I just booked a walleye trip to Lac Suel and as a muskie guy I’m short on walleye gear. I’ve got what I need for jigging, but could use some suggestions on a rod/reel/line combo for trolling bottom bouncers with spinner rigs.
I’m open to anything, though here are my preferences:
– quality > price
– baitcasting reel > spinning reel
– handle 1oz – 3oz weights
And just my luck, the Madison Fishing Expo is this weekend! 
What are your suggestions?
7ft med graphite rod, fast tip. 20lb superline tied to a barrel swivel with a locking snap. Shorten the line to the spinner to maybe 24″, 60″ is way too long.
I run 2 and 3 oz bottom bouncers with spinners @ Oahe. I’m in the front of the boat and use that heavy of lead to keep my lines out of the anglers way in the rear of the boat. Stay on top of the bouncer feel as it will tick and stick in the bottom of the lake and you will be hung up quickly.
St. Croix Eyecon bounce and troll.
Quantum accurist PT with flipping switch.
Hard to beat for cost and function
I have the St. Croix Bounce and Troll. Solid rod, though a bit too “bendy” for my taste. But some may like its action etc. My current go-to is a Fenwick Elite Tech, 7 foot. Can’t recall the exact model etc., but it’s designed for bottom bouncing.
To be honest, in my opinion, you don’t need to invest a ton of money in a bottom bouncing rod. I’ve caught plenty of fish on plain old 7 foot medium heavy (or medium) Ugly Sticks. I’d invest more in the reel. Angler II’s suggestion is good on the Quantums. I use those, and they’re great.
You didn’t ask, but I generally spool the reel with 14 or 15 lb braid for main line.
Good luck. Sounds like a fun trip.
St. Croix Eyecon bounce and troll.
Quantum accurist PT with flipping switch.
Hard to beat for cost and function
A buddy of mine has this exact same setup; pretty slick rig! Lots of bang for your buck there.
All of these mentioned certainly work…. but my still favorite especially when hand holding all day long is the St croix MH tournament blue bouncer rods.
Holding 2 -3 oz all day is a bit much for me as i get older & the balance of that set up just seems far less fatiguing than others I have used.
Reels, the sub $100 models have just not held up for me for more than a season or 2…. but everyone has their own opinion on that…. that much weight is just hard on the lesser priced reels in my experience.
I also have become quite fond of 1 left hand and one right hand reel for when i fish 2 .
You are more than welcome to grab one of mine for the trip and see what feels right for you before you decide…
Gary Roach telescopic bouncer rod 8ft 6 inches, easy to transport, easy fit in the rod locker, Garcia 4600. bulletproof
Scheels 8′ 6″ telescoping casting/trolling rod, okuma coldwater low profile line counter reel. Double duty set up for crankbaits and bottom bouncers.
This is very helpful!
Sounds like a 7′ MHM rod is the go-to here.
It’s going to be in my hand a lot, so being lightweight is good.
I’m also used to no-brainer muskie strikes, so sensitivity is good too or else I might miss some bites?
What size baitcaster reel is a good match for this? 200-ish?
What size baitcaster reel is a good match for this? 200-ish?
Yeah 200 is good, just make sure it has a flipping switch!
Also, I fixed your original post 
I just booked a walleye trip to Lac Suel and as a muskie guy I’m …. I’m going to drive to the other end of the lake to fish muskies every day!
how about like so?
St Croix Eyecon 7′ Medium-Heavy/Moderate
Daiwa Lexa LC100HL linecounter
Sufix 832 40lb camo braid
seems like a decent combo, spooled up for under $250?
how about like so?
St Croix Eyecon 7′ Medium-Heavy/Moderate
Daiwa Lexa LC100HL linecounter
Sufix 832 40lb camo braidseems like a decent combo, spooled up for under $250?
I would do the 300 size reel for line capacity reasons and 20lb test is plenty but this is a winner for me otherwise, would work for any walleye trolling you’d ever want to do. Good luck with what you decide.
Why do you need a line counter with a bottom bouncer?
Scheels has nice rods. My preferred rod is the 7’ Walleye series rod.
I prefer reels with a flippin switch.
Gloomis E6X Walleye Bottom Bouncer, 7’1″ MH, Fast action
Abu Garcia Revo Winch, 5.4:1, 7.5 oz.
I just got this combo last year for my first bottom bouncer set-up. I used it a hand full of times and really enjoyed it.
Okuma deadeye telescoping rod, mines over 8′, long handle makes good leverage to hold all day and I like getting up and away from boat. I’ll argue sensitivity is needed on BB, whether it’s feeling gravel, sand, weedline, bites. Better have long soft rod with braid, and shorter stiff rods need mono to hold those small hooks in place.
I am also a big fan of the Okuma Dead Eye DE-CBR-861M-T 8’-6” rod. I have tried many different rods and this is the one I liked the best. Getting away from the boat is a big plus especially when turning and keeping lines form tangling. This rod also works great for long line trolling with smaller baits. 20 lb braid.
I have a shimano curado K on a 7′ St. Croix Triumph MH. the reel will accommodate pretty much any line you desire. Love the reel for $150. The rod is in the budget class as I’m sure you probably know. I’m not a BB pro by any means but plan on getting a longer rod.
Why do you need a line counter with a bottom bouncer?
