Tricks using bottom bouncers, weight forward spinners

[Betcha]

I just wanted to see if there are any tricks when using bottom bouncers/Spinners

Do you recommend just dropping the bouncer over the side of the boat and dragging it or should you reel it in. Any particular color harnesses work better than others. Should you just use a piece of night crawler or put the whole thing on the hook.

As far as the weight forward spinners, is it best to find the depth the fish are being marked at and counted down to the depth when its casted out and then slowly bring it in or again should you just drag it along the bottom. Any particular colors. Is it best to only use these when its somewhat calm. Was using one on Saturday and it seemed hard to tell what depth I was at due to the larger waves early in the day.

Thanks for the help.

[GotMach]

As for bottom bouncers here is what I use:

I use 1.5 oz bottom bouncers. I tie up most of my own harnesses, but when I do buy them I try to get ones with 36" leaders. I have many different colors but found the following tend to be the best:

chartruse/green
orange/white
gold/red
dark redish purple
light purple
dark purple

I always drag them on the bottom as long as the boat is moving 1.0 mph min I perfer 1.2-1.5mph. As for the worm....I like using a whole one at first...but keep using it as long as I can attach it to both hooks. It doesnt seem to matter how chewed up it is as long as it can be attached to both hooks. If the drift speed is not available then I perfer casting weapons or weight forwards.

Hope this helps.

[spoontang]

Nothing fancy. You can buy them or make them. I prefer to tie my own. This time of year my favorite blade is a silver with emerald fleck, colorado about the size of a dime (I think its a #5). I tie a long leader, around 5 to 6 feet and I use 3 small red hooks. Ive started going a little larger on the bottom hook. I use a swivel with a 3 or 4 oz (yes 4 ounces) egg sinker above the swivel. I know I am fishing directly below the boat and on the bottom or in the target zone. If you use a line counter, you know the exact depth you are fishing and you can fish the downwind side of the drift with no problem with the heavy weight. I use a stoudt 10 to 12 foot rod. Go a little soft on the drag. The big ones will pull off of the little hooks and its straight up from the bottom. Good luck.

[Sheephead Master]

I like it when there is a decent drift and about every 5-10 seconds just pulling the rod tip back 2-3 feet. The trick sometimes is putting less line out to be up of bottom a little bit or more line to make sure you you are on bottom. The amount of line you need out will be determined by how fast the boat is drifting and how deep the water is, odds are, you will be in 23-30 feet the entire time.