Hover and Mid strolling are dominating the fishing industry. In this post we'll do a deep dive on both presentations...why they are so effective and what you need to know to take advantage of these techniques. Hover strolling and mid strolling are basically the same in technique. The main difference being the depth at which you fish the bait. Hover strolling is shallow and mid strolling is deeper...that's basically it.
HOVER RIGS
Let's start with Hover Strolling. Hover Rigs were invented in Japan and hit the states around 3 or 4 years ago. When the technique was brought to America, the hover rig was (and in many cases still is) built by hand on the boat. Meaning the angler puts a soft plastic bait (normally a minnow) on a jig hook approximately 1/4 inch behind the nose of the bait. An insert weight is then into pushed into the nose of the bait so that the weight runs along the hook shank in the belly of the bait. Some anglers like to leave a small amount of the insert weight sticking out of the nose of the bait to create a "click sound" when the bait strikes a rock, while some anglers prefer to push the weight all the way into the bait and use super glue to seal the hole created by the insert weight. The reason for sealing up the weight inside the bait is because hover rigs are prone to losing the insert weight when fighting a fish. Some tournament anglers have even stopped using hover rigs in tournaments due to the time required to continually replace the insert weight. I fixed this issue but we'll get to that...lol
Fishing a hover rig is super simple. If you're using sonar (live or otherwise) find the suspended fish you'd like to target, cast just past them and allow the lure to sink to within a couple feet above their heads. Then give the rod a light "shake" while slowly retrieving the bait just above the targeted fish. Grip the rod tightly...you're about to hook up!
When I first tried hover strolling I knew right away this was going to be my new go to technique, however, the insert weights constantly coming out of the bait was an issue. I was going through pounds of lead every time I went fishing and that isn't cheap! Then I had an idea...what if I could make a hover rig bait with a completely encapsulated jig? Enter The RIG! Prior to creating The RIG the most fish I had ever caught on one hover rig was 2, due to losing the insert weight and needing to rebuild my rig. After creating The RIG the average number of bass I catch per hover rig is now 12-15. This is for 2 reasons...
First, I removed the insert weight completely! I started making my own hover jigs (pouring lead around the hook in an aluminum mold). By making my own jigs I removed the need for an insert weight and attached the lead to the hook so it can't fall out of the bait.
Second, I had a custom mold made so I can load my jigs into the mold and shoot the hot plastic around the jig. This mold had more impact than I even intended. With the jig being "sandwiched" between the left and right side of the mold, every bait I produced had a perfectly centered and balanced weight/hook system giving me a very consistent action, plus since the bait cools and cures with the jig already inside there's no need for insert weights or manually inserting a hover jig by hand which damages the bait leading to lower durability.
While I do consider my hover rig the best one I've seen yet, even if you aren't sold on The RIG please consider giving hover strolling a chance next time you hit the water.
Mid Strolling (Damiki Rig)
As I mentioned earlier, mid strolling and hover strolling are basically the same thing. The main difference is depth. Hover strolling is shallow and mid strolling is...deeper.
Mid Strolling shines in really deep lakes and rivers with fast moving current! As opposed to using a hover jig most mid strolling is done with a damiki jig. Damiki jigs can be as simple as a ball head jig with the tie on eye directly on top OR a lead jig in the shape of a fish head with eyes and gills however, the tie on eye has to be on top. That's the most important thing in terms of the jig. While hover jigs normally range from 1/32oz to 1/8oz, Damiki jigs normally run around 1/4oz or 1/2oz to help get the bait down the the fish faster. The added weight also helps the angler control the bait in current better than with a hover jig.
I tend to impart more action via the rod tip with hover rigs than damiki rigs but that's probably due to the fact that 100% of my hover strolling is done with The RIG. It has a walk the dog type action that is hard for fish to resist! The number one thing to remember when strolling for suspended bass is to keep the bait suspended just above the fish you're targeting for as long as possible. If you do this, you will have success!
In my opinion the best baits to use with either technique is a minnow style bait...however I've seen some hover rigs used with craws and creature baits that are hard to pass up. I like the Tracer Shad for mid strolling. The Tracer Shad was created by Angling AI (the leader in stock mold production for soft plastics) with FFS anglers in mind. It was literally designed to use with a hover/damiki rig in combination with forward facing sonar. Between The RIG and the Tracer Shad, Bent Rod Fishing is ready to cover all your strolling needs!
STAY BENT!
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