Bottom Bouncing Walleye Using Spinner Rigs
A hungry summertime walleye that couldn’t resist a simple worm harness spinner-rig.
Bottom Bouncing for Niagara River Walleye
If I could pick one technique to use all year with my clients, regardless of the target species on the Niagara River, it would be bottom bouncing.
Using 3-way rigs while bottom bouncing on the Niagara River is arguably the most productive way to catch fish of any kind, at any time of year. The rig and technique are no secret on the Niagara, or elsewhere.
Fishing for trout in the fall or winter? You’re going to want a bottom-bounce setup with beads or roe. Bass fishing in the summer? Bottom bouncing worms or leeches will get you tight in most drifts.
Using a spinner rig behind a bottom-bouncer setup has been popular for ages in the mid-west, north, and anywhere walleye can be found roaming around rock or mud bottom for crawfish, minnows or in the great-lakes, gobies.
What makes this technique so deadly is its versatility, and simplicity. It fishes very easily with minor adjustments in depths from 10 to 60 feet of water, and keeps your bait in the strike zone at all times.
As a general rule on the river, using 0.5 ounces to .75 ounces per 10 feet of depth you are fishing will get you into the strike zone. For example, if you are fishing a drift in 20 feet of water, you will want between 1 and 1.5 ounce of weight.
Finding the “sweet spot” with your presentation is where the magic happens, and is what takes the trial and error. When drifting, it is important to minimize the angle created on your line, while still feeling the gentle “rumble” or “tick” of the bottom.
Of course, there are also factors like wind and drift speed that change daily and require further adjustment.
Attraction Factor
Spinner rigs work great for walleye for a few reasons:
They create vibration that attract walleye to come and inspect/eat from a distance, even when the water is muddy, or fast.
They present live-bait and consequently, scent to fish where they are swimming.
Whether it is triggering a reaction bite when water temps soar into the mid-seventies, or slowly covering a shoreline in the cold, a spinner blade seems to have great walleye attracting abilities.
Blade size and shape are both options that anglers have when assembling their spinner rig setups for targeting walleye. Generally, smaller blades work best when trolling slowly, or drifting on rivers, like the Niagara.
Small blades require less speed to kick them into rotation.
These can range from size 0 to 3.5 in “slow” speed applications, and get larger when being trolled exclusively.
The Right Rod and Reel
The Hooked on Niagara “Perfect Bounce” baitcast rod in action.
Like any technique, having the right rod, reel, and line can improve your success rate drastically.
For bottom bouncing, I use a lot of the same setups that I do when winter trout fishing.
I opt for spinning or baitcasting rods in 8 to 9’6 in length, preferring baitcasting gear because of the ability to easily control the amount of line out.
My ultimate bottom-bounce setup has become the Hooked on Niagara ‘Perfect Bounce’ series 9’ Medium custom rod. This rod has the perfect tip and backbone to feel changes in the bottom, maintain the right amount of line out, and fight fish that like to shake their heads.
For reels and line, I like Shimano Curado 201 HG, or SLX 150 series, with 10lb powerpro braid.
Baitcasters add an extra level of control to your presentation.
Fishing Responsibly
Obviously, walleye are sought after for their delicious meat in addition to their potentially massive size.
Here in Niagara we are fortunate to have access to some world-class fishing opportunities that I am always excited to showcase to my clients.
With great opportunities, comes great responsibility.
Generally, I don’t recommend keeping any “trophy” or “Near Trophy” sized walleye in order to protect the breeding population, ensuring good fishing for myself and my guests for years to come.
That being said, I always enjoy and encourage the selective harvest of fish for a few seasonal fish meals. Walleye in the 18 to 21inch range are preferrable for such an occasion.
Barotrauma
Barotrauma is a factor when catching fish in deeper water at rates where they are unable to adjust their swim bladder and undergo rapid changes in depth (i.e. being reeled into the boat).
This usually takes place in depths deeper than 30 feet, but I have seen it as shallow as 20 feet on the river.
If you are targeting fish in deeper water and notice the protrusion of organs (eyes, throat, midsection), your fish has experienced barotrauma.
Keep this in mind when planning your limit of fish, and if needed, stop targeting fish that you are not able to release safely.
A pair of Lake Erie walleye that fell victim to slow-trolled worm harnesses.
Time to go fishing!
Every year some of my favourite trips to guide are combo bass and walleye trips on the Niagara River and Lake Erie.
Walleye can be a blast when caught bottom bouncing and our region has some monsters.
If you’d like to experience this fishing technique first hand, I highly suggest we make plans.
Lyle Gayder - Hooked on Niagara Fishing Guide Service
Get outside and go fishing!