Bottom Bouncer Combos

Looking at buying 4 rods and baitcaster reels. I have 2 Black Max reels and Limit Creek Rods that are 6’9″ MHF and use them for rigging and like them for that purpose. We have looked at Scheels rods with Quantum reels and Lew’s combos and just not sure what to purchase. Since we will be spending at least $600, we don’t want to buy something that we are not happy with. Any suggestions from experience would be great. Probably use 1 to 2 oz. bottom bouncers to fit most of our fishing needs.

Thanks
Todd Geerdes

My wife and I got a couple of these and like them alot.
love the reel seats on them over the scheels ones we had.

Fenwick® Elite Tech™

Fenwick Warranty

I use bottom bouncers quite a bit on Sakakawea and here on the Mississippi.

My current favorite rod for bottom bouncing is the Fenwick Elite Tech bottom bouncing rod. I have a Quantum reel on it (similar to black max style). Works well. For many years I used Abu Garcia round reels. Those still work great, but I sort of prefer the bait cast style you can easily release the line with one button etc. (like with Black Max reels etc.).

Nice thing about Scheels rods are the great warranty on their store brand rods. But check out that Fenwick one. I got mine at Scheels.

Todd,
The Fenwick Elite Tech rods are great rods but 4 of them alone will run in the $600 neighborhood and I think that’s a lot to pay for bottom bouncer rods. I have a couple of Elite Tech rods that I use for casting plastics and cranks and agree that they are great rods, but I also have quite a few Scheel’s rods too. You can’t beat Scheel’s lifetime warranty and they make some high quality rods that are usually reasonably price. I use Scheel’s rod for bottom bouncers myself. If I were buying four new bottom bouncer rods and reels, I’d go to Scheel’s, talk to a rep in the fishing department, pick his or her brain and buy 4 rods and reels based on their opinion. It’s been my experience that Scheel’s has some very knowledgeable employees.
Like someone else mentioned, just make sure that you get reels with thumb releases.
You should be able to get 4 excellent rods AND reels for pulling bottom bouncers for around $600 at Scheel’s, but if you want to spend more, it’s up to you.

St.croix triumph and Diawa accudepth 17LC are not a bad combo.

I like a LC reel sometimes for 2 reasons, when using multiple rods its easy to put 1 in a rod holder and check your depth and set the rod holder line and for communicating with newbies of kids on how much line to have out. They are bulkier to hold so if you don’t need the benefits listed maybe go non LC.

I use 10’6″ cabelas depthmaster x rods and diawa sealine lc 27 reels for bottom bouncers and most all of my trolling needs. Works good for me. I like putting my rods in the holders when running bouncers though. These rigs get heavy if you’re holding them all day. You may want something lighter if you plan to hold your rod all the time.

I suggest that you get a couple of higher quality bait casting reels with a “flippin'” switch. (I favor Quantum Energy’s) The switch allows you to either operate it as a normal casting reel or in the flippin’ mode the spool only lets line out when the thumb bar is depressed – allowing you to adjust for depth changes (down) with only your rod hand.
I tend to favor a 7′ medium or a 7′ medium heavy rod – in my opinion it is not necessary to get a super expensive rod for BB fishing – you are going to drag or bounce a 1 – 3 oz lead weight, trailing a spinner, crank bait or worm rig…normally the fish is already hooked when you feel/see the rod bend, especially if it is in a rod holder, cuz your arm got tired.

I have 4 13 fishing 7’1″ heavy omen black for bottom bouncers. They work good. I think they are about $120 each.