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Best River Lures? 2024


fishing user avatarMontgomeryCountyFishing reply : 

Hello Bass Resource Fishing Community! This is my first post and I would love to hear some of your favorite smallmouth bass fishing lures to use in Rivers? Thanks for reading and feedback. Have a great day.


fishing user avatarDrowning A Worm reply : 

X raps x-r8, poppers, KVD 1.0, finesse worms and I'm gonna try drop shotting tiny flukes and Shakey head craws season


fishing user avatarMontgomeryCountyFishing reply : 
  On 12/20/2016 at 12:58 PM, Drowning A Worm said:

X raps x-r8, poppers, KVD 1.0, finesse worms and I'm gonna try drop shotting tiny flukes and Shakey head craws season

Thanks for the input! Ill check out some of these for sure


fishing user avatarroadwarrior reply : 

I have been fishing the Tennessee River for nearly twenty years. The only lure I have ever used that has out-fished live bait is the Rage Tail Menace, T-rigged and weedless.

 

:xmas-115:


fishing user avatar"hamma" reply : 

river fishing for smallies? hmmm

 

a bone colored small pop-r

white/chart manns classic spinnerbait 3/8 oz

1/8 oz aru patterned pins minnow

1/4 oz football jighead with a 4" smoke/silver flake grub

1/8 oz screwlock wormweight 1/0 gammie offset round bend hook with a black/chartruese tailed berkley power ringworm

 

sometimes I will switch the grub out for a green pumpkin yamamoto double tailed hula grub (is there anywhere that doesnt work?)


fishing user avatarYudo1 reply : 

4" senko, x rap 8, 3" grub/jig head, tubes, pop x, ned rig.


fishing user avatarscaleface reply : 

Soft Plastic craws are number 1 where I fish . Tubes,  Hula Grubs ,  spinnerbaits , Beetle spins ,  Buzzbzits and poppers ,Jig head and grub  . 


fishing user avatarTnRiver46 reply : 
  On 12/20/2016 at 7:14 PM, roadwarrior said:

I have been fishing the Tennessee River for nearly twenty years. The only lure I have ever used that has out-fished live bait is the Rage Tail Menace, T-rigged and weedless.

 

:xmas-115:

I have been fishing the Tennessee river for 30+ yrs....... and after reading what roadwarrior posted, I altered my work route slightly today and popped into a sporting goods store!!!!! Wouldn't you know  it, they were on clearance. Thanks for the advice! Hahaha

IMG_7896.JPG


fishing user avatarpoonman reply : 

White Curly tail grubs kill everything in clear moving water.

Tight lines


fishing user avatarSteveo-1969 reply : 

Welcome to Bass Resource MCF!  There have already been lots of great river smallmouth baits mentioned and I use most of them.  (Strike King Menace Grub is definitely one of my go-to smallmouth river baits!!!!!!)

 

I'll add a 3"-5" soft paddletail swimbait.  And a rubber-skirted jig with craw trailer.


fishing user avatarbowhunter63 reply : 

Rage Craw ,Rage Menace ,Fluke and a swimjig with a swim bait trailer.Welcome Aboard


fishing user avatarThe Bassman reply : 

Swimming Fluke Jr. and wacky 4" Senko type kept me in them last summer.


fishing user avatarSpankey reply : 

Make sure you have a Bomber, Strike King, Bandit and a Rapala version of a fire tiger crank. All time anywhere producer but I've gotten away from the color some the last few years. Lack of rain clears water up. That pushes me away from that color a bit. Gotta have it though. 

