Best Producing Smallie Plastic? 2024

JKarbo214 reply :

What is everyone's best producing smallmouth plastic? This past season I had the most success with the Yamamoto double tail skirted grub in watermelon black for smallies. What has everyone else had success with?

tnbassfisher reply :

A 5" grub will always catch good numbers, but for me it is definitely Zoom Lizards, both 4" and 6"

flippincrazy reply :

A single tail grub.

roadwarrior reply :

Rage Tail Baby Craw

8-)

Mrs. Matstone reply :

Quote
Rage Tail Baby Craw
8-)

That is my first choice too. ;D I also have done well with the eeliminator.

J Francho reply :

Numbers? Or Size? It really boils down to time of year and location. I'll go with Roboworm 4" in Aaron's Magic, on a drop shot rig for consistent deep smallie action.

Jig Man reply :

Melon pepper tube for me.

BRONZEBACK67 reply :

Drop shotting...Cross tail shad in ayu and Yamamoto shad shape worm in green pumpkin.

Tube would be green pumpkin purple fleck.

Nick reply :

Streams: superfluke during warm water season or a 4"senko and smallie beaver Green pumpkin on a stand up jig head in colder water.

Flatwater: 4 inch grub or tube (These fish normally aren't real picky.)

Lund Explorer reply :

Depending on location and forage base, it could range from a tube, to a grub, to a craw worm. And then there is a cut down ribbon tailed worm.

In the early part of the year, I will take a 7" power worm (black or motor oil) and cut down the head so that it is small enough to fit a 2/0 Gammy EWG hook. I use either a smaller worm weight or a splitshot that is just heavy enough to maintain bottom contact when I fish the bait with casts that quarter upstream. This allows the bait to move along with the current and under overhanging cover.

I think this approach mimics a leech or smallish eel and the smallie simply hammer the bait when they bite it. If the fish takes off running with the bait, I'll always cast back into the same cover assuming that the fish was trying to escape with his meal from others inside the same cover.

Shane J reply :

Rage Tail Baby Craw by a mile. Top colors are Watermelon Red with claws dipped in chart JJ's, and Candy Craw. Eeliminator gets quite a few, too!

bigredxlt reply :

in clear calm water during the summer heat when looking for size over quantity I have had the most luck with a rapala skitterwalk in bluegill. I caught a whole bunch of 2-4 pounders that came up from the depths to nail it.

Other than that I really like dark natural colored 4" senkos

shakyhead reply :

small jigs, hula grubs, senkos

WanderLust reply :

Tubes, weightless 4 - 5 inch worms and weightless flukes

ww2farmer reply :

Tubes, and 3" Gulp......often time it matters not what style/color, as long as it's Gulp.

MNGeorge reply :

For size, I'd say Sweet Beaver, for numbers, it's a toss up between rage tail craws and tubes.

Sfritr reply :

did someone say FAT IKA????????

Also, Franco

I agree. roboworm in exactly that color drop shotting with 6lb flourocabon is hard to beat

MNGeorge reply :

OK, Sfritr and Francho, I'm not finding any 4" Roboworms anywhere. Where do you get yours?

maineman reply :

Quote
Rage Tail Baby Craw
8-)

X3 black red flake

WanderLust reply :

Quote
did someone say FAT IKA????????
Also, Franco

I agree. roboworm in exactly that color drop shotting with 6lb flourocabon is hard to beat

Fat IKA is my number 1 green fish lure. The brown ones seems to like tubes for snacks. 4" watermelon dinger was also deadly.

Crestliner2008 reply :

Quote
Numbers? Or Size? It really boils down to time of year and location. I'll go with Roboworm 4" in Aaron's Magic, on a drop shot rig for consistent deep smallie action.

Right on!

MaineBassMan reply :

My favorite plastics for smallmouth are tubes, grubs, texas rigged rage tail craws or 1/4oz. & 3/8oz. jigs rigged with a rage tail craw. For top water action I love stanely ribbit frogs.

Hersh reply :

Early in the spring on the river here watermelon red strike king coffee tubes later on the 4" poor boy stick worm in any sort of watermelon, watermelon red or baby bass color. Also poor boy erie darters work at times

roadwarrior reply :

Another vote for the Fat Ika.

If you count trailers, the Swarming Hornet/ LFT

Live Magic Shad is another option.

Tuckman reply :

Sweet Beavers and any 4" stickworm.

Dragged on a fb head or dropshotted

BassThumb reply :

Finesse tubes on light wire tube jigs.

Sfritr reply :

Quote
OK, Sfritr and Francho, I'm not finding any 4" Roboworms anywhere. Where do you get yours?

