Walleye fishing is a beautiful sport because there is a technique for everyone. Hardcore casters can enjoy pitching plugs and jigs for shallow, aggressive walleye. This is best particularly in spring and fall. Anglers looking for a relaxing day on the water can enjoy pulling plugs, while anglers looking to relax, but still feel every bite can pull live bait. One of the most consistent methods for putting walleye in the boat is bottom bouncing. This is a very simple method that works nearly the entire open water season out on the Missouri River reservoirs.
Rigging Up
The rig is actually exceptionally simple. I like a stouter rod so I have a good backbone for fighting fish especially when using larger bottom bouncers. I go with a 6’6-7’0 medium-heavy rod with a fast or moderate action. In South Dakota, anglers are allowed two rods, so when I have multiple anglers in the boat I put 1 1/2oz bouncers out the front and 3oz bouncers out the back. This allows me some separation as the front rods will be lighter so there will be a little more line out and my back rods will stay right below the boat. I spool my reels with 8-10lb Berkley Fireline as the no-stretch properties lets me feel every rock, stick and fish. This also allows for superb hooksets and strength when reeling in larger fish.
Business End
I tie my own snells, although there is a wide selection of snells available on the market. I favor a 30-40 inch snell, with 12lb Berkley Trilene. I like to put just one 5mm bead on when I tie them as this allows me to present a variety of different ways.
The ability to run two rods makes experimentation easier. Early in the season I like to always have one rod with a plain #2-#4 Aberdeen or Octopus hook and the other with the same set up except with a .8 inch Macks Lure Smile Blade. This allows for easy adjustments. If the fish are favoring the blade I can quickly slide a Smile Blade onto the plain set up, but if the fish are favoring the simpler version I can quickly slide the blade off. The ability to quickly adjust allows me to rotate colors between Smile Blades easy. This lets me find the best color of the day faster. Minnows are generally the best bait to tip with this time of year.
As the season rolls on into summer I find blades are the best option and will begin running blades on all my set ups with just different colors. I feel this change generally happens about the time I switch to nightcrawlers instead of minnows, maybe a little after. I usually switch over about the beginning of June, although my rule of thumb is when minnows become hard to keep alive due to warmer temperatures that is when I switch to crawlers. Once I do make the switch I also will put out a Berkley Gulp! Nightcrawler out as well. This is a heartier bait that when I am having 40-50+ fish days will save me the hassle of putting on a new crawler each time. If I do miss a bite, I often still have my bait in the strike zone. The more time spent with lines in the fish zone, the more fish caught!
My favorite colors for Smile Blades are Pink Silver Tiger, Chartreuse Sparkle and Silver Scale. I start each day with at least two of these colors out, if I have multiple anglers in the boat I will put out all three and then have one plain set up that can have the best blade put on if the blades are the way to go, but still have that simple set up to see if the fish are favoring that. The beautiful thing about these set ups are that they last for so many fish that often my red hooks are gold by the end of the day and I am still catching fish. They’re easy on the wallet and yet so incredibly effective.
Let the Fish Set the Speed Limit
Many times anglers get so focused on what their graph is saying their speed is when pulling spinners. Do not listen to that! Listen to the fish! Current is a major element on the Missouri River system. If there is a heavy current and I am trolling downstream I need to make sure that I am going faster than the current to make sure my blades are presenting as they should. This may climb my speed range into 2.2-2.5mph. When I turn around to go upstream it may slow down to .6-.9. Both of these speeds I can catch fish, it just depends on how I am presenting. This is why it is so important to not fall into the belief you need to be in a certain speed range at all times.
I also have found that turns are the best way to listen to the fish. If I am trolling at 1.8 and I make a turn and the outside rods, the rods that speed up when the turn occurs, go off I know the fish liked that speed uptake and I may bump up to 2.0-2.2. On the contrary if the inside rods, the rods that slow down, go off I may need to back down my pace. Turns are also an excellent element to turn followers into biters, so be sure to incorporate them into your overall troll.
The situation will also dictate my speed. If I am catching a lot of short fish, going faster is often a good way to help increase your size bracket. It seems that the larger fish tend to be a bit more aggressive than smaller fish when the speed is increased. If there is an incoming front and the fish are exceptionally active going faster also is a good play as this will help me catch nicer fish and also allow me to cover more water and contact more fish. The fish are aggressive, so the anglers should be too!
Regardless where you are fishing, if there is current and walleye these techniques are most likely going to apply. The Missouri River offers a tremendous fishery on all of its reservoirs. However; a walleye is a walleye wherever it swims. Information gained on one body of water can easily translate to another with similar characteristics. Wherever you’re fishing it’s never a bad idea to throw down a bouncer and a Smile blade. It will probably put a lot of fish in the boat! Good fishing!
New to Bottom Bouncing?
Are you new to bottom bouncing and not sure if you have your rods set right? No problem! The most important element of bottom bouncing is making sure you have your lines at the right angle, or else they won’t run right, will snag up and not catch fish. Check out my video on how to make sure you’re setting your rods right!
Maybe you’ve been losing a lot of fish. I’ve got this covered too. Check out the best way to set the hook when you’re bottom bouncing.
Learn more about the various types of blades available on the market.
Related Articles
Are you new to bottom bouncing? Find out everything you need to know to be a successful bottom bouncer in Bottom Bouncing Basics.
Spring can steal the spotlight on the Missouri River, but May and June can often offer some of the best fishing there is. Find out how to target these fish in Serving Up Missouri River Walleye.
Nick, a group from West Point and one guy from Gretna are heading to Chamberlain Sunday to fish for a few days. We were up there the end of April and cut the trip short because the weather was terrible. While we were there we booked rooms for this next trip and now sounds like Chamberlain is sandbagging because of high water. I read your Monday report about the river. I guess my question is, is the river fishable or is the water too high and full of debris? We are just game planning on what our options are when we come up. We are staying in Chamberlain, are they closing docks or are some still open. This time of the year we have gone to Kriner’s Bottom but assuming that is under water. Any help that you can provide is greatly appreciated. Thanks, Michael Haase
Great stuff Nick! Also appreciate your reports. Keep it up & you will be rewarded in the long run. Tks, Terry
Thanks Terry! I really appreciate it!
Michael, Currently the only open launch in Chamberlain is Cedar Shore resort. American Creek campground is underwater as is American Creek marina. Dude Ranch has been under for a long time. Elm Creek/Kiners the ramp is closed and Boyer is….well….Boyer. Further downstream the high water ramp at Snake Creek is accessible, but Platte, Dock 44/Snake regular, Buryanek and West Bridge are all closed. Downstream North Wheeler is open as is Prairie Dog Bay and South Shore. St. Francis Bay and North Bay are closed. Whetstone and Pease Creek also are closed. The river is fishable, just be weary of possible debris in the water especially by tributaries. Unfortunately, Big Bend dam all the ramps are also closed at this time. I don’t want to be all doomsday, I think you’ll be able to launch Cedar Shore, navigate the river and probably catch some fish as well! I would probably go upstream to fish though as the White River is flooding and I’d assume you’ll find muddy conditions down in the Kiners area as well.