When you consider the fact that catfishing goes back further than most people can remember, it is not unusual that methods to catch the whiskered critter have changed. “Catfishing used to be done with cane poles and chicken livers off the banks of a river,” commented Warrior Cat Rods prostaffer Jason Huggins. Jason and his partner Wade Kaminski had just finished fishing the Mississippi River Monsters tournament in Memphis where they finished fourth out of 184 boats.
“I have been watching tournament fishing grow over the past 10 years or so,” reported Huggins. “The sport of catfishing has exploded. Tournament trails are popping up just about everywhere and they are bringing more national recognition to the sport. Anglers are responding by seeking new ways to catch the wily catfish.”
One of those new tactics is actually not so new to some, but has become the accepted method to catch trophy catfish in moving water. “I call it bottom bouncing,” said Huggins. “It is an opportunity to cover as much water as possible in a somewhat natural presentation.”
Huggins started using the method a couple of years ago after watching some videos. “One was an older video which had Phil King taking some people out on a trip,” offered Huggins. “I had just started to do a few small local tournaments and drifting was becoming the big thing. After losing enough times on the anchor I figured it was time to learn something new.”
“Back bouncing, walking, or slipping baits, by my definition is the act of bouncing baits down the river, while the nose of the boat is point up river,” instructed Huggins. “I am using my trolling motor to cut the speed of the current in half while I feed the bait back along structure that is holding fish.”
Huggins bouncing rig is a 3-way swivel with a 20-pound mono drop line for the weight. The lightweight drop line allows him to break off the weight and not lose the whole rig when snagged. His 80-pound test Suffix 832 main line is tied to the top of the swivel. He ads a 24- to 30-inch 80-pound mono bait line that includes a chain swivel in the middle before adding a 9/0 Charlie Brown hook.
“The 80-pound Suffix is a confidence thing,” said Huggins. “I probably could run a little less. I just like to keep it simple and feel comfortable with my rig. The chain swivel keeps the bait moving freely and doesn’t twist the line when your bait is moving and twisting with the current passing it by.”
Huggins likes a heavy action graphite rod. “My choice is a Warrior Cat Bumping Rod because it is best suited for transferring the thump of the sinker to your hand. My rod is rated at 2- to 8-ounce weight, 30- to 100-pound line on a XH blank. For the reel I use a quantum Iron PT300 or a Quantum EXO300 spooled with 80-pound Suffix braid.”
“The combination of these reels and rod makes a very light and comfortable combination,” advised Huggins. “You have to have a combo that will allow you to hold them all day long without tiring and still tough enough to fight some mean ole blues.”
Different anglers have different learning curves to acquire the art of bouncing since success depends on several factors. “While I am back bouncing my reel is mostly used in open spool,” instructed Higgins. “I thumb the line to let out line and keep contact with the river bottom.”
Typically, the warmer the water the faster anglers can bump. “I set my boat speed based on current and time of the year,” said Huggins. “Half the current speed is normally a good starting point. If you are marking fish but can’t get them to commit try slowing down a bit and give them a bit longer to take action on your bait.”
“With a normal current in the 3 to 5 MPH range a good starting point would be about 1.5 to 2 MPH. I think more than 2 MPH is just a bit too fast. In that 1.5 to 2 MPH range I can use a 5-ounce sinker and place a nice scent trail out while covering plenty of river bottom.”
As Huggins makes his presentation he keeps his thumb on the spool to control the speed of the drop to the bottom. “Once I find the bottom I typically try to keep the rod between a 10 and 11 o’clock position. I thumb out a little line on the way down to the 10 o’clock position searching for the bottom.”
Huggins advises anglers to look for hard bottom areas when trying to learn the tactic. Just work along until you get a feel for it. “Don’t be discouraged if you lose a lot of weights and tackle. You are covering a ton of river bottom that varies constantly and snags are going to happen. Keep a dowel rod or piece of old wood broom as a tool to break of the snags. Wrap the braid around the dowel and use that to pull the snag free. The is where the 20-pound mono sinker lead does its job and you don’t have to re-tie everything.”
If you are cutting the current more than half it may take more weight to keep from constantly thumbing out line searching for the bottom. “Work the remote to adjust speed if you’re constantly thumbing out a lot of line. Reduce the trolling motor speed by one click at a time until you find that speed where you are barely letting line out each time you bump. If you are trying to get to 1.0 to 1.5 in 4 plus MPH current, odds are you will to be using a 6- to 8-ounce sinker.”
“Beware if you thumb out an unusual amount of line and don’t find bottom,” explained Huggins. “The fish could be swimming toward you or you could be on a drop off. If I lose bottom, I typically try to reel up quickly to make sure there isn’t a fish swimming towards the boat.”
Anglers should pay special attention to the feel of the sinker hitting the bottom. “Harder bottom areas have a very distinctive thumb. Muddy areas are typically one of the hardest to work through and have almost a sticky feel when you raise the rod tip.”
Huggins adjusts his range of rod motion in areas with lots of snags and structure. “In snag filled areas I will use a 10:00 o’clock to 1:00 o’clock position. This gives me an opportunity to work over snags and structure by lifting higher. A good working combination of boat speed and sinker weight is found when you no longer have to thumb out several feet of line each time you drop the rod tip down.”
River conditions and other variables will determine where active feeding fish will be found. “Generally ledges and other structure make for great starting points,” advises Huggins. “On late night trips I try to focus on areas where a deeper channel runs along a nice sand or mud flat. If the river has been up and on the fall I will look for fish in deeper areas. The typical areas where you find fish while anchored are also good targets for back bouncing if the current is strong enough.”
“Bottom bouncing is hard work, concluded Huggins. “Once you learn it, however, you will probably agree with me. This is by far my favorite catfish tactic. I love having hold of that Warrior Cat Bumping Rod when a hungry blue hammers the bait and the fight is on!”
