Bottom bouncing is one of the most effective ways to target fall walleye on the Missouri River reservoirs in South Dakota. Walleyes are often scattered out across the expansive flats on Lake Sharpe and Lake Francis Case, and the most effective anglers are going to pay attention to the fine details of their presentation to maximize their bites. An overlooked aspect of this is boat control.
“The common denominator of the best anglers is always efficiency,” says Nick Harrington, Owner of Lip Ripper Fishing. “Too many anglers get lost in the top spots, secret baits, hottest bites whatever you want to say but at the end of the day the top anglers are efficient at everything they do.”
A key element of this efficiency is boat control. The best anglers are able to maximize their time in the strike zone and use the boat itself to trigger additional bites throughout the course of a day.
“This sounds cliche, but the most important element of success in the fall is staying on active fish,” continues Harrington. “Warmer weather can scatter fish, but particularly later in the fall, cool weather and dropping water temperatures can really concentrate fish. Once you find them, you need to stay on top of them.”
The shorter, faster passes are most effective when pods of active fish are located.
“I think a lot of times people catch fish, and that makes them keep their lines in the water longer than they should,” elaborates Harrington. “It seems counterproductive to reel up and spend the time running back up to where you caught them, but you know they’re there and you know they’re biting so you need to get back on them as quickly as possible.”
The second element to consider in how boat control plays into your presentation is triggering bites based on speed and turns. Specifically, determining speed based on whether marking fish on the graph or not.
“If I’m not seeing fish on the graph, I pick the pace up,” details Harrington. “This gets me through unproductive water faster, and any fish I encounter are likely to be actively roaming and/or feeding anyway.”
The faster speeds allows anglers to cover more water, and contact as many possible fish throughout the day. Conversely, when fish are marked, this is when you can get more precise with your presentation.
“When I do mark a pod of fish, I really slow down and maximize my time in their nose,” explains Harrington. “This speed change can also trigger bites of fish that may have been following my baits that I wasn’t aware of, I think people would be surprised how many fish follow their presentations and never ultimately bite.”
The third key aspect Harrington considers when bottom bouncing the fall is current.
“I think too many anglers get hung up on what their graph is saying for their speed and don’t consider how their bait is actually presenting,” says Harrington. “The current here on the Missouri River, particularly the upper end of reservoirs we’re fishing in the fall, is a tremendous variable in your ultimate boat speed.”
When bottom bouncing, it is common practice for anglers to move with the current. This means that while the boat may be moving the speed you are looking for, baits may not be presenting effectively.
“If you’re using a plain hook or like a Mack’s Lure Smile Blade you’ll generally be presenting effectively just drifting with the current,” explains Harrington. “When you’re trying to quickly pull a larger Colorado blade though, you need to make sure you’re putting enough power down that the blade is effectively turning down in that current too.”
The need to create this rotation results in speeds that seem more common for anglers pulling crankbaits.
“If we’re ripping current, I might end up going 2.0-2.4 mph,” details Harrington. “It seems like a cranking speed, but that’s how fast I have to go to get that blade turning effectively in the current.”
While many anglers may be hung up on blade size, color, or the top spots the most effective anglers are those that can understand the fine details of their presentation and how that can get them more bites throughout the course of the day.
“Anglers that spend time focusing on maximizing their time in the strike zone, and triggering bites when they’re in it, are going to be the most successful of the course of the season,” concludes Harrington. “Pay attention to whether the fish are scattered or concentrated, trust your electronics, and use your speed to produce extra bites.”
