Inline weights vs Bottom bouncers
By Thomas Ebi

 This year, one of my fishing partners, my wife and I experimented running 3oz inline weights in place of 3 and 4 oz bottom bouncers (flat ones like Bass Pro). Running bouncers on one side vs inlines on the other, the inlines have produced better more than 80% of the time on Erie.  When one was working, we'd switch beads/blades etc to make them the same. Same depth and the results would point to one or the other. We tried to keep any variables out of the experiment. The inlines were painted and only some of the bouncers were painted. We believe the flat inlines run a bit deeper than the round bouncers and we tried adjusting a foot or two to compensate.  The only variable that might have made a difference was the inlines being painted like perch, shad, trout...maybe.. I run a lot of inlines, both beaded chain and bass pro flat/ painted ones and only had marginal different results with one over the other.

When a bouncer was working better it clearly was better but those days were marginal.  So, you might think about adding some heavy inlines to your arsenal.  I'm having painted inlines made all the way to 8 oz.  I know, more stuff to add you have to buy and try  :)