Let's Talk Smallmouth Lures...

[Al Agnew]

There have been a lot of posts here about stream smallmouth fishing, and probably most everything has already been covered at some point. But I for one never get tired of talking about the subject, and there are probably people here now that haven't seen all the previous posts. For this thread, let's leave out fly rod stuff--and do the fly rod stuff in a separate thread. So...

I think you can divide stream bass lures into several major categories. I would list them as:

Topwaters--includes walk-the-dog types, prop baits, buzzbaits, poppers.

Spinnerbaits--in-line, safety pin, tandem spins, twin-spins.

Crankbaits--deep divers, shallow runners, I'd include minnow lures like floating and sinking Rapalas in this class.

Jerkbaits--these are mostly suspending minnow-shaped lures.

Jigs--includes hair jigs, hair jigs with trailers, silicone jigs with trailers, and maybe grubs fished on a jig head; basically anything fished on a jig head.

Unweighted soft plastics--fluke type baits and Senko types, mainly. (Although both can be fished weighted.)

Weighted soft plastics--pretty much anything you fish on or near the bottom that ain't a jig.

A few other miscellaneous that don't exactly fit in any of those categories--slow-sinking walk-the-dog lures like the Rapala Subwalk, swim baits both hard and soft, wobbling jig types with the little metal "lips" on them...and probably others I'm not thinking about.

So...how many of those categories do you normally use--and is there any particular time of year, water conditions, etc. where you think they are more effective? What are your favorite brands in each category if you want to share that? Any "secrets", special techniques, or modifications you care to share? I'll share mine in a little while.

[eric1978]

I rarely fish for smallmouth in the winter, but if I do I'll take along little jigs, grubs, tubes and always a suspending jerkbait like an LC SP78. If we have a really unusually big and long-lasting warmup around this time of year or early March, I might try a Wiggle Wart a bit.

When things start to warm up more around April, I'll add a Wart more consistently, and try a spinnerbait on the right days, but still tend to have more confidence in the slower stuff and the jerkbait. I'll also start throwing a Senko around this time.

By the end of May my rods are pretty much always rigged with a spinnerbait, a Sammy or Pop-Max, and I'll always have a 4" fluke tied on one spinning rod...things will stay this way for the rest of the summer, unless conditions call for slowing down my presentation, and I'll reluctantly go back to the earlier-season stuff. I hate fishing slow when I can fish fast. I catch about 75% of my smallmouth on a 1/4 or 3/8 oz tandem willow, chartreuse/white spinnerbait, with or without a trailer...never seems to matter. You generally catch fewer fish, but more quality fish with the spinnerbait, and that's fine with me. That's the bait I have the most confidence in, and I have the most fun fishing...that is unless they're killing the Sammy on top, of course. Nothing beats a good Sammy bite.

When late September and early October roll around, the early and mid-spring baits come back out, and by late November and December I'm usually done for the year and starting to fish solely for trout.

If I do attempt to catch smallmouth in the winter, I'll usually just stick with small jigs and tubes, and I'll always have minimal success. I need some schoolin' on winter smallies.

This year one of my goals is to buy a 7wt, tie up a bunch of big, juicy streamers, and catch some good smallies on the fly...that is if I can keep my hands off that spinnerbait rod. It's always calling to me.

[Stoneroller]

only need 1 lure for smallmouths in streams and small rivers rebel crawfish in "ditch" color. (stream crawfish is ok too) you can take your pick on size and depth range, I like one smaller deeper diver and one larger shallow. I dont waste time throwing anything else usually. I've used tubes, spinners, pop-r's, rapala's and even a jig once in a while, but I find a crankbait matches my fishing style better and (knock on wood) I have yet to be skunked fishing an 'ozark' stream yet. add to that rock bass and longear sunfish will readily take the smaller version and you have the 'perfect' "one" go to bait that can always be counted on. I'm sure others will have a similar bait of their own, I literally throw the rebel crawfish 98% of the time.

[ColdWaterFshr]

I got all those lures, but I find myself fishing almost exclusively with topwater in the warmer months. Not enjoying it as much any other way. Guess I've fallen in love with the visual smash.

