook set. I watch some guys about come out of the boat when they set the hock. It is actually entertaining to watch.

Good luck fishing.

[Borch]

I really prefer a baitcasting outfit fpr bottom bouncing. I keeps a little tension in the rig as you drop it over board and you don't get the spinner coming up and tangling around the main line which happens more frequntly if your not careful with the spinning ring. Rodwise I like a 6-7ft medium action rod with a softer tip.

I use several brands of rods for this. Most that are my favorite of graphite composite or IM6 graphite rods. Many of the high modulus graphite rods tend to be too stiff for this technique in my opinion.

For fishing line I also like the braids. You can easily feel the blade of the spinner work and what the bottom content is along with the bites. For the the softer tip is also more forgiving on the hookset and when a fish makes a run.

Good Luck!

[DinkADunk]

I use extra-fast action, medium-lite power 7' (cut down from 7'6") salmon hot shot rods for bottom bouncers and lindy rigs. I use small size Abu C3's with 10/4 fireline. The rods have lots' of backbone and the tip is very responsive to what's happening. I prefer to leave the reel in free spool and use my thumb to control pressure, it's easier to follow contours that way (keep close to drop offs).

[PerchJerker]

Use a baitcaster with a flippin' switch, very handy when pulling rigs and bouncers and you need to adjust your amount of line out. One nice thing is the reel is never in free-spool.

[Questor]

I like to use a medium-heavy baitcaster with 30# braid. Very good sensitivity. Fishes nice.

[Jarrod32]

I'm with everyone else here on the medium-heavy action rod and baitcaster type reel. I like fireline...very sensitive to detect the light bites.

[John Mickish]

I guess I do things differently than everybody else here. I use a 7' medium light extra fast action spinning rod and 8# fireline. I fish with the reel closed and the lighter power of the medium light rod has enough forgiveness to let the fish pretty much hook themselves, yet the high quality rod and action still allow me to feel whats going on. I have tried heavier actions but don't have the same success rates. I think the fish can feel more with the heavier rod and are more likely to spit it out before it's to late.

[federline]

I'm with mnfishingguy on the fast action medium light rod with good backbone and fast tip, 6'6" or 7', but prefer baitcaster for manageability on the drop, like borch. With the fast tip, feeding eyes will indeed set hook themselves pretty reliably on the second phase of the bite - the run - but that is only possible if they don't feel the rod load up while they nibble the bait in. Mono mainline also helps soften the sensation at the hook end, I don't think I'd use fireline. The gradual load up of the fast tip and the mono combined gives gentle, reliable hooksets. I rely on the rod tip primarily to tell me whats happening when, since it moves differently with each phase of the bite.

A Shimano Crucial CRS70ML is the spinning version of what I describe above, and at about $140, fits your budget.