Bottom bouncing is an extremely versatile tactic that can work on nearly any body of water that walleye swim. Consistent success with bottom bouncers requires a great deal of boat control, understanding of walleye behavior and the courage to break the mold of conventional beliefs. Today I am going to discuss different approaches to selecting speeds to present at and how to make it easier to control the boat.
Follow the Speed Limit or Bust Your Own Trails?
The most important aspect of what determines your speed is the current of the water you are fishing. Rivers, reservoirs and some lakes are going to have a natural current that never changes. No matter what the wind direction, wind speed, day of the week or whatever factors there are the current will always remain a constant. In smaller, natural lakes like the Glacial Lakes region of South Dakota there is no current and this has an impact on our speeds as well.
Current
When fishing bodies of water with current there are two things to determine. The first is the direction of the current. The second is how strong the current is. Both of these are going to be pretty easy to determine. The direction you are moving when stopped is generally going to determine the direction of the current and the speed you are moving will determine the speed it is.
This is the type of situation that I like to abandon conventional “speed ranges”. If I am going downstream in heavy current I might fly past the more “normal” paces. Do not be afraid to go as much as 2.2-2.5mph. This may seem like more of a crankbait pace, but when the current is that heavy you need to make sure that you are going fast enough to get your blades to turn properly. The current is going to be dragging your baits along so you need to be under enough power to make them fish properly and not just be taking a ride.
When I am going upstream in heavy current I may be well below the “normal” paces as well. In this situation I might be going .5-.9 or maybe even less. The blades are going to be turning regardless of my speed because the current will be pushing against them. I might be well below the pace I was going down, but I still am presenting with the same style. These are the types of situations that make me hesitate to tell anglers how fast they should be going. This is because current speed is going to vary day to day and even hour to hour so for consistent success it is an absolutely critical skill that anglers be able to read the current and recognize how it is altering their presentation. There really is no set in stone speed range when fishing these types of waters and that is why it is so important to throw “speed limits” out the window.
Slack Water
In water that there is no current speeds are going to be more textbook. Once that variable is eliminated then the more “normal” speeds are going to be put into play. So what determines speed in these types of waters? I look at three essential factors: blade type, fish mood and weather. The biggest difference in this situation is blade type as fish mood and weather is going to be a factor in current as well.
My favorite type of blades to use is Macks Lure Smile Blades. These are an extremely effective bait because of their versatility. I like to troll them faster, while Mason Propst, likes to troll them slower. Mason prefers the .8 inch Smile Blade as this is a compact profile that adds just a little bit of flash and vibration to the presentation. These blades do very well at slow speeds as it takes very little to make them turn. Depending on the weather Mason will use the electric trolling motor to pull these blades or he will simply drift. Mason says, “I like to present at about .4-.7, occasionally we might get up to 1.0, but I want a speed that all we are doing is making the blade turn”. This presentation allows him to target both aggressive and more neutral fish. This maximizes the chance he gets at each individual fish biting.
I like to go at a little faster pace. This is usually about 1.0-1.5. I feel this is a good option because once again the blade is turning properly, but I am covering more water and targeting more aggressive fish. Once I find some fish that is when I will go through and start picking them apart at slower speeds.
Another terrific bait is a Colorado blade. These blades put out a ton of flash and vibration and also present well at slow speeds. Once again I like to go about 1.0-1.5 with these baits. However; Chris Seylar likes to present these blades slower as well. Chris likes to go about .5-1.2, but the sweet spot is generally .7-1.0. This allows for maximum flash and vibration in the water and targets fish from far away, especially in clear water.
Understanding Fish Moods
The ability to read the fish is also critical. When the fish are active they are more willing to chase, but when they are not you need to really slow it down and pick them apart. Generally the weather, time of year and fishing pressure are all going to be good dictators as to how the fish will be reacting.
Active Fish
The great thing about active fish is they usually reveal themselves. When you first pull up on an area and the rods start going off as soon as you put down that is generally the most active fish in the pod. This is a good indicator, but when the fish have not been contacted yet there are other factors that can be looked at.
The first factor is going to be weather. Generally the time before an incoming front can offer some spectacular fishing and the fish are going to be quite active. A cloudy day with a strong wind also creates light situations favorable for walleye feeding and that will often result in active fish as well.
The next factor of whether fish will be active is the time of year. In the spring, say April or early May, the water temperatures are favorable for walleye and there also is not a large supply of forage in the system. This generally results in more active fish looking for food. In July, the water temperatures are warmer and there is an abundant supply of bait. This means that the fish are going to be less active as this is not the ideal water temperatures and the abundant forage makes their need for hunting greatly diminished.
Fishing pressure also has an effect on the fish’s mood. When there is a fleet of boats on a certain area they often are going to be pulling out the most active, aggressive fish first. This means that areas that are receiving heavy pressure are often going to have more neutral fish as the active fish are being pulled out before them. Areas that do not have high amounts of pressure generally are going to have more active fish as they are still present and they are not being drove over with sonars, lines and motors.
