This is the second part of Mark Romanack's article on the new techniques of spinner fishing. Part One ran yesterday (see Vault).
Tournament professionals deserve the credit for the migration of bottom bouncers to Minnesota, Wisconsin, Ohio, and finally Michigan. Noted walleye guide and angling educator Bob Propst showed me my first Missouri River bottom bouncer in 1987. It didn't take long for Propst to prove beyond any doubt in my mind that these unusual looking sinkers are indeed the ideal bottom weight for spinner fishing.
Propst invited me to fish with him while he practiced for a major tournament on Saginaw Bay. Propst's first order of business was to rig up a couple bottom bouncers. On one rig he attached a 48-inch long two-hook chartreuse spinner baited with a nightcrawler and on the other a plain leader and hook baited with a lively minnow.
Propst dug out two very long baitcasting rods from his boat's rod locker. Scratched up and obviously well used, I could hardly make out the make and length printed on the rods. "They're eight-foot, six-inch graphite steelhead rods," explained Propst when he noticed my obvious curiosity with these longer than normal rods. "I like a rod that's long enough to reach out a few feet beyond the sides of the boat when trolling bottom bouncers. The extra rod length helps me cover more water and presents the bait away from boat noise."
We began trolling slowly using a small kicker motor while bottom bouncer rigs were baited and set behind the boat. Once Propst was certain the respective baits were chugging along near bottom, he placed the rods in holders positioned on opposite sides of the boat.
It didn't take long to find fish. The shallow sand and gravel reefs we began working near the mouth of the Kawkawlin River were lousy with eating-sized males that eagerly inhaled the spinner-and-crawler combination.
The rig baited with a minnow produced a few fish, but the crawler-and-spinner far out produced the minnow. Propst quickly switched the rod with a minnow over to a spinner-and-crawler.
"It didn't surprise me that the fish wanted a spinner," said Propst. "I can't explain exactly why, but as soon as the water starts to warm up into the 50s, walleyes in most bodies of water bite better on crawlers than minnows. Sure, there are times when minnows turn the trick, but usually it's a fat crawler-and-spinner combination that puts fish in the boat during the post-spawn period."
After catching several more fish, Propst began experimenting with spinner blade sizes and colors. Rather than removing his whole spinner rig and replacing it with one containing a different color and blade size, Propst introduced me to a unique spinner clevis made by Quick Change Systems. Designed to accept spinner blades by simply snapping one off and another on, it only took a few seconds to change blade sizes, styles, and colors.
The Quick Change clevis is available on pre-tied spinners or they can be purchased separately allowing anglers to tie up custom rigs as necessary. Contact Quick Change Systems, POB 422, Pierre, SD 57501 or call 605-224-5899 for more information and a list of retail outlets.
Fishing Spinners Behind In-line Planers
Bob Propst showed me that flat-line trolling bottom bouncers and spinners behind the boat is a very productive way to tempt post-spawn walleyes. Long rods helped to spread out the trolling pattern and a small gasoline kicker motor made it easy to cover large amounts of water.
Combining in-line planer boards with bottom bouncer rigs and spinners is a seldom practiced yet amazingly productive live-bait rigging option. Angling veteran, and my tournament partner, Mike Norris was one of the first anglers to marry bottom bouncer rigs and boards for bottom-hugging walleyes.
"Combining bottom bouncers, spinners, and in-line boards is a natural," says Norris. "A bottom bouncer armed with a snelled spinner and baited with a conditioned crawler is the closest thing I've seen to the perfect bait rig."
Highly snag resistant, a bottom bouncer cleanly picks its way through rocks and debris that would devour other sinkers. Add the flash and vibration of a spinner blade and the obvious attraction of a fat nightcrawler and it's easy to see why this unique system is highly prized by serious anglers.
"Marrying bottom bouncers to boards was a logical step," admits Norris. "Flat-line trolling with bottom bouncers works like a charm, but using in-line planer boards allows the angler to cover more water in less time."
Two anglers using four boards and bottom bouncer combinations can effectively cover flats, gravel shoals, submerged reefs, and islands in half the time it would take to flat-line troll or drift the same structures.
"Most in-line planers feature some type of adjustable release mechanism," says Norris. "When fishing bottom bouncers it's wise to choose the setting that offers the most tension. Maintaining a tight grip on the monofilament allows the board to provide two vital functions."
First, although bottom bouncers are very snag resistant, they often catch on rocks or other debris momentarily before pulling free. Maintaining a firm release tension prevents the boards from popping free of the line if the rig runs into a temporary snag. Second, a tight release guarantees that when a fish is hooked the board will help telegraph the strike.