[Justin Spencer]

Don't get a chance to smallmouth fish much as I'm too busy in the warm months, but when I do go it is mostly 4" plastic worm, either carolina or texas rigged. Love beetle spins for variety of species, and of course topwater is as fun as it gets, but catch most on the worm along with some nice goggle eye. Have to agree the rebel craw is one of the best as they catch anything that swims and does it well. Whenever someone who isn't fly fishing asks what to use I always steer them toward the crawdad crank, catches trout, bass, goggle eye, etc.

[joeD]

I have all the types of lures Al mentioned, in various sizes and colors. I still buy more. I throw them all at some point, even if just to say "I tried it" or to be "more versatile." But, because I am at heart a lazy and unimaginative angler, I throw what works for me, and what has caught countless fish, and caught 90% of my smallies over 18 inches, which I do on a regular basis. That is, of course, the white pearl super fluke, rigged weightless upside down a 4/0 or 5/0 hook, 8# test line. I use it all the time, in every season, in any water condition. All other lures I use at most 20 or 30% of the time. A quick breakdown.

1. Topwater- I love a PopR or a buzzbait. I have a Sammy on quite often though. I'll throw these anytime or where.

2. Spinnerbait- I like a 3/16 tandem in white or chartreuse and a twin spin. That's about it. I like to use these in very stained or very clear water. Generally retrieved fairly quickly.

3. Crankbaits- Wiggle warts or Baby Minus-1s. Not a whole lot of enthusiasm though (but, I have on occasion caught some real nice fish with them. Hmm).

4. Jerkbaits- Pointers and Spros. For trout. In winter. Effective.

5. Jigs- Not really. I used to use chompers all the time. I caught my first 20 incher with one on the Big River. If I use a jig, it'll be a chomper, especially if I don't think the fish are aggressive, and want something down, and slow.

6. Soft plastics- Fluke. Senkos every so often. And, when things are tough, or I want (need) to get some action, slider worms or fish doctors.

I'll throw any bait, in any water condition, any time of the year. I'm quite desperate in that regard.

But, it is the white fluke for me.

[Al Agnew]

Okay, here are mine...

Topwaters--Sammy 100 gets thrown more than anything else in topwaters. Sammy 85, modified by drilling into it and taking out one of the big steel balls that lie in the middle chamber, then covering the hole with clear epoxy. Why? Because as is the 85 sits vertically in the water and is very touchy to get to walk-the-dog. By taking out that weight, it makes it sit at a bit of an angle, makes it ride higher in the water, and makes it walk the dog like a dream. Sammy 115 if the water is somewhat murky. The Sammies are one of my go to lures for very clear water, and the 85 gets thrown on smaller creeks, with the 100 on most floatable size streams.

I'd say that part of it is because I avoid the heavily pressured streams on summer weekends, but from June to mid-September, one or another of the Sammies is going to work well on the streams I fish about 75% of the time. Only problem is that about half the time, the fish will be blowing up on them without getting hooked. When that happens I switch to a LC Gunfish or an LC G-Splash. Seems like the fish will often take those more positively, especially the G-Splash.

I carry a couple of home-made prop baits but seldom even try them. I don't use buzzbaits as much as I once did, but if the water is very clear the smallish buzzbait (home made) will always get a good try. Buzzbaits flat-out catch fish in clear water, but for some reason I don't enjoy throwing them as much as I once did.

Crankbaits--I have a lot more confidence in crankbaits in stained to murky water. If water clarity is four feet or less, I'll always have on my home-made shallow running crank anytime the water temps are over 60 degrees. If it's between 50 and 60 degrees I'll have on a deep diver. My go-to deep divers are the Wiggle Wart, and the Normal Middle N. I modify the Middle N by adding a few strands of silicone to the belly hook. Sometimes I'll add a small split tail plastic trailer to the belly hook of the Wart.

Spinnerbaits--my home-made twin spin always gets thrown in clear water that's warmer than 55 degrees. The clearer the water the better. In murky water and bigger rivers, and in colder water down to 50 degrees, the 1/4 to 3/8th ounce tandem spin with willow leaf blades gets the nod. Chartreuse or chartreuse/white works best in clearer water with both lures, white works well in water with just a little color, black in water that's murky.

