Hover Strolling + Alabama Shake = Jig n Fluke?

[Pat Brown]

Okay so I did a google search and found a lot of people over the years saying 'jig trailer needs more action/swimming fluke sure...but normal fluke on a jig?  Naaaaah'

 

Fast forward to 2024

 

Nobody predicted shaking a fluke on a jig head around suspended fish was actually like the deal.....

 

So...I first saw this technique and IMMEDIATELY thought of fishing a swim jig with a no action trailer like a chunk and doing the Alabama Shake to impart the action....it seems to be exactly the same technique targeting different parts of the water column/slightly different profiles.

 

Josh Jones does really well hovering swim jigs with NO trailer for DD bass.

 

So is *shaking* a jig and fluke through the water column going to be something we see developing into a big fish pattern up shallow?

 

🙈🙈🙈🙈

[Woody B]

I won't watch videos but I'd love to see FFS "movie" of Josh Jones catching them hawgs.   He's watching the Bass, I wonder exactly what he's doing to get them to strike.  

 

I always struggled to catch Bass that I could see.  I thought it was just clear water/spooky fish.   When I got Active Target I would find a way to scare off every single Bass that I saw looking at my lures.   I know they couldn't see me.   When I'd see the Bass I'd stop the lure right in front of them.   They'd look at it and leave.  For a while I'd not look at the screen after I cast into the area a Bass was.  I  decided that my "here come get me" action was incorrect.   I finally figured out how to trigger strikes (sometimes) by trying to get my lure away from the Bass...... like fleeing prey.   I suspect that as soon as a Bass shows any interest in JJ's offerings he takes it away from the Bass fairly quickly.   

 

My first ever A-rig Bass came after I gave up enticing a strike.   I was right over a 35 foot deep brushpile.  I dropped the rig on it and was jigging it up and down.  The Bass were paying it no attention.  I gave up and started reeling it in and 2 attacked it.   I only caught 1, but saw 2 go after it on sonar.   

[Pat Brown]

I hearby vote that we pre-emptively name this technique 'Bama-strolling'

 

You heard about it here first.

 

I'm gonna take the lack of engagement to mean I've spilled the juice by accident 🥷🏼🥷🏼🥷🏼😉😉😉🤣

[RRocket]

It's been my understanding that the placement of the weight is key to the technique and allows the bait to be kept at a constant depth with minimal effort and excellent action. As pointed out, many pros have had outstanding results using the technique, so there's perhaps something else there for the success. No doubt the placement of the weight farther back than a traditional jig allows for a different sink and look too I'd imagine.

 

I also think the technique may be a "work smarter, not harder" type of thing as well.

[Pat Brown]

I find the skirt lends itself to a really nice slow fall that will keep the bait hovering.  I mean literally we are talking Alabama shaking but with a straight tail and a skirt.  More horizontal and more geared towards shallow cover perhaps is what I'm imagining.

 

I have successfully hover strolled with a ball head jig Damiki thing so I think a LOT of this stuff is more or less the same presentation at different depths with different speed and profile.

 

Maybe I'm reading it wrong.

[RRocket]

31 minutes ago, Pat Brown said:

I find the skirt lends itself to a really nice slow fall that will keep the bait hovering.  I mean literally we are talking Alabama shaking but with a straight tail and a skirt.  More horizontal and more geared towards shallow cover perhaps is what I'm imagining.

 

I have successfully hover strolled with a ball head jig Damiki thing so I think a LOT of this stuff is more or less the same presentation at different depths with different speed and profile.

 

Maybe I'm reading it wrong.

The twitching of the Hover Stroll can be much more walk the dog...while keeping it at the same depth. Difficult to do on long casts with other plastic presentations.

 

Much more action while being more horizontal at a greater distance. With less effort. 

 

YMMV.

[Catt]

Sounds like someone brought a technique over from his Crappie fishing.

