Hop Retrieve for Bass Fishing – It’s about the Allure

Hop Retrieve

Hop Retrieve typically a rod retrieve where the rod tip is quickly lifted up letting the lure drop on a slack line. This enables multiple lure descents as the lure is retrieved plus the quick movement may result in a reaction bite.

Aliases and Comparisons:

Stroking: Typically, referred to as”stroking a jig”, typically a football jig, is a fast hoping vertical lift of the rod, essentially large, fast hops.
- Hop vs Stroking Retrieve: Similar rod action as a stroking is a large hop.
Yo Yo Retrieve: Is a hoping rod action but with the lure in the water column (lure does not descend to the bottom). Commonly used to describe quick vertical rod lifts during a reel retrieve (straight retrieve) essentially hoping the lure in the water column while reeling. Yo Yo Retrieve is often associated with a lipless crankbait.
- Hop vs Yo Yo Retrieve: Similar rod action but with Yo Yo retrieve the lure does not come into contact with the bottom. In other words, fishing the lure in the water column.
Jigging: Hop retrieve is also referred to as jigging when the lure is a jig as it is a common retrieve type for some jigs.
Lift and Drop Retrieve: Referred to as it describes a hop retrieve action.
Flutter Retrieve: A large fast hop to enable the flutter lure action that occurs with a flutter spoon.
Hop vs Pop: Hop is vertical rod movement with slack line reel retrieve where a pop is a horizontal rod movement with a tight line reel retrieve as such the only thing in common is they both involve a quick movement of the rod.
Fast Vertical Rod Lifts: Rod tip position quickly goes from 8 or 9 o’clock to 11 or 12 o’clock.
Slack Line Reel: Reel the slack line between each rod lift.

Why is Hop Retrieve Important?

Hop retrieve is important to:

Contact Cover and Bottom: Hop retrieve will keep the lure in the target strike zone when it is desired to fish near the bottom plus it can create a small commotion when the lure comes into contact with the bottom/cover.
Produce Noise: Depending on the bottom composition some noise is produced when the lure continuously hits bottom.
Fishing Speed: Hop retrieve is used to introduce vertical lure action while covering water which would be considered fishing fast while being slower than most reel retrieves. It also is often introduced after pitching a lure which is also considered fishing fast. To fish slowly longer pauses are added.
Impart Lure Action: The hop will impart the lure action while hitting the bottom or cover can also create a lure action.

HOp Retrieve Options

Retrieve Speed: The retrieve speed depends on lure weight, depth and the length of pauses when the lure is in contact with the bottom or cover. It also depends on the height of the hop.
Hop Height: The hop height depends on the desired lure action. For example, if the desire is to mimic a dying bait fish typically a large hop is suggested allowing the lure a longer time to fall to the bottom. If the desire is to mimic a fleeing forage a more moderate hop is common. If the desire is gain the attention or trigger a reaction bite a smaller hop is sometimes suggested.
Hop Speed: Short hops are generally slower than the high vertical lift hops.

Yo Yo Retrieve: Is a hoping rod action but the lure not coming in contact with the bottom. In other words, the lure is in the water column. It is commonly used to describe quick vertical rod lifts during a reel retrieve (straight retrieve) essentially hoping the lure in the water column while reeling. Yo Yo Retrieve is often associated with a lipless crankbait.
- Hop vs Yo Yo Retrieve: Similar rod action but with Yo Yo retrieve the lure does not come into contact with the bottom. In other words, fishing the lure in the water column.
- Lure Action: Erratic action on the lift and a swim or flutter action on the drop similar to a hop retrieve but more dramatic.
- Deep Water Retrieve: As fishing in the water column it is a more common deep water retrieve.
- Suspended Bass: Some suggest using yo yo retrieve near (above) suspended bass as it keeps the lure in the strike zone longer.

Stroking Retrieve: Typically, referred to as “stroking a jig”, typically a football jig, is a very fast hoping vertical lift of the rod, similar to the large hops used when fishing a flutter spoon.
- Hop vs Stroking Retrieve: Similar rod action as a stroking is a large hop.
- Yo Yo vs Stroking Retrieve: Similar rod action where yo yo retrieve is in the water column and stroking is off the bottom.
- Deeper Water Retrieve: As the stroke can move the lure a few feet the stroking retrieve is more common in deeper water.
- Soft Bottom Composition: Possible in soft bottom as the lure does not stay in contact very long while the bottom disturbance can attract bass.

Additional Considerations

Bottom Composition: Hop retrieve is utilized in both soft and hard bottom compositions. Soft bottom the lure can make a commotion when it hits the bottom and when it is hopped off the bottom which some suggest will help gain the bass’ attention to the lure.
Lure Visibility: Hop retrieve does produce a more erratic action which some suggest is beneficial in low lure visibility. The hop retrieve enables the lure to drop back to the bottom which mimics dying bait fish. Some suggest the hop also mimics crayfish trying to flee a predator. Both are high lure visibility scenarios.
Initial Action: Generally, there is slack line to allow the lure to drop straight to the bottom prior to commencing the retrieve.
Secondary Action: Some suggest leaving the lure on the bottom – dead sticking – between hops.
Cast Distance: Generally small to medium distance casts are difficult to get a good vertical hop when the lure is far from the boat. The distance will vary by depth.