Tackle Warehouse, Bass Pro, Cabelas

I was just at BPS today and they had more stocked that I have ever seen in the past

basscrusher reply :

Let me preface by saying I do most of my smallie fishing in a secluded tributary creek where a 14" smallie is big and bottom-bumping lures get broken off about every 5th cast in a massive maze of rocks. That said:

for numbers: 3" senko in watermelon or black

for size: 4" Yum Dinger in green pumpkin/red

biggest I ever hooked: Zoom tube in the Natural Shell color

big t 4488 reply :

4.8 jackall flick worm with a drop shot technique kills them in keuka lake at about 30-50 feet bluff point

georgiaken reply :

Cabin Creek spider jigs and tubes.

Zel... reply :

Soft jerbaits: 3 Bass Assassin, 4 Finesse Fish, 4 Sluggo

Spring: Slider 1.5" Crappie/Pan Fish Grub; Tubes: 3 Screwtail Minnow (don't know what they're called after all these years or even if they're still made, but I got plenty).

Summer: 4 Berkley Finesse Worm Hand Pour.

Fall: G.Y. Fat Ika.

bankerbasser reply :

Zoom Super Speed Craw in Watermelon Red, Carolina rigged Senko in various colors

Crankenstein_MI reply :

Weightless Hot pink Super Fluke

Tin reply :

Tube

Brush Hog

Fluke

Spider Jig

midnighthrasher reply :

1- Tube - 3.5 coffee tubes (3/8 tube head)

2- Jackall crostail or pintail (Dropshot)

3- Fat Ika (rigged backwards)

4- Senko (yamamoto senko. the real deal only. NO wanna be's)

Aluma-Bass reply :

vibra tubes!

Crankenstein_MI reply :

I have caught a bunch on a hula grub as well

Gavin reply :

I river fish for smallmouth mostly...

Zoom Fluke-Pearl or Glimmer Blue

Zoom Fat Albert-Green Pumkin or Green with red flake

Chompers Hula Grub-Same as above

V&M Pork Pin with a brass weight

VTechHokie reply :

3" Gitzit tubes, they are hard to find now but a big bag of them will last quite some time

WdyCrankbait reply :

Quote
Rage Tail Baby Craw
8-)

Yes, but have they worked for you? LOL!!! I gotta go smallmouth fishing with you!

Addicted to Smallies reply :

I hate to be "that guy" but I have to say it... Senko's have been my best producer. Probably worth mentioning that I fish rivers, not lakes.

I suppose it may be a confidence thing for me now, but I found the 4" and 5" Senko's (usually the BPS brand, actually) in watermelon or pumpkin to be good producers for me when other things aren't working. They seem to be perfectly weighted to get down and bounce along in the riffles, but work equally well in the deeper pools. Texas rigged, sometimes with a TINY hook weight on the front of the hook. Also fish them wacky sometimes, but they get hung up a bit more, and I haven't found the hook-up ratio to be any better for me.

Addicted to Smallies reply :

Oh, I almost forgot... the Baby Brush Hog is also deadly. Probably tied with the Senko in my book for producing when everything else in my tackle box seems to be falling flat.

tcain38 reply :

I like a grub in the spring and a Yum Wooly Bug in the late spring though summer.

-nick- reply :

Nice thread. Going to be going down the river on my kayak tomorrow targeting smallies and I was thinking I was about to have to hit up dicks sporting goods after work to pick up some new lures for smallmouths, turns out I have most the things you guys catch them on. Might have to make a trip anyways, no such thing as over prepared. ;D

Ern reply :

Yum Dinger, Bitsy Tubes, and Super Fluke JR.

Dave T. reply :

When it comes to smallies and plastics, I've found that if it is "small", "wiggly", and "green pumpkin" in color, it will catch plenty of smallies anywhere.

Pa Angler reply :

I catch a lot on a Zoom Horny Toad and a 1/8oz Roadrunner with a 3" Grub.

Tight Lines

Pa Angler

Andy C reply :

Zoom superflukes and yum crawbugs, rage tail craws. Smallies aren't exactly picking a lot of times.

bucky reply :

Tube, grub, and jig, in that order.

NorcalBassin reply :

4" single tail grub, hands down.

grimlin reply :

For numbers

4" stickbait

3"-4" tube

3" curly tail grub

For size

RI Sweet beaver T-rigged

Jig with a craw trailer

laus reply :

Tend to go with temp....dart-head jig with curly tail grub good starting point late 50's temp. Kicks w/ inline spinners after, least for me.

3dees reply :

for quality I'll go with a chompers 4" dbl. tailed skirted craw in pumpkin or watermelon on a football jig. for quanity it's old school. 4" slider worm on 1/8th oz jig.

kash1 reply :

Hi new here to the board and I have to say it's really amazing how much I have learnned just from this thread. I do a lot of Smallmouth fishing in Ontario (NWO) where a lot of the lakes are clear,cold and deep with a lot of rocky structer. My personal best bait I use a Zoom OLE MONSTER HEAY SALT WORM in either anything with red flakes in it or a Watermelon color. I just hook them throuh the nose flip it out and let it sink and then reel in with a stop and go motion. It's hard to believe how a smallie will take a 10 1/2 inch bait in one gulp. These baits were bought to take down to use on Pickwick or Wilson lake in ALabama but trip got cancelled so I tried them in Canada and have been using ever since up there. Biggest smallie to date is 7.12lbs. In 40 days I'm headed back up there to fish the AYA and the SSS Tournaments.

