Bouncing bottom with downrigger?

[shep546]

How many of you guys practice this?

I have been reading about how this is great for targeting large lake trout on the bottom I am just a bit hesitant to do this as I don't wanna lose a downrigger ball (they ain't cheap).

I already have a rubber snubber and 10lb ball with fin.


What sort of lures do you use when bouncing bottom?

What kind of depths? How am I supposed to know what the bottom is like in 50+ feet of water?

Thanks

[fishn_palmer]

Very effective technique, also very dangerous depending on the size of your boat. I would recommend keeping wire cutters attached to gunnel for quick access. You often dont have much time to react if you snag a ball, can sink a boat very quickly. Seen it happen!

I usually just bounce the balls off bottom once in awhile, to help stir up the bottom, lakers seem to like it. I run all kinds of spoons using this method but often try to keep them a couple feet off bottom.

Good electronics is a must, usually can tell the bottom type by the density (color) on your screen. Keep in mind when trolling 10lb weights you will have the balls running on an angle and it will take extra cable to touch bottom.

Hope this helps!

[MooseRiverTrapper]

Originally Posted by fishn_palmer

Very effective technique, also very dangerous depending on the size of your boat. I would recommend keeping wire cutters attached to gunnel for quick access. You often dont have much time to react if you snag a ball, can sink a boat very quickly. Seen it happen!

I usually just bounce the balls off bottom once in awhile, to help stir up the bottom, lakers seem to like it. I run all kinds of spoons using this method but often try to keep them a couple feet off bottom.

Good electronics is a must, usually can tell the bottom type by the density (color) on your screen. Keep in mind when trolling 10lb weights you will have the balls running on an angle and it will take extra cable to touch bottom.

Hope this helps!

You’ve seen 150lb test cable sink a boat?

[ghostguy6]

Ive seen boats come back with the downrigger ripped right off the boat and the resulting fiberglass damage to the area where the downrigger was mounted. My uncle's boat cracked from the mount all the way to below the water line with a small leak. It certainly is possible to sink a boat like that if your going fast enough.

I don't own a downrigger but if I had to I would probably run the ball close to the bottom. attach your line to the clip with enough line to get a heavy bottom bouncing rig to touch the bottom. Attach what ever baited lure you want to the rig.

[fishn_palmer]

Watched a 16 ft tiller on Lake Superior go under quick. Once water comes over the transom, you dont have much time to react. Also seen the gunnel of 21ft Striper get destroyed as well. Just be cautious and you will be fine. SHARP cutters are key. New cable and a new ball are cheap compared to repairing or replacing a boat. Good Luck and tight lines!

[TROLLER]

Why not just save the risk and run with a 3 way.Worst thing you will lose is most likely a 3 oz. sinker. jI have been fishing lakers with the 3 way for years and it is an effective way to get down to them without risking any damage to your down rigger or a lost ball when fishing on the bottom.

[MooseRiverTrapper]

Originally Posted by fishn_palmer

Watched a 16 ft tiller on Lake Superior go under quick. Once water comes over the transom, you dont have much time to react. Also seen the gunnel of 21ft Striper get destroyed as well. Just be cautious and you will be fine. SHARP cutters are key. New cable and a new ball are cheap compared to repairing or replacing a boat. Good Luck and tight lines!

I’ve lost multiple balls on the coast. I call BS that 150lb cable is pulling the stern under on 16’ tillers.

[ROA]

Down riggers have drag. I’ve had mine spool out before when a ball hangs up.
Reminds me I should double check how to adjust it.

[shep546]

I'm not really worried about losing my boat... if I snag up on something I'm only going 1.5-2.0 mph ... I can just disengage the brake and it will free spool.


I'm more worried about losing the ball or damage to the cable

[58thecat]

Why not just attach a weight to the ball by say 20lbs mono, if that weight gets snagged then the mono breaks. The weight attached will bounce off the bottom stirring the pot and if an issue happens then at least your not scrambling for side cutters etc.

[Okotok]

As long s this doesn't happen, all is good!
https://youtu.be/mhnU5uKHGCI

[pikeman06]

That's nuts...I never heard of that. Just pound your anchor on the bottom and rip jig for them. That's crazy dragging anything on the bottom from any boat is just wrong.

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by pikeman06

That's nuts...I never heard of that. Just pound your anchor on the bottom and rip jig for them. That's crazy dragging anything on the bottom from any boat is just wrong.

That's a lot of rope to get to 150' just to bang the bottom.

[RavYak]

I have seen a couple balls get stuck within the time of accidentally bouncing a ball on bottom let alone what would happen dragging one around on purpose.

To me it just seems like a bad idea and I don't see the point in doing it since I can catch enough fish without bouncing on bottom.

I can also think of a number of other ways a guy could rig something up to stir up the bottom without risking losing a $50 ball or wrecking cable/downrigger/boat etc. For example you could use a small ball like 1 or 2 lbs attached to your main downrigger ball by say 5 feet of sacrificial line(20-40 lb mono probably). Attach lure to the bottom ball and your line would still hang fairly vertical but if you get snagged all you would lose is the small ball at the bottom and downrigger clip.

[Positrac]

I’ve spent hundreds of hours dragging bottom with my downriggers trolling off the coast for Halibut... Yes, I’ve lost a few cannon balls over the years when I get hung up but overall very few for the amount of hours that I’ve fished that way. It can be a very productive way to fish for Halibut.

As for pulling the arse end of a boat under, it could happen if you are a complete Imbecile and have no idea on the importance of setting the downriggers brake properly. Set to let line out if it gets hung up and you won’t ever have a problem. The green bungies they sell that go between your cannon ball and cable also help prevent your cable from fraying because of shock loads if you still run wire. They are almost a must if you are going to bottom bounce.

