Use BBs on Your Summer Quarry

   Did the laws change to allow hunting in July? BBs for squirrels or bb shot for geese? No, it’s just a great technique to use for the favorite quarry on the river or western Lake Erie, bottom bouncing. Bottom Bouncers are an easier to use version of the 3way swivels. 3 ways are attached to the main line with a lead to a weight and a lead to your lure. Cumbersome to use, but more versatile in that you can change the length of the lead, to the weight, to change the depth of the lure. However, with the favorite quarry in the area being walleye, the bottom in bottom bouncing is more important. This keeps your lure in the strike zone where the walleyes are, unless you’re Redcan.


   The bottom bouncers are very handy when it comes to trolling for walleye this time of year. The gorge on the mayfly hatch is still fresh in their minds and they can’t resist an imitation spinner blade presented in the strike zone. At least that’s a theory and not only are spinners used but also spoons and lipped lures. It’s an imitation of handlining or maybe a precursor (which came first the chicken or the egg?). Both techniques have been around so long no one really knows. The big difference between the 2 is weight. Handliners you 1 -2 lb weights to keep the line at 45 degrees in the water column heading upriver. Bottom bouncers are much lighter and so are more conducive for use in the lake or in the river heading downstream. Many reports are being posted about nice catches of walleye all along the river using bbs and spinners.

   In the lake a standard set up for trolling consists of lighter bbs(2oz) on the outside with in-line planer boards, medium weight bbs(3oz) on a rod perpendicular to the boat and heavy bbs(4oz) strait out the back. This will help keep the lines from tangling up unless the old curse of a sheephead decides to take your rig from here to Niagara. For spinners boat speed is 1.5 to 1.8 mph, for spoons 2.5 to 3.5 mph depending on the whims of the fish. On the river heavy weights are needed to keep the spinners in the depths being reported of 25 to 40 feet. Added note from G. Warsaw from the 7/19 DWF meeting, after hooking a fish on an outside rod ecspecially, give the fish some line until it swings directly behind the boat then reel it in thru the chute between all the rods.

   Speed on the river is very tricky so a gps is a basic piece of equipment. You can get a floating speed of your boat and try to go the speeds for your lures above the floating speed. You can also troll downriver increasing speed until the blades are spinning or the spoons and crankbaits start wobbling and take note of that speed and maintain it. As in any type of trolling speeding up or slowing down can make a difference until the fish tell you what they want. Or you can just look for Cliff in the Lindberg Crest.

Good Luck and Get Outdoors Downriver.