Let's Talk Smallmouth Lures...

[patfish]

... I'm like Al,

No, you're not.

[snagged in outlet 3]

darn dude, that hurt.

I meant to say....... ah forget it.

SIO3

[FishinCricket]

No, you're not.

Ouch.... lol

[Gary Lange]

When I fished Stream Smallies up in Illinois in the Winter the one go to lure was a 1/16oz. Jighead with a Pearl 2" Twister. It had to be Pearl also not white. That would get them when nothing else would. I haven't done much Stream fishing down here but hope to get a Canoe this year so I can get out on the local waters.

[Al Agnew]

Oops, it was ColdWaterFshr that said he used mainly topwaters, not Gavin...sorry about that, CWF.

And Gavin, if your comment was directed at me, I wasn't saying small lures don't work or being defensive in any way, just saying why I don't normally use them.

Like I said before, I always find it interesting the number of different lures people use successfully. Which just goes to show you that stream smallmouth fishing isn't rocket science.

On the other hand, I suspect that there are always going to be ways--and lures--that could improve your success on any given day. I always wonder if, even on the days when I'm catching plenty of fish, there isn't something different I could do that would catch more or bigger ones. On the other other hand, if I'm catching a satisfying number of fish, why drive myself nuts wondering about what I COULD be catching? I ain't fishing tournaments.

Which brings me to something I've thought about for a while...I know a few guys who do fish tournaments on rivers like the Meramec and Current. Weekend tournaments, crowded heavily fished river, and the winning bag is usually pretty decent, like a five fish, 2-3 pound average. Usually the winner is weighing in mostly largemouth, but there are often some 3 pound plus smallies weighed in, especially on Current River. To be honest, I don't know whether I could consistently do well under those conditions on those rivers. Is it a factor of lures and techniques, or more a factor of really knowing the river and knowing some consistently productive spots?

[Stoneroller]

Al if you like the reaction bite in clear streams/rivers, you should really give the crawfish crankbaits another shot. I am not a fan of the cranks that are meerly painted craw color, the ones that are actually shaped like crawfish seem to work much better. I'm going to try some of those Kooper Livetarget baits this summer.

I'm wondering this, as I've not really seen anyone mention it much. I use jigs or weighted plastics at root wads and such, tossing it up current and letting the lure drift back into the wad. And I primarily try to fish 'upstream' with crankbaits, where the lure is swimming with the current on the retrieve. Which direction do most people tend to fish? Up or Downstream?

[Gavin]

Al my comment was directed at Drew....And it looks like he deleted the post I was refering to. The guy has some different ideas...and that is good by me. I dont fish the small stuff often, even with the fly rod. If I'm fly fishing for smallies...its usually something on a #4-2/0 in the 2.5-5" range.

[timinmo]

I find this thread interesting in that, as already noted, smallmouth can be caught on many things. I really enjoy topwater, mainly walk the dog lures. Those always get a chance and must prove they are not working. Lately I have been fishing more shallow crank baits but have and will continue to throw alot of soft plastics. I really don't think it makes much difference as to shape, be it beaver type, soft craw, or tube. I have caught many fish on the Rebel Teeny Craw but it seems to me they loose alot of fish also. I have changed the rear hook on all mine to one size larger. It does not seem to hurt the action, but the jury is still out as to whether the fish stay hooked better or not. That Teeny Craw will catch anything and if your main target is smallies I think there are better cranks, but it is a lure I use when nothing else seems to work.

As for the WTD lures I throw Sammies of several sizes with success but have also been using an Ima Skimmer and wondered if anyone else has tried it. The action is a little different from a Sammie or Spook but it walks quite well and in my limited use it has worked well.

I used to use spinner baits alot but for some reason, stupidity possibly, have not been using them much lately. Deep diving cranks are another lure that I don't seem to use much anymore maybe because I tend to fish smaller streams then I used to.

Reading everyone's response makes me think I should reassess some of my choices.

[eric1978]

For those of you who rave about the Rebel Craw...hate to burst your bubble, but it has nothing to do with the shape of the lure. It's just the erratic action that gets them biting it. You could throw a glob of dog poo and it would basically get the same results if it had the same action. The shape of the lure is for the fishermen, not the fish...the fish can't even see it that well. Any wide-wobbling crank will do the same thing, and probably better, Wiggle Wart case in point.

[Stoneroller]

oh i'm not saying the fish like it any better, i'm just saying i'm not a fan of a shad style crankbait that is simply painted red with some black stripes and the manufacturer calls it "crawfish" or some nonsense. and yes, it's definately for the fisherman appeal and not for the fish.

But that being said, light does reflect off of a properly shaped lure differently than a flat sided one, something some of the lure makers have recognized and we are now seeing lures like the livetarget series by koopers which aren't merely painted or stickered, but are actually shaped like the prey item they are supposed to look like. I'd guess profile is probably more important in most scenarios than details, but in clear water with heavily pressured fish it might make the difference, either to the fish or the anglers' confidence.

one thing I will say I absolutely cannot stand about the rebel crawfish is the rear hook gets caught between the claws on the lure, many times as the lure hits the water, at which point it's unlikely a fish will take the lure, either because the hook is hung up or because of what that does to the action. For ease of fishing a single hook is always easier and 'better' for landing fish, in my opinion, as the hook up on a single hook tends to be 'better'. Treble hooks tend to catch the outside of a fish's face, or the skin inside the mouth quite a bit and don't seem to always get a firm hold through the lip.

Then there are the times the longear eat all 3 hooks on a treble and have them all stuck through their lips, sealing their mouth closed in the process.

(See the thread about essential fishing items for discussion on the importance of a pair of hemostats for hook removal.)