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by RavYak

I have seen a couple balls get stuck within the time of accidentally bouncing a ball on bottom let alone what would happen dragging one around on purpose.

To me it just seems like a bad idea and I don't see the point in doing it since I can catch enough fish without bouncing on bottom.

I can also think of a number of other ways a guy could rig something up to stir up the bottom without risking losing a $50 ball or wrecking cable/downrigger/boat etc. For example you could use a small ball like 1 or 2 lbs attached to your main downrigger ball by say 5 feet of sacrificial line(20-40 lb mono probably). Attach lure to the bottom ball and your line would still hang fairly vertical but if you get snagged all you would lose is the small ball at the bottom and downrigger clip.

Yup that's what I suggested too!

I will throw and drag my anchor to stir up the bottom to get the perch to lite up...it works...found out accidentally with a buddy who forgot to pull the anchor up in about 8' of clear water...when I looked down to retrieve the anchor the disturbed bottom had brought in the perch and in no time we where catching

[ROA]

Originally Posted by Positrac

I’ve spent hundreds of hours dragging bottom with my downriggers trolling off the coast for Halibut... Yes, I’ve lost a few cannon balls over the years when I get hung up but overall very few for the amount of hours that I’ve fished that way. It can be a very productive way to fish for Halibut.

As for pulling the arse end of a boat under, it could happen if you are a complete Imbecile and have no idea on the importance of setting the downriggers brake properly. Set to let line out if it gets hung up and you won’t ever have a problem. The green bungies they sell that go between your cannon ball and cable also help prevent your cable from fraying because of shock loads if you still run wire. They are almost a must if you are going to bottom bounce.

One trick on this is to drill a hole in the bottom of the ball and insert a foot or two long chunk of heavy gauge wire and secure with molton lead or hammer nails in around the wire. Acts like a huge bottom bouncer for the halibut with fewer hang ups of the ball. Never done it myself though.

[cube]

Originally Posted by shep546

How many of you guys practice this?

I have been reading about how this is great for targeting large lake trout on the bottom I am just a bit hesitant to do this as I don't wanna lose a downrigger ball (they ain't cheap).

I already have a rubber snubber and 10lb ball with fin.


What sort of lures do you use when bouncing bottom?

What kind of depths? How am I supposed to know what the bottom is like in 50+ feet of water?

Thanks

I have done this and not lost a down rigger weight yet. I use the fish shape and not sure if this makes a difference.

I now use this technique to do the same thing with lower risk.

http://www.fishfulthinking.ca/tips_snaggy_bottoms.htm

If you can find the tv episode he shows how he sets it up.

[pikeman06]

Kinda like the tide pod challenge. Me and my father and grandfather and his grandfather never even considered touching the bottom with a ball and we always got our fish. What's the advantage I wonder. We used to pound the bottom with our anchor and jig in the silt cloud when it was dead calm. Still the trout were 15 ft off the bottom usually more. Keep that ball about a third of the way down your water column and adjust leader length to fine tune. I just don't see why anyone in their right mind would drag a ball and chance the potential loss of gear... Does the owners manual for the downrigger say that's how the product is meant to be used? Some dude with a kiijiji 14 ft with a rotten transom gonna rip the back end off his boat reading this nonsense.

[Ken07AOVette]

Originally Posted by Positrac

I’ve spent hundreds of hours dragging bottom with my downriggers trolling off the coast for Halibut... Yes, I’ve lost a few cannon balls over the years when I get hung up but overall very few for the amount of hours that I’ve fished that way. It can be a very productive way to fish for Halibut.

As for pulling the arse end of a boat under, it could happen if you are a complete Imbecile and have no idea on the importance of setting the downriggers brake properly. Set to let line out if it gets hung up and you won’t ever have a problem. The green bungies they sell that go between your cannon ball and cable also help prevent your cable from fraying because of shock loads if you still run wire. They are almost a must if you are going to bottom bounce.

Trolling for halibut? I have never seen done or heard of that. We always anchor on the known pinnacles close to slack and drop with salmon bellies. Sounds interesting.

[Positrac]

My favourite is to use a Pal dodger with about 8 feet of 60 pound leader and a great big hoochie skirt with a bit of rag tied inside it. Put a bit of Berkeley butt juice on the rag and do a slow troll dragging bottom. I usually put the dodger 10 feet or so behind the ball. It catches everything from Snapper, Lings, Halibut...and everything in between.

Really works good for covering a large area of flat bottom with the odd rock pile. Pretty much any area off the west coast once you get out of the inlets. Hook your salmon rods up and have some fun instead of using the pool que’s..

[Sled Dog]

Sounds like the idea of hanging a sacrificial 2or3 pound weight a few feet under your 10 pound main ball would be most practical and economic in case of a snag. I’ve accidentally touched bottom while salmon fishing but never imagined intentionally stirring up the bottom. Always hand jigged banana jigs for halibut and had my share of success

[RavYak]

Originally Posted by Ken07AOVette

Trolling for halibut? I have never seen done or heard of that. We always anchor on the known pinnacles close to slack and drop with salmon bellies. Sounds interesting.

I haven't fished for them but have done my fair share of research and saw that lots of guys troll for Halibut in sandy bottom areas. Bottom bouncing in those areas would be fine, anywhere near pinnacles would be a poor idea.

[fish99]

I use 10 lb fish weights and hook them by the tail end on the down rigger cable , u can drag them like a bottom bouncer all day . and have not snagged up .