"When a fish is hooked, the weight of the fish drags the board backwards in the water," explains Norris. "The fish pulling against the board transforms the side-planer into a strike indicator. It's not hard to tell the difference between a snag and a hooked fish. A snag pulls the board back abruptly because there's no give at the hook end. In comparison, a hooked walleye allows itself to be pulled along and the board responds by slowly and smoothly sliding backwards in the water."
Not all in-line boards are capable of handling the chore of trolling bottom bouncer sinkers. Many brands and models are too small to effectively handle the weight.
Norris prefers the new Side-Planer produced by Off Shore Tackle. "Side-planing with bottom bouncers requires a board that can easily handle bouncers ranging in size from 1/4 ounce to a full ounce," says Norris. "The overall size of the board also makes it easier to keep tabs on your trolling lines. Small boards disappear between the waves."
Norris suggests trolling just fast enough to keep the spinner blades turning. Check your speed by placing the spinner in the water and trolling for a few seconds before lowering the rig to the bottom.
The help of a small gasoline kicker motor will make trolling chores much easier. It's also possible to use an electric motor or larger outboard motor and reduce trolling speed by dragging a sea anchor or routinely shifting the main engine in and out of gear.
With Norris's method for spreading bottom rigs using in-line skis, the board must be reeled in and taken off the line before continuing to fight a fish. It only takes a couple seconds to remove the board.
"The key to this whole trolling system is to fight your fish gingerly," says Norris. "When a fish is hooked, get the rod out of the holder quickly and cut the trolling speed to near zero. Dragging the fish along at trolling speed only increases the odds of losing the fish and takes the sport out of a fine fighting fish."
The planer board and fish should be reeled in slowly until the ski is within reach of the boat. Once the board is removed from the line, the angler can continue to fight the fish normally. At this point, it pays to put the trolling motor in neutral and fight the fish until it's ready for the net.
The weight or size bottom bouncer selected for this presentation is very important. If the bottom bouncer weight is too heavy, the whole rig will snag frequently and make it very difficult to keep multiple lines in the water. "I use primarily 1/4-, 1/2-, 3/4-, or one-ounce weights," says Norris. "Discovering the lightest bottom bouncer that will keep the bait on bottom at the preferred trolling speed is the real trick to working boards and bottom bouncers successfully."
Controlled Drift Spinner Rigs
Drifting is another effective means of contacting post-spawn walleyes. The silent approach, controlling drifting speed and direction with the help of sea anchors and trolling motors, is a productive way to fish spinners.
Depending on water depth, wind speed, and bottom composition several weight systems are commonly incorporated to keep the spinners on bottom. Deep-water basins are perhaps the most overlooked haven for recuperating post-spawn females. The bottom composition of the basin areas is typically soft and not conducive to running bottom bouncers or walking-style weights.
A Wolf River rig armed with a 48- to 72-inch snelled spinner and nightcrawler can be a deadly walleye combination in deep water. Select a small three-way swivel and use a one- to three-ounce bell sinker with approximately a 12-inch dropper to keep the rig on bottom. Use enough weight to easily keep the bait on bottom. Ideally the line should angle towards bottom at approximately a 45 degree angle. If more line must be let out to feel bottom, switch to a heavier weight.
Use rod holders to spread out your lines and cover the maximum amount of water while drifting. Select soft-action rods and watch the rod tips closely. A soft-action rod will bend and telegraph a strike without alerting the fish.
Almost any type of rod can be used for drifting, but most walleye professionals prefer a triggerstick rod with baitcasting reel. Baitcasting equipment easily handles 10- to 14-pound-test line and the reel's power makes it easy to whip trophy-sized fish.
A sea anchor or boat brake is absolutely necessary to control drifting speed on windy days. The Slow Poke produced by Quick Change Systems shows up in more walleye boats than any other model. Made from lightweight ripstop nylon, the bags have floats along the top and weights on the bottom to help them open faster. The lightweight material also dries quickly for storage, and it resists mildew.
Anglers who fish from 14- to 17-foot boats will find a pair of standard 40-inch size bags ideal for drifting. In extreme conditions or when fishing from larger boats, the larger 50-inch size may be necessary.
Post-spawn walleyes feed daily and frequently. Don't give up hope for a limit of fresh walleyes just because the spring run is history and the fish are scattered.
Copyright (c) 1996 Mark Romanack. All rights reserved.
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