You don’t and agree that a flipping switch is better if all you’re doing is using a BB, I just like having my tools be able to do more than one job when possible. Personal preference, really.
I thought the same thing as Denny. But fair point.
That said, most line counter reels I’ve used have been a bit heavier than the smaller flippin switch style. And to Dean’s point….it can get tiresome to hold a heavier reel/rod all day long. Just something to consider.
That said, most line counter reels I’ve used have been a bit heavier than the smaller flippin switch style. And to Dean’s point….it can get tiresome to hold a heavier reel/rod all day long. Just something to consider.
i thought the linecounter might add some flexibility for trolling cranks? i’m not going to be getting a range of technique-specific combos, so i thought something like this might serve in a pinch.
and i suppose the weight of things is relative. my go-to muskie combo weighs in at a full 29oz (9oz rod with a 20oz reel). the thought of holding a 13oz combo (4.3oz rod with an 8.5oz reel) didn’t really seem like it would be too taxing, especially when it’s just lowering the rig down and not casting some 16oz lures over my head. on the other hand, my jigging combo is very light: a KT Pro Edge rod paired with a Stradic Ci4 for less than 9oz (3.5oz rod with a 5.6oz reel).
I’d stay away from a fast tip especially if you’re using a super line. It’s nice having the rod in the holder and having a fish be able to hit that spinner and put a bit of bend in the rod before it feels any resistance. Keeps them pinned better as well. Scheels walleye series 7’ medium-moderate baitcasting setup with a reel with a flipping switch and 15-20lb fireline or braid of your choosing. Can’t go wrong. You definitely could toss a line counter on and double duty as a long-lining setup for cranks too.
And just my luck, the Madison Fishing Expo is this weekend!
What are your suggestions?
Limit yourself to one beer at the expo. 
I used to look forward to the expo every year when I lived there.
I’ll never forget the one year I went and after having a few beers, ended up buying a new boat at the show. Didn’t mention it to my wife until the next morning. 
Not the smartest thing to do.
I’ll never forget the one year I went and after having a few beers, ended up buying a new boat at the show.
well, as a matter of fact, i AM boat shopping this weekend. i figure it will keep me from spending too much on new tackle. 
I’d stay away from a fast tip especially if you’re using a super line. It’s nice having the rod in the holder and having a fish be able to hit that spinner and put a bit of bend in the rod before it feels any resistance. Keeps them pinned better as well. Scheels walleye series 7’ medium-moderate baitcasting setup with a reel with a flipping switch and 15-20lb fireline or braid of your choosing. Can’t go wrong. You definitely could toss a line counter on and double duty as a long-lining setup for cranks too.
This is exactly it!!!!
Gary Roach telescopic bouncer rod 8ft 6 inches, easy to transport, easy fit in the rod locker, Garcia 4600. bulletproof
My exact set up for the last 7 years only with a 5500! 
I went with Tony Roach’s opinion on a bottom bouncer rod. Basically, look for a rod with a strong backbone and a soft tip. You’ll need a heavier power rod especially if you’re going to be pulling 1-3 oz. That kind of weight can over load a medium power rod.
Go to 5:03 if you want to go directly to the rod discussion.
how about like so?
St Croix Eyecon 7′ Medium-Heavy/Moderate
Daiwa Lexa LC100HL linecounter
Sufix 832 40lb camo braid
Thanks for the help, I finally got a chance to put it to good use as I just back from my first-ever dedicated walleye trip – a week at Fisherman’s Cove on the west end of Lac Suel. It was a great trip and I managed to catch more walleyes on the first day than in my entire life up to that point.
The Eyecon “bounce-and-troll” rod was great for trolling rigs with up to 1.5oz bottom bouncers. (It could handle 2oz but that was a touch tiring on my wrist and I’d lose some sensitivity in the rod.) I was very impressed by the ability to “read” the bottom: rock vs sand vs mud all felt different, and to detect bites even on the days when the fish were hitting less aggressively.
I absolutely loved the Daiwa Lexa 100 linecounter reel. It is compact and fits nicely in the hand, good cranking power for the size, and the drag was flawless and smooth. I figured out very quickly how much line I needed at various depths/speeds to be near bottom – typically double the depth, sometimes 5′ extra if it was windy or we were moving more quickly. The repeatability offered by the linecounter really helped me out in getting back to depth more quickly but without excess line out, something that reduced my snags compared to my boat partners.
I went with 30lb J-braid, very satisfied and it lasted all week without a single failure and didn’t even have any fraying. Only time I cut the line was to tie on a different botttom bouncer. Two different guys in our group had random PowerPro failures, so I was pleased with my “off brand” line’s performance.
I have been using the same set up for 20+ years a S Ccroix 6.6ft MH flipping stick with a Abu Garcia 5500 and 30LB power Pro. IT has worked flawlessly so I have not felt the need to change. Always try to keep bouncer as close to vertical on Lac Suel. 2 oz for if you are at 15 ft range to 20, deeper than that you need 3 oz also keep leaders short 30 inches or less I usually only use 2 feet. The longer the leader the lower the spinner rides. If you start snagging hooks on bottom your leader is to long. IMHO floats don’t do anything but add a solid color and require less beads. They only add bouancy if you have a single hook and leech and a stop and go speed. Lac Suel Walleyes like 1.2 to 1.6 mph on the gps. I leave 2nd week of August can’t wait to be back up there.
Mwal
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