When fortunate enough to be fishing on mostly active fish this is a prime situation to pick up the pace. The fish are active so they are more willing to chase down a bait. This has many benefits. The first is that you will be able to cover more area faster. The more area fished the more fish contacted. The faster speed also seems to generally target larger fish as they will out compete the smaller fish for that meal.
Neutral/Passive Fish
The great thing about bottom bouncing is that it will still be an effective presentation when the fish are not actively chasing. When the weather is less favorable, such as a cold front, high sun and no wind or inconsistent patterns the fish can be put more in a funk. Heavy fishing pressure on an area also can have an adverse effect on the fish’s overall mood. Luckily, bottom bouncing is still a terrific option to put some fish in the boat.
When faced with this situation I like to go the slowest possible speed to make my bait still present effectively. The fish are less likely to chase so I like to “force feed” them. By going slower the meal looks more worthwhile for the calories expended to obtain it. The fish are less likely to be chasing baits, but a slow moving meal right in-front of their face can be a trigger. Going slower also allows you to thoroughly pick areas apart and make sure that every fish on that location gets a good look at your offering.
Maintain Control
Boat control is absolutely essential to be able to present bottom bouncers properly. If the boat is not under control the lines are going to get tangled, fish will be missed and the blades will not be presenting as they should. There are a few options for controlling the boat that we will discuss below.
Back Trolling
The first option is to back troll with a tiller. This could be the big engine backed down to low RPMS or it could be a kicker motor mounted next to the big engine. In this situation the boat will be going backwards and this will keep the lines from getting tangled with themselves or the prop.
One of the positives to back trolling is the ability to speed up and slow down with ease. An 80-90 horsepower 4 stroke motor is perfect for when back trolling. You can speed up when you want to troll faster, but also can slow down and result in a slower presentation. When the wind is strong trolling with the big motors also allow for much more control and stability.
The biggest benefit I feel to back trolling is the ability to deploy a drift sock. A drift sock is a large, parachute looking bag that will catch water and help give better control to speed and also bow stability. I like to tie my drift sock right off the bow so it deploys directly in front of the boat and helps keep the bow from kicking back and forth as I am fishing.
Bow Mount
Another tactic is trolling forward with the bow mount electric motor. This has its benefits as well. The first is that it will save gas. All this is using is the battery and if you keep your batteries charged up it should last a full day of fishing unless it is pushed extremely hard due to heavy current or wind.
The second benefit is that it is a quieter approach. Some anglers believe that the big engine creates too much noise and can scare fish. This belief often applies to anglers fishing extremely shallow water, clear water or areas that receive heavy fishing pressure and are known for spooky fish.
The third benefit is the ability to go slower. Mason Propst often uses his bow mount as it allows him to go slower speeds that he prefers to present. Another tactic that Mason likes to use is to the bow mount to control a drift. He especially likes to do this on Glacial Lakes such as Bitter Lake or Waubay Lake by Webster, SD.
In a drifting situation the wind often is doing the majority of the work. Turn the boat sideways to the wind as this will result in a slower speed than if the bow or stern was into the wind. The bow mount helps keep the boat at the correct angle and also acts as a steering method to maintain contact with a certain structure feature. This situation is particularly effective when presenting slowly on shallow areas.
Whether you are drifting the Glacial Lakes region of South Dakota, power bottom bouncing in heavy current on the Missouri River or fishing a large natural lake of Minnesota or Iowa, bottom bouncing is always a top presentation for walleye. The simplicity makes it an extremely versatile, fishing catching set up. One of, if not the most, important factor to bottom bouncing is proper speeds. Today we discussed how we like to approach speeds and boat control. Hopefully it helps you put more fish in the boat the next time you go bottom bouncing! Good fishing!
More Information
Mason Propst talks about the type of system he likes to run. Mason favors a tiller with a drift sock out the bow, especially in windy conditions.
Nick Harrington discusses fishing the spot within the spot. In certain locations, the best fishing can occur within a very specific area of an overall spot. He discusses how he runs his trolling patterns and utilizes his graph and waypoints to find the spots within the spot.
Mason discusses the importance of small adjustments. When fishing big bodies of water such as Lake Oahe, running up and down the lake looking for fish is a waste of time. Identify several possible locations and bounce around these localized areas until you find fish.
Related Readings
Miss our first installment of our conversation on bottom bouncing? No problem! Check out the first article, Bottom Bouncing Basics!
Now that we’ve discussed the basics to bottom bouncing and the importance of boat control, it is time to discuss what happens when bottom bouncing can get tough and it becomes important to be attractive and stand out among the rest of the bait. Find out how to do this in the third and final installment, Bottom Bouncing III: Being Attractive.
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