bottom bouncing rod?

[jet man]

looking foe some feedback on what is ones prefernce for type of rod (not brand) for bottom bouncing.
length
power
tip action
bait caster or spinning

[Brian_MN]

Bill,

I do a heck of a lot of bouncing, and have found myself preferring a 7' medium to medium heavy rod with a fast action. You want the tip stiff enough so that there's not much flex when lifting and dropping the bouncers you're going to be using. I use mostly 2 ounce bouncers, and find that a "heavy" medium or a "light" medium-heavy rod is perfect. Every manufacturers medium and medium-heavy rods are different, so I'd recommend bringing a bouncer of your preferred size with you when you go to check out rods. Tie it on with 3 feet of line and make sure the tip is heavy enough to support the weight developing too much of a bow. Definitely a baitcaster, a baitcaster reel with a flippin' switch is great for letting out a little more line, and a baitcaster lets you thumb the rig slowly to the bottom so it doesn't get tangled up.

You didn't ask for brand info, but if you get a chance, put a Quantum AC500 PT baitcaster on a St. Croix Avid 7' medium baitcaster (AC70MF). I think you'll find it to be a great balanced combo that's really versatile too. Spool it with 10 lb Fireline and you'll have a combo that can do about anything.

[Johnnie Candle]

I agree with Brian on just about everything he said. Bait Casting, yes. Flippin Switch, yes. 7 foot rod, yes. Medium power, yes. Fast action, NO.

This is personal preference, but in my mind a BB rod is closer to a live bait fishing rod than anything else. Also, my BB rods spend a lot of time in the rod holder.

This being said, I prefer a rod with a more moderate action. This will allow me to see or feel the bite before the fish feels me or the rod.

What this translates to when shopping for a rod is a less expensive caliber of graphite. IM6 or IM7 at the most. This level of graphite seems to have a slower action.

Again, just personal preference. Brian knows his stuff and I am not trying to say otherwise. Just my two cents.

[jet man]

I enjoy the diverse responses because it helps me to compare my own tendencys to other opinions. I am glad to see the 7 foot reponses as I have always used 6'6" and was contemplating the switch. Why fireline versus straight mono?
The reason I discounted the rod types was because I sell Setyr rods and will be using them exclusively. One thing the rod brand does is give me a good reference as I am vary familiar with Loomis and St Croix as an example.

[Gale Johnson]

I have 2 7'6" St Croix light moderate, they spend a lot of time in the holders, they are rigged with fireline, they catch a lot of fish and are definately not stiff enough to hold a 2 ounce bouncer, mostly fish a 1 ounce or less on these rods, very floppy action,
I bought 2 7 foot st Croix rigged just like the previous post with Quantum accurist 500 pt, one right one left, going to try them in short order for deeper bouncing, mainly 1 ounce and up.

[jet man]

Gale, why do you use fire line and not mono?
Any opinioms on power pro versus fire line for this application?
I have always used mono but am curious about why from your perspective.

[manitobawalleye]

have 3 setups for bouncers
all 7'0
1 heavy = 4 oz bouncers (fast)
1 med heavy - 2-3oz bouncers (fast)
1 med 1-1 1/2 bouncers (mod/fast)
there is a big difference in the feel you get back from
using braids from occasionaly ticking bottom to the fish biting
also the feel of pesky perch
use braid especially if you want to bounce/live bait rig
compare for yourself and run 2 setups 1 day
i tried going back and trying mono for a day and lasted a few hours
this was in a handheld application
in a rod holder with a more moderate rod mono would suffice
but if you looking for a deadstick use a longer rod with braid
have gone from 6-0 to 6-6 to 7-0 in the last 5 years
a longer rod is also more comfortable and easier on your
arm for long days of bouncing with 3oz and up bouncers
ps.... all have accurists with flipping switches

[Brian_MN]

Bill,

I prefer Fireline over mono because I do most of my bouncing over rocks. The no stretch allows my to pop the bouncer out of the rocks easier. It also cuts the water better so my bouncer is more under the boat, which again helps keep out of the rocks. Mono works fine too, It's kind of a personal preference thing.

[Brian_MN]

Johnnie,

You're more right on than I am about the action, for most lakes. The rods I use would definitely be less than ideal for more finicky fish. I do most of my bouncing on LOTW where the fish are hungry and not as well educated! When I'm taking kids out fishing I just tell them to hang on until the rod starts bucking, then start reelin'! They usually catch just as many fish as I do.

[doubleheader]

I've done a lot of bottom bouncing and experimented with a variety of lines, reels, and rods. As far a rods are concerned, I believe that a soft tip, and in some cases, even a very limber rod like a noodle rod, will land more fish in certain soft bite situations. I have witnessed this over and over. So, I have no single favorite rod, but, if I had to pick just one rod, it would be a 7' medium lite Shakespere Lite Ugly stick. Generally speaking, in 20-30' water, that is my rod of choice. A $100.00 rod is definitely not needed, save your money. I also believe that a soft rod is especially important when using low stretch line. That is why in short water I often go to a noodle rod and mono. Otherwise that fish will often drop the bait before he is hooked.

[bigfish1965]

See now I do it different. Because I use Power Pro I went to a 9 foot rod and found it to be a big, big help. Because of the length, a simple upsweep sets the hook perfectly. It is especially helpful when the big girls just stop the bait dead.