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1 . It all starts with the hook , which is usually a No . 1 hook with a 90-degree bend similar to what ’ s used when pouring finesse jigs . Instead of threading the worm on the hook through the nose , you actually insert the hook point through the top about a quarter inch back from the nose . When it ’ s done , it looks similar to a tube , with the bait threaded on the hook and the eyelet sticking out the top .
2 . From there , you insert a 1 / 32- to 3 / 32-ounce tungsten nail weight right into the nose , leaving a little bit of the weight extending out in front of the nose ( this point comes into play later ).
3 . That ’ s it . Don ’ t be fooled , though : This simple-looking configuration actually packs quite a bit of versatility when paired with the right setup . Stefan likes a 7-foot , 6-inch medium-light MHX SJ9000 for extra distance on the casts , and an Abu Garcia MG Extreme spooled with 10-pound-test Berkley x9 braid to a 6-pound-test Berkley 100 % Fluorocarbon leader .
DIVING DEEPER
You know what hover strolling is now , but the question remains : Why haven ’ t you heard of it before ? Stefan feels the reasons are two-fold . First , anglers in the Midwest and who employ hover strolling on northern fisheries have been trying to keep it quiet , as it ’ s so deadly for catching fish in gin-clear water and / or fish that are heavily pressured .
The second is the hook . Prior to the recent release of hooks designed solely for the technique ( like the Ryugi Hover Shot Hook and the Decoy jig and worm Hover Shot hooks ), anglers simply were unable to buy the right hook to assemble the rig unless they wanted to buy them in bulk from jigmaking product suppliers .
Now that the cat has started poking its head out of the bag , though , and the specialty hooks are now accessible to anyone , Stefan is convinced hover strolling is set to really become a deadly addition to many pros ’ arsenals soon .
Which only leaves the last question of when to use the best-kept secret fighting its way to the mainstream .
“ I use it in the same circumstances as hair jig ,” Stefan explains . “ I ’ m talking super-clear water for fish that have seen everything – or after a cold front .
“ The hair jig is typically better fishing in 6 feet or less on shallow flats . Hover strolling works great on flats , too , but if it ’ s too shallow , you don ’ t get the advantage of the fall , so I tend to fish it more in the 10- to 20-foot range . I ’ ll even fish it in 30 feet if the fish are suspended .”
Of course , the more Stefan plays with it , the more ways he finds to use a hover strolling rig , such as snapping it off the bottom on flats like a tube ( after all , it ’ s rigged in a similar manner ), which creates a truly tantalizing offering as it quickly snaps off the bottom and then “ hovers ” it ’ s way back down .
And it ’ s no surprise the technique is a killer for smallmouth fishing , which is why so many northern anglers have adopted it . That said , Stefan has used it on a number of spotted bass fisheries like Lanier , Lewis Smith and others , and he says the results can be staggering .
And if you wonder if largemouth like it , too , remember the technique was pioneered in Japan , where largemouth dominate . Big green fish like it in the same way they like a wacky rig – maybe even more .
“ The hair jig is typically better fishing in 6 feet or less on shallow flats . Hover strolling works great on flats , too , but if it ’ s too shallow , you don ’ t get the advantage of the fall , so I tend to fish it more in the 10- to 20-foot range . I ’ ll even fish it in 30 feet if the fish are suspended .”
Will hover strolling be a dominant tournament technique sooner than later ? That ’ s a question that can ’ t yet be answered without a crystal ball or a time machine . Stefan sure feels it will , as it ’ s far more practical than new finesse offerings like the Inu rig , especially with forward-facing sonar allowing for increased precision to place your bait . It ’ s just a matter of whether anglers will give it a try or if it will be pigeonholed with the likes of the Damiki rig or even ice-fishing jigs used for vertical fishing .
AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2022 | MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM 67