Jerkbaits--strictly a spring and fall and warm winter day bait for me. Water temps from 45 to 60 degrees. LC Pointer 78 or Slender Pointer most of the time. Regular suspending version in smaller streams or warmer water, deeper diver in colder water.

Jigs--home made hair jigs in the winter, water temps from 38 to 45 degrees. I have very little confidence in them in the summer, however. And I want water with a little color, say less than 6 feet of visibility. In the summer, I'll use smallish silicone jigs, Zoom Super Chunk Jr. trailer with the tails trimmed down just a bit. This is a murky water bait for me, visibility 4 feet or less. I only use it when I have to, when the faster stuff isn't working.

Unweighted soft plastics--Super Fluke gets used a lot. Good summertime lure, and I use it on spinning tackle so I can skip it under overhanging limbs. It's also a good choice in the fall when leaves are on the water, because you can fish it without getting too fouled up in the leaves. I like to throw it atop mats of leaves piled up against obstructions, and bring it off the edge of the mat. In spring and fall when the water is colder, I'll add a big split shot about 12 inches up the line and fish it a lot slower on the bottom.

I used to use Senkos, but have pretty much lost confidence in them except as a finesse type bait, weighted with split shot like the fluke, in colder water.

Weighted soft plastics--about the only thing in this category that I use is a tube. 3-3.5 inch tubes in the summer are my go-to "slow" bait in clear water. I fish them with an EWG hook and a split shot shoved up into the tube for weight. Smaller tubes in the winter. I'll also occasionally use a finesse worm on a jig head in the winter.

Miscellaneous baits--I've given most of them a try, but the only one I use much at present is my home made version of a Subwalk. It often works well when fish are blowing up on Sammies in the summer without getting hooked. And it often works well in spring and fall when water temps are in the mid-50s.

My default fishing mindset is to fish as fast as conditions will allow. So I use the topwaters, spinnerbaits, and crankbaits more than the slower bottom bumping lures.

[drew03cmc]

I only carry four lures to speak of. Granted, they are in various colors, but only four lures.

I carry:

Rebel Craws in Stream and Ditch

1/8oz Rooster Tails in white, black and yellow

2.5" soft plastic craws in green pumpkin and crawdad colors

Rapala F05 original in silver and gold. For the craws I use 1/16 and 1/8oz ball jigheads.

That is my simple lure selection and I can cover the surface (Rooster Tail) to the bottom (soft craws). I carry these lures when I am stream fishing for largemouth as well and have caught everything from 4" bluegill to 18" largemouth on them. I am anxious to get on the water and catch some bass this spring!

[joeD]

Al, the reason you like to throw baits that you can crank back quickly is because you can, because you're in shape. I'm jealous. Even though I get plenty of exercise jumping to conclusions and flying off the handle, my right arm can't take it (that is why I use my left hand for many things. Meet different people so to wank, I mean speak. Too many pitches thrown in my baseball life).

Regardless, I love talking about lures and smallmouth fishing. I truly believe that fishing success is a function of repetition. With repetition, comes experience. With experience, comes marriage. With marriage, comes kids. With kids, comes frustration and disappointment, tempered by pure joy. Then comes knowledge (or what passes for knowledge for men). THEN, you go fishing. And THEN you KNOW what fishing is all about, my young apprentice.

Sorry. Picked the wrong time to quit sniffing glue.

[aftersh0ck]

I remember going on a float in 1990 and putting in at huzzah valley and fishing where the spring comes in.

fishing from our canoe while waiting for the others with the the tiny rebel craw in the natural green color and in less then 5 mins caught a nice rainbow, and 2 smallies, one was about 12 and the second over 15, in the process of holding it up to show off being a 16yr old it jumped out of my hand with my lure still attached and broke the line. all i had left was 2 brown ones. they did not produce as many that the other does from all my other floats before. its been the old go to when other things are slow. i love using it as a topwater in the side pools just shaking it and not bring it under.

as for other lures.

tiny torpedo has landed me the second most along with my biggest

4" worms in drop shot especially in natural colors

all soft plastic craw baits work great

at night time all black 1/2oz. - 3/4oz. spinnerbait, hang on tight though your rod will get taken out of your hand

if not ready