Couple of fishing questions???????

[Big Bass Buddy]

Hey guys and gals;

Well fishing yesterday at Petrie for about a total of 6 hours. (had to head home for supper). All I managed was a 15" Pike. I threw everything in my arsenal out, even switched locations. Where do people fishing and what lure do you use at Petrie? HELP

My second question is. Name of the team Bottom Bounces. while at the tackle shop I purchased two of them and don't know how to use them. Let me know.

Thanks for all the info......

[Hoser]

BBB....dunno about Petrie specifically, but there are some days on any water where it doesn't matter what you throw at them. Lockjaw prevails. The walleye guys would be better at answering the bottom bouncer question. I have a couple I've never used as well

[Seaweed]

Some days you just get skunked. I don't care what water you are on somedays just .... well you know.

Petrie is a tough part of the river to fish. It is spread out and has areas where there is water flow and a lot of areas where there isn't any at all. It took me awhile to figure out this area and still today I can find myself still getting fish on the finder but nothing coming over the side of the boat.

The Ottawa is a great body of water for using bottom bouncers. If you are boating just motor past the beach off of Petrie heading west towards Ottawa and you will come to a red and green bouy that are close together and if you set up your rod to drag the bottom bouncer behind your boat and work between the ridge that the red bouy marks and follow the northern shorline back to lets say the beach you should pick up some walleye. The bouncers work best when slow trolled but you can catch fish buy just drifting with jigs and worm or minnow in the same area too. Try it out...

Warning the same area is a hot Muskie spot too so be sure and get the fish to the boat quickly!

[Todd B.]

BBB,

Here's a good "how to" article on bottom bouncers for ya.

http://www.fishontario.com/articles/bottom-bouncers/

[FLOATFISHIN]

Well BBB,The bottom bouncers are a difficult tool to use.

1st you must have a good main line(the one on your reel)

2nd,You must run your main line to a 3 way swivel..

3rd,you tie either (i would suggest flourocarbon lead)Or a mono tippet to the swivel.

4th,I wish I had a pic to show You tie the (bottom bouncer or walking sinker or lindy rig sinker)off so the remaining 2 eyes on the 3way r free or not used.The weight or bottom bouncer can be either snap swiveled or tied so that it hangs from the closest eye to the bottom,I.E Dragging or bouncing bottom.

5th,You tie the main line to the eye of the swivel that will put the eye of the main line,and the bottom eye to the bottom bouncer and have the last eye facing the end of the rig(holding it out of water doesnt look like it will work but in the water it does)

6th,the leader can be long or short,try 12 to 18" to start.This line which is attached to the furthest eye will hold your worm harness,miinow on a # 6 to #10 hook,A suspending lure,or anything you put out behind a boat to troll.This rig is best used for trolling behind the craft at various speeds.

A pic is best to show the rig,but,From shore the best is a Lindy rig:which is the same idea,but,instead of the bottom bouncer rig,you may use a walking sinker or bell sinker to target them from shore.These weights can also be used for the bottom bounce technique,though the bottom bounce rig has a long wire(per say)that helps the rig (bounce) and also avoid snags,for these type of rigs are commonly used in rocky bottom conditions.Also the shore tech is not generally a cast and retrieve,it is to keep your bait(A floating jig head is perfect to use this rig from shore while using soft plastics or esp live bait)Is generally casted out and let sit on bottom (still fishing or dead sticking is a good term)And watch your rod tip for a strike.The floating jig head will keep your bait off bottom,but in current situations,the current will make the bait come alive.

This is why a slow troll will work for suspending baits,it will give them the action they r desined for.

Also if runnig from a boat try speeding up or slowing down the troll,and eratic turns of the boat and the occasional twitch or line check,(by pulling the line or a quick shake to get ant possible weeds off) will give the bait more life,and could trigger a strike.

Also another way to use this rig in trolling aspects is to run a float or piece of cork on top of where the line hits the water,or run your rod tip directly in the water to catch all floating weeds or debrie on and before it fouls your line and makes its way to the bait,Which will either,deter a fish from hitting or making the lure,live bait have a unnatural action or unappealing action to the fish.


Long read but hope it helps a bit

T.L F.F