Stroking a Football Jig for Bass

A football jig is a versatile and effective bass fishing lure, especially for deep water and hard bottoms. It can be fished in a variety of ways, but one of the most productive is to "stroke it." 

Stroking a football jig involves imparting short, sharp hops to lift the jig vertically as you work it across structure. This erratic action imitates a fleeing crawfish or baitfish, which triggers aggressive strikes from bass.

To stroke a football jig, follow these steps:

1. Cast the jig out and let it sink to the bottom.
2. Reel up but leave a semi-slack line as the jig rests on the bottom.
3. Give the rod a sharp upward snap to hop the jig off the bottom.
4. Reel up leaving a semi-slack line again and repeat steps 3 and 4 until the jig reaches the boat or contact with the structure is lost.

The key to stroking a football jig is to keep it lifting and falling vertically to the bottom. If you reel up too much line, the jig will lose its action and become less attractive to bass. You also want to vary the speed and intensity of your strokes. Sometimes, a slow, deliberate stroke is best, while other times a faster, more aggressive stroke is needed. Experiment with different cadences until you find what's working best on that particular day.

Here are a few additional tips for stroking a football jig:

• Use a medium-heavy to heavy action baitcasting rod with 12-20 pound fluorocarbon line. This will give you the power to lift the jig off the bottom and the sensitivity to feel the slightest bite.
• Experiment with different trailer sizes and colors. A popular choice is a pork rind frog, but you can also use swimbaits, crawfish imitations, and other soft plastic trailers.
• Fish football jigs in areas where bass are likely to be feeding, such as rock piles, ledges, and drop-offs.
• Be patient. Stroking a football jig can be a slow process, but it's often worth it when you hook into a big bass.

Take a few minutes and watch as bass pro Matt Arey describes his approach to stroking jigs when fishing pressured bass on deep water structures…