I mostly use mono or copolymer mainline lines but any type of mainline would work, even braid. In case you are not sure what the mainline is, the mainline is the line that is on your reel. For steelhead, I will use 8 to 12 pound mainline, and for salmon, I will use a 12 to 14 pound mainline. Best Line For Bottom Bouncingįor trout fishing, I will use a 6 to 8 pound mainline. If you are going to use a spinning reel for steelhead or salmon I strongly suggest getting a good reel with a great drag system like the ones that I recommend on my Best Spinning Reels For Steelhead page.
On smaller rivers of 10 to 20 feet wide that don’t have a lot of deep pools over 6 feet, a rod in the 8 to 11-foot length is probably best. If you are fishing bigger rivers a longer rod up to 13 feet will help you cast farther as well as keep your line under control throughout the drift. Best Rod For Bottom BouncingĪlthough most anglers’ bottom bounce with a spinning rod and reel, you can also bottom bounce with a Centerpin rod and reel, or with a baitcasting reel. I also use Jigs with very good success when bottom bouncing and I list my most effective jigs for steelhead on my page Jig Fishing For Steelhead.Soft Plastic Baits – This includes fake eggs, grubs, plastic nymphs, plastic leeches, and plastic minnows.
Check out my page on how to rig them and how to Fish With Beads
Plastic Steelhead Worms – 2″ to 4″ – Best colors are pink, red, brown, and purple.My Favorite baits for bottom bouncing are: I do have a page on The Best Baits For Steelhead which should check out but I will list a bunch of baits that I use when bottom bouncing. The ideal depth for bottom bouncing is 2 to 6 feet on small to medium-sized rivers, but with some adjustments to your setup and your drifts you can fish large deeper rivers like the Niagara River.īottom bouncing works great in fast, shallow, and small pockets where float fishing isn’t so good but it also works in larger pools too meaning that it is a very versatile method for fishing rivers. This way of doing it is what is known as traditional bottom bouncing and it works well in medium to fast currents from 1 foot to 20 feet deep. This is the hardest part for most anglers to get good at but there are some bottom bouncing methods that are easier to detect strikes with. With light tension on the mainline, if a fish grabs the bait the line will stop or tighten signaling a biting fish. The angler will maintain just enough tension on the line that they are not pulling the bait or the weights towards them. The weight and the bait will bounce their way down the river, hence the term bottom bouncing.Īs the weight and the bait bounce along the bottom, the angler should keep the mainline line between the weight and the rod tip fairly tight which will allow them to feel the weight ticking along the bottom. Bottom bouncing is simply casting your line out a short distance up the river at about a 45-degree angle out, and then allowing the weight and the bait to sink down to the bottom and drift freely down the river along the bottom.