TimJ reply :

4" tube

poorboys goby (jig, ds or c-rig)

bobbyc reply :

best way to rig the rage tail baby craw? ...thanX.

tholmes reply :

On 3/12/2011 at 2:11 PM, NorcalBassin said:

4" single tail grub, hands down.

^^ This. In black, smoke, or green pumpkin.

Tom

TerryR reply :

3 or 4 inch curly tail grubs with a 1/4 or 3/8 ounce jig head, depending on current, in either black, yellow, or clear with black flake works for me. Also, for me personally, I seem to do better with chartreuse jigheads for whatever reason.

progressivefishing reply :

5" hula grub on a football jig if fishing rocks and the cray fish are active. If not a brown or brown/red crank bait. Thats about as simple as I can make it, however I always seem to over think it... I think most of us do when it comes to fishing. haha

kc.coleman reply :

Plastic worms in green pumpkin and junebug have been hitting hard at our lake this summer with the bass staying deeper in the water

SmallieDncr reply :

Kinami 4" grub in chartreuse or green pumpkin on a revenge jig head. I have caught to over 7 on these.

Kinami swimsenko in white or green pumpkin

Keitech 4" swing impact in ayu or green pp.

Smallie beaver in dirty sanchez on a zipper football head. I fish these on Lake Michigan with great success.

Kamiahkid reply :

Hands down...3.5" Sweet Beaver

Bill Porter reply :

Black w/ no flake 4 inch Yamamoto Senko weightless on 2/0 EWG Lazer Sharp Red Hook! Close second is Case Plastics 3 3/4 inch Sinkin Salty Minnow on GAM WG size 2 Finesse hook (nose hooked for that sweet action of course)! Also the Hellgramite from Case Plastics is like candy to smallies, early spring you can catch one every cast.

Shifty reply :

3 or 4 inch Berkley Crazy Leg Chigger Craw, Green Pumkin....Texas rigged.

Smallies tear these things up on the Colorado.

senkoman81 reply :

Wacky rigged senko numbers, baby brush hogs for size

BradH reply :

Chompers 4" straight tail worm in green pumpkin. On a jig, drop shot or split shot rig.

castaway reply :

weightless Zoom super fluke in bubblegum color and 5" Kalin grub in smoke,salt and pepper color on 1/4 oz. leadhead.

iceehot66 reply :

Keitech Fat 2.8 or 3" in Pro Blue red pearl or Shad colors color slayed em really good this past season here in NJ

G_money reply :

First let me say I exclusively fish for size...that being said:

1. yamamoto double tail hula grub (brown grape blk flk) on a 1/4 oz strike king shakyhead football jighead

2. Strike King Tour Grade Finesse Jig (Watermelon with red flk) with uncle Josh #11 pork trailer (trailer depends on hatch color and water color

3. a distant third; Yamamoto 4" senko (outperforms the imitators by far--but very pricey if bite is hot)

Siebert Outdoors reply :

4" grub or tube in green pumpkin varient.

smallies24/7 reply :

a custom hand poured bait up here where i live called sniper lures. the sniper bolt in white or green and dropshotting. you should look them up at sniperlures.com.

ToledoEF reply :

I fish pretty swift current in the maumee river. I use small size rebel wee craws, with the hooks replaced lol. Rebel pop-r, 1/8oz sk buzzbait in black. Some local hand poured tubes with 1/16th up to 3/16oz shakey heads instead of the tube jigs and flukes.

dumfish reply :

4 and 6 inch grandebass rattlesnake worms in watermellon red flake, 3.75" lake fork magic shad,

Crookedneck reply :

Strike King baby rodent (3.5") green pumpkin with a 1/4 oz black bullet weight

iceintheveins reply :

Grubs, be they single, double or skirted. Green Pumpkin, white, watermelon ect.

RevoSEMIpro reply :

Strike King Coffee tubes or a 4" Senko, do a lot of damage with both.

out_doors_guy reply :

In no particualr order:

NetBait Tiny Paca Craws

4" Yamamoto Senkos

Kinami Double Tail Hua grubs

BPS Tubes

Colors I prefer would be green pumpkin, smoke, watermelon/red flake and black

13310

Best Producing Smallie Plastic? 2024

related Smallmouth Bass Fishing topic

previous topic

next topic

most viewed Smallmouth Bass Fishing topic