Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition Issue 3907 Mar 13-27 | Page 15

March 13-27, 2020 VOL.39 • ISS. 7 13 WHAT’S HOT continued from page 1 holders. Although it was a lot more work, I developed a rod-pumping technique that I noticed would draw more strikes than keeping the rod stationary. The key, I discovered, was to slowly pump the rod forward and back in one or two foot intervals. I didn’t quickly rip the rod like a jerk bait, just slow and steady. Just enough to feel the vibration of the lure speed up and then slowly flutter back. Like a bait fish escaping a striper that suddenly runs out of steam. They just can’t lay off an easy meal. These days, I’m fortunate enough to parade around in a much larger boat fully equipped with rod holders and all the works. The downside is that it makes it hard to hold my rod as I’m positioned up front at the steering wheel. However, when I’m lucky enough to be invited out as a guest, I always resort back to the old-school rod pumping technique. Another advantage of holding the rod is that I can constantly adjust the depth of my lure to the bottom. When I’m holding the rod, my eyes are glued to the depth reading on the sonar unit at all times. Deep diving plugs run at a different range of depths depending on how much line is let out. At 12 feet deep, I’m letting out about 40 feet of line. If I feel the lure digging bottom, I will bring it in 5 feet and see what happens. When the depth drops to 16 feet then I’m spooling out about 65 feet of line and going from there. The goal is to have the lure running just above the bottom, softly digging once in a while. All this rod-pumping and depth-ad- justing sounds like a lot of work, but is it really worth it? On the recent trip I took with Jim Brittain, the hand-held rods caught seven stripers. Rods in holders running the exact same lures only caught one fish. The results haven’t always been that dramatic, but I have seen at least a 2:1 ratio of fish hooked by pumped rods over stationary rod holders. We only had enough room here to scratch the surface, but employing these techniques will certainly tip the odds in your favor this spring. The rod-pumping technique also works great for other species (hint: top lining for trout). Look for me on the water this spring with rod in hand! 2 Huge Shows, One MASSIVE EVENT - March 12-15 at Sacramento’s Cal EXPO VERSATILE, RELIABLE, DESIGNED to PERFORM Bringing Home the Payload in Style, Comfort, and Confidence From bad weather ocean conditions to bays and estuaries, the Coastal design provides the stability and comfort today’s offshore enthusiasts have demanded. The progressive dead rise of the boats bottom, in combination with our signature full width outboard bracket and high sides for safety, has turned the Coastal into the Elite Sportsman’s choice of the Pacific Northwest. Comes standard with a Guardian Aluminum Trailer by Rogue Jet Available Lengths 20-26’ The Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnow deep diving plug is a Delta trolling standard. Tip the rear hook with a white rubber worm and team it with a line-counter reel spooled with 20-30 lb test braid. These lures can cover water from 10 feet deep to 19 feet deep depending on how much line you let out. Photo by JACK NAVES, Fish Sniffer Staff. THE FISH SNIFFER (833)-347-4661 FishSniffer.com FISH SNIFFER DIGITAL!!! “All Rogue Jet boats are backed by our 100% Lifetime Hull Guarantee” magazine.fishsniffer.com Digital subscription now available to the Fish Sniffer. Download the app from iTunes or Google Play. See us at the Sacramento Boat & RV Show March 12-15 2020 at Cal Expo Bruce C. Wassom Founder 2845 Merry Lane • White City, OR (541) 944-2155 WWW.ROGUEJET.COM