Stroking for Smallmouths

[QUOTE=Onetrickpony;413307]Thanks folks, that gives me the encouragement to at least give it a try.

dpage70 - when you are fishing in the fall and you say you catch them in the weeds ... are they smallmouth?

If they are smallies - mind if I ask what you're using? A football jig? Soft dressing?

Thanks folks
st[/QUOTE][/QUOTE]

I use an arkie head jig for it with a twin tail trailer rather than a chunk type. The way the arkie head is shaped seems to go through the grass a little better. Just lift the tip until it starts to get hung up a little and snap it. Smallmouth are so aggressive they just can't handle it. I usually find the weed edges and try to keep it fairly close to the edge. It seems to work better on sunny days so I guess the fish pull into the grass for shade.

I've done it a lot on Cumberland & Green River too. On moonlight nights it will work real well with a small colorado blade attached. Lots of times they will absolutley slam it. I stroke a jig most times that I know there are fish in the area & work it very aggressivly. Afterall I'm looking for reaction strikes. Try it. It will definitley work.

I have had alot of success with this technique. I have used it on Lake Champlain and Saratoga lake in NY, as well as KY/Barkley and on Priest in Nashville. If you are around them and they are eating you will catch them. My father lives in NY and did not understand the hows and whys of doing it, once we went out and I showed him it has become a difference maker as few people there do this technique. I generally use a Hoppy's stroking jig in a 5/8 oz size with a zoom pro style chunk. Its a preference and I've seen others use different tackle but its always seemed to work.

good luck.

[QUOTE=Redskeeter;413367][QUOTE=Boone;413293]Stoking? What is stroking.....just a question from a NUB :confused: I know "draging" and "hoping", but STROKING?


Here ya go Boone.
Check out this link.


[URL]http://fishing.about.com/od/basicfishinginstruction/a/Stroking_a_Jig.htm[/URL][/QUOTE]

Thanks Sketer, now I know ;). I'll definitely give this technique a try.

Dave Stewart showed me a little trick for this that has helped detect some of those light bites when the jig falls on a slack line. Once you rip it up, you can flip your rod and slack line forward and create a loop in the line that stays on top of the water, and acts like a strike indicator. It takes a little practice but has boated me several fish I would have otherwise missed.

[QUOTE=mhall;413320]Stroke it to the East....Stroke it to the West.... Stroke to the woman that I love best....
Better be Stroking.

Clarence Carter, Clarence Carter, Clarence Carter......................[/QUOTE]

LMAO :D

Stroke it Clarence Carter, but don't stroke too fast...