[Pat Brown]

So what I hear everybody saying is: Yay on Bama Strollin' 🤣🤣🤣😎😎😎

 

Kay

 

Let's mix it in there next few trips out and see what happens....😎🥷🏼😉

[Susky River Rat]

This is basically ice fishing. You use a flasher (now live scope) to keep your bait at a certain level and see if fish are engaging. The key is keeping your presentation as horizontal as you can.  Now it’s just applied to Open water and FFS.

 

I actually had this conversation with a coworker. I would never ice fish without a flasher. His response was you hate FFS but you won’t fish without a flasher? Then it hit me. I am basically doing the same thing without the detail. Just vertically. 

[RRocket]

Crappie and ice fishing are both largely fished vertical jigging. I use the same technique for walleye jigging.

 

Hover strolling isn't typically a pure vertical presentation as you're doing long casts...quite unlike crappie or ice fish jigging.

 

 

[Team9nine]

Probably 90% of the open water crappie season is spent casting and counting down your bait to some level in the water column, then retrieving with varying degrees of speed/pauses/twitches. Been that way for years and years and years, as unlike bass, crappie spend the majority of their time in some degree of suspension off the bottom … at least that’s how I’ve always fished them. 

[Pat Brown]

I guess basically, it could be a great way to present a skirted jig horizontally.  Only one way to find out!

 

I already got a 5/16 oz finesse jig in shad pattern with fluke jr on the back.  Gonna tight line and gently shake + pause it around and see if it gets bit tonight after work.  Been tough so I don't expect much, but it's gonna be warm and sunny today so could be great also.  😎

[Bass Rutten]

As RRocket alluded to the key to the hover rig is the line tie placement being moved back from the tip of the lure which creates more drag and prevents excessive rising and the "hover" effect, a jig n fluke would be more akin to mid strolling than hover strolling. I've been mid strolling a while now and wished I would've thought of this, it's now on my list of things to try, I'm pre-fishing for a tourney this weekend, might throw one together!

[Pat Brown]

Sure that makes sense @Bass Rutten - mid strolling a swim jig with a straight tail soft plastic jerkbait trailer.  We'll call it Bama Strolling since every micro adjustment gets to be a secret new technique now 😂😂😂😂😉🎣😎

 

I hope it gets you some big bites!

[Team9nine]

15 minutes ago, Pat Brown said:

We'll call it Bama Strolling since every micro adjustment gets to be a secret new technique now 😂😂😂😂😉

That’s about the truth - strolling, bottom strolling, mid strolling, Bama strolling, hover strolling, long line strolling, moping, Damiki strolling, etc., etc. You’re the exact opposite of Ned guys who just use the single term ‘Ned rigging’ and then claim every variation under the sun as part of the technique? 😆 🤣 😎 😉

 

jk 🤭

[WRB]

Dick Trask** won 7 boats and and dozens of tournaments camped over suspended bass using a dart head jig with Flutter Craft* 4” Screamer ribbon tails and and 4 curl tail worms “strolling” through the depth the bass were suspended. Takes dedicated patients to fish 1/8 oz dart heads and good boat control, skills Trask fine tuned.

Tom

* available from US Bait co.

** Sticks From The Past, Dick Trask by Terry Battisti

[TnRiver46]

^thats  how I fish too minus the tournament success 😂 

 

im also throwing a jighead so its either on bottom or strolling 

[Bass Rutten]

Speaking of darter heads and secret "new" Japanese fishing techniques, here's another one using a classified top secret design incorporating a patented proprietary blend of angel wings and goblin farts that's sure to be the next big thing 🤣

 

 

[Pat Brown]

But will it make the monkey proud? 🥹🥹🥹

[TheBaitMonkey]

Well… anyone out there bama-strolling?

[Pat Brown]

It worked for me quite a few times this year during the pre-spawn and I expect it to work pretty good during The post spawn. I will keep you updated on my success, but I think the best I got so far was a 3-pounder but I had one over five on for a second that I got to bite it!