Skip to main content

Power tactics for smallmouth bass: an update

Power tactics for smallmouth bass: an update

We posted a blog on October 5 about Vic Oertle's power tactics for catching sunmertime smallmouth bass at Milford Lake, Kansas.  And some anglers are curious about the way Oertle retrieves the Hoodaddy Jr. on his 3/8-ounce swinging jig.

Here's how he does it:

He rarely uses it in water deeper than eight feet. He normally casts it to the shoreline, drops his to the four o'clock position and turns the reel handle at a slow pace, allowing the Hoodaddy and jig to crawler around and over the rocky terrain. When the bait hits some resistance, such as big boulder or in a crevice between two big rocks,  and he can't continue to execute his crawling presentation, Oertle lifts his rod to the two o'clock position, creates some slack in his line and then shakes and pops the rod until the bait is free. Once it's free, he lets it fall back to the bottom, and then he commences his crawling retrieve. Occasionally a smallmouth bass will strike the bait when it is stuck in one the crevices, and he is shaking it, or as soon as Oertle liberates the bait from the crevice a smallmouth bass will engulf it.

When he employs the YUM Dinger and Z-Man ZinkerZ, it is a shallow-water presentatiom.  He casts Dinger or ZinkerZ  to the shoreline. Most strikes occur on the initial drop in depths of three feet or less. If he doesn't garner a strike on the initial drop, he uses his rod to hop the jig, and if he doesn't catch a smallmouth after three hops, he reels it in and executes another cast to another spot.

GET THE NEWSLETTER Join the List and Never Miss a Thing.

Recommended Articles

Recent Videos

Why Mark Courts LOVES the NEW Minn Kota QUEST Trolling Motors
Gear

Old Town Sportsman AutoPilot 120 UNBOXING

Why Mark Courts LOVES the NEW Minn Kota QUEST Trolling Motors
Learn

GENIUS Planer Board Modification Tip with Ross Robertson

Why Mark Courts LOVES the NEW Minn Kota QUEST Trolling Motors
Gear

In-Fisherman's Old Town Sportsman PDL 120 Walk-Through with Thomas Allen

Why Mark Courts LOVES the NEW Minn Kota QUEST Trolling Motors
Learn

Old Town Salty PDL 120 Kayak Walk-Through

Why Mark Courts LOVES the NEW Minn Kota QUEST Trolling Motors
Learn

NEW In-Fisherman TV River Jet Boat: Yamaha Powered SmokerCraft Pro Sportsman 1866

Why Mark Courts LOVES the NEW Minn Kota QUEST Trolling Motors
Learn

DECKED OUT 2023 Starcraft STX 2050: New In-Fisherman TV Boat

In-Fisherman Magazine Covers Print and Tablet Versions

GET THE MAGAZINE Subscribe & Save

Digital Now Included!

SUBSCRIBE NOW

Give a Gift   |   Subscriber Services

PREVIEW THIS MONTH'S ISSUE

Buy Digital Single Issues

Magazine App Logo

Don't miss an issue.
Buy single digital issue for your phone or tablet.

Buy Single Digital Issue on the In-Fisherman App

Other Magazines

See All Other Magazines

Special Interest Magazines

See All Special Interest Magazines

GET THE NEWSLETTER Join the List and Never Miss a Thing.

Get the top In-Fisherman stories delivered right to your inbox.

Phone Icon

Get Digital Access.

All In-Fisherman subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. This means you have the option to read your magazine on most popular phones and tablets.

To get started, click the link below to visit mymagnow.com and learn how to access your digital magazine.

Get Digital Access

Not a Subscriber?
Subscribe Now

Enjoying What You're Reading?

Get a Full Year
of Guns & Ammo
& Digital Access.

Offer only for new subscribers.

Subscribe Now