Harvest Fishery vs. Sports Fishery

The reason I consider the Sockeye fishing a harvest fishery is because the fish are being capturing by snagging them. Bottom bouncing the fish is NOT biting the hook but the long leader lines are sliding through their mouths and the hook gets caught on outside of the mouth. In fact, the second sockeye I catch in the video below this was evident to me and I mention on the camera “the hook is on the outside”. Whereas, a sports fishery is where you trick the fish and they bite the hook. And the hook will be on the inside of the mouth for the most part. In a sports fishery if you hook a protected/sensitive fish on the outside of the mouth or body (“fowl hook the fish”) you should always release these fish.

The bottom bouncing technique should only be used for these harvest fisheries. These are usually in waters with extremely low visibility and species that do not bite (“lock jawed”) in the fresh water. In these type of situations the species are usually abundant to make this fishing method viable. The big takeaway is to only use bottom bouncing technique in these harvest fisheries and never your clearer rivers as a standard technique.

Note: I do realize there is a viable fishing technique called “bottom bouncing”, but for this articles definition I’m referring to the technique that includes a leader over 6′ long.

Weights

• Cannonball bouncing weights (“bouncing betties”) 1oz – 4oz
• The most commonly used weights are 2 oz – 3 oz weights
• Choose weight based on the speed of the water, if you’re weight is not continually bouncing down the run you may need to add a heavier weight. If you’re continually getting hung up with no bounce, try a lighter weighted ball. If you continue to run into snags (aka. “a snaggy run”) and you may want move up/down the run or new spot entirely.

Leader Line

• 10′ – 12′ monofilament line, it’s not necessary to use longer leaders as it makes it harder to cast
• If you want to spend more money and use a fluorocarbon leader that’s fine, the only slight benefits of a fluorocarbon line in this fishery is the low stretch of the line as that could provide better hook sets. The lines invisibility underwater doesn’t matter in this type of fishery as the water is very colored up. All this to say for the price point fluorocarbon is not necessary.
• If you’re adding yarn, ensure you tie an egg loop knot onto the hook

Hooks & Terminal Tackle

• Leader savers (connects the mainline to the leader line and holds the bouncing weight). These are super important in my mind as they protect the integrity of your main and leader line. When fishing off the bottom your line is continually getting compromised so these are worth the few bucks.
• 3-way swivels, if you don’t have leader savers you can use these. However, these won’t protect your mainline and leader line like a leader saver. I’d continually check your lines every 20 minutes to ensure they don’t have any major nicks or damage.
• Yarn (wool) and/or Corkie. This is totally subjective and optional. For me, I use a small piece of wool (color does not matter) to help it float somewhat. However, if you think the fish are higher in the water column a corkie might be worth trying as it will elevate your hook off the bottom. Experiment on different runs. If you’re new to this type of fishing I’d say keep it simple and avoid the corkie.
• Octopus Hook styles are my favorite. Any size between 2/0 – 4/0 will work great. If you’re buying one size go with 3/0. Don’t cheap out on hooks in this fishing technique.

Others – IMPORTANT!

• Hook sharpener! I rarely see guys on the water bringing/using this but a hook sharpener is super important in my opinion in this style of fishery. Bottom bouncing your hook along the rocks will quickly remove the point or dull your hook. I check my hook point every hour (maybe more) and give it a quick sharpen to always ensure the point is there. Trust me on this one and take it to the bank.

How to Bottom Bounce for Salmon on the Fraser River

Here are the details on the diagram positions and how to cast and run your bottom bouncing setup. If the current is moving from left to right cast to position 1 (11 o’clock). Once your ball hits the water don’t let out any more line, close the bail or put your finger on the spool. Letting out additional line here is commonly a mistake as will get you snagged up the bottom.

At position 2 you should begin to feel the cannonball bounce along the bottom. Your rod tip will do quick “tip tip tip” as the weight ticks bottom. Here at position 2 we’re not letting out any line.

Between position 2 and position 3 we should have consistent ticks along the bottom. If you don’t hit bottom between these positions you need a heavier cannonball weight as the current is too strong and/or the water is too deep. Again we’re not letting out any line between position 2 and 3 but we’re looking for that consistent bouncing tick off the bottom.

Between position 3 and Position 4 your bouncing will begin to slow down as the setup is getting into slower water. This is where you’ll hook into most of your fish. Once again you’re not letting out any line here but keeping the line tight and waiting for the rod tip to bend over with some weight. When you feel the weight give your rod a quick lift (mild hook set). If you feel that weight it’s typically one of two things: the cannon ball is getting held up in the shallower water or you’re hooked into a fish. At position 4 (around 2 o’clock) give your line another mild hook set (regardless of whether you feel anything) and begin to retrieve your line as quickly as possible to prevent the cannon ball from snagging up.

Quick Tip: Because you’re not letting out any additional line the distance of your initial cast determines the arc or bouncing area you’re fishing. Experiment with different cast distances. However, if you’re fishing around other anglers be aware of their lines and that may impact your flexibility on casting distances.