You'll go broke buying everything on this post by time it's over. Hope you have a big tackle box and a back strong enough to carry it. ?


fishing user avatarSpankey reply : 

We just talked about this also in a recent thread. A few nice Mepps or Rooster Tail spinners are a must have. #3's & 4's


fishing user avatarHurricane reply : 

Ned Rig.


fishing user avatarSam reply : 

Black and blue Bitsy Jig.


fishing user avatarFrenchman83 reply : 

I'll throw a couple general items into the mix.  Spinnerbaits with white and/or chartreuse in 1/4 to 1/2 oz.  Also, shallow to medium diving crankbaits with chartreuse and craw patterns.


fishing user avatarSpankey reply : 

Somewhere in my limited traveling around back awhile ago I saw this Mepps with a double gold blade yellowish bead body with yellowish matching squirrel tail. Looked like a killer but I didn't pick it up. It was a 4 or 5. Wasn't trying to be cheap to not buy it. Just got side tracked and inline spinners are not on my mind that much. I'll see it again. It's a catcher, I felt it.


fishing user avatardwh4784 reply : 

Where I river fish for smallies it's a "selective gear" fishery to protect the native redband trout. So single barbless hook, no bait (includes scented plastics). I've done well on inlines, float-n-fly, Mr Twister grubs on a 3/32 jighead. I've pinched the barbs down on a couple of Strike King Mini King's but have lost them both on the first cast stuck in the rocks. Also tried some cranks and poppers with a single hook but I haven't caught many like that. I really wish I could toss a 3 or 4" Senko in there.


fishing user avatarJagg reply : 

Don't do a lot of smallie fishing unfortunately, but do fish for Guadalupe bass and they fish similarly. I throw small buzzbaits and Bomber Fat A's when the current is swift. Eakin's finesse jigs w/craws, baby boo jig w/plastic, Kalin grub, tube, Tiny Lucky 13 and Rapala, Rebel or Smithwick floating minnow (depending on size and rattles).

Haven't tried the swim jig or Ned rig for Guads, but looking forward to trying.


fishing user avatarohiobassfishing reply : 

Poppers or tubes. They always catch fish!


fishing user avatarSWLures reply : 

Homemade Bucktail chartreuse w/ yellow saddle feather and a silicone ruby glitter skirt.

Homemade again, inline spinner #3 copper blade, brass body (1/4 oz) paint with flouresent red rings. Approximately 3.5" long.

Mainly used in the foot hills rivers of mountains or in the mountains rivers. 


fishing user avatarGlenn reply : 

Here's what to use, and how to use 'em!

 


fishing user avatarSWLures reply : 

Nice vid., over my 50+ years of fishing I agree with all in the video except for a few. The first is the clarity of the water controls color of a group of baits to use, sound is important also for muddy to stained waters. The second is I don't want to go where most can go. I want it to be a chore for most people to get to these areas. As all of us know the pressure on the fish is extreme. So I will do a little work to have a lot of fun. Normally it's well worth the effort. These are just my opinions.

 

Take care


fishing user avatarsmr913 reply : 

I spend the majority of my time on a fairly small river fishing for smallies. About 75% of my fish come on a Green Pumpkin or Black (depends on water clarity) Ultra Vibe Speed Craw with a 3/16 ounce spot remover. The rest come on a variety of squarebills, ned rigs, topwaters, and spinnerbaits. After a redfishing trip I took a page from their book and started using a safety pin style spinnerbait with a 4" paddletail swimbait. River smallies are not really shy when it comes to eating. More about finding the right kind of water that will be holding them and putting it in front of them. 


fishing user avatarSnipe Hunter reply : 

Hmmm. The cool thing about smallmouth in rivers is that they're usually where they're supposed to be so getting your bait in front of them is the key. Rivers are all different, fast, slow, deep, shallow, rocky, sandy, grassy etc. I'll throw whatever puts itself in the strike-zone the longest without hanging up too often. I'll throw tubes and creature baits in slower water and lipless crank baits and spinner baits in faster water. I've found that I can throw billed cranks in eddies or calm areas in tailraces with success. Lots of noise and flash in fast water and more realistic baits in slower water.


fishing user avatarWI_Angler1989 reply : 

I fish rivers pretty much exclusively. Here in WI there's no shortage of big river smallies either! Of course, I love fishing lots of lures, but for the sake the topic here are my favs/best.

 

-Tubes- (Cabin Creek, River Rock) easily my most productive and favorite way to fish. Nothing beats the feeling of a big fish hitting a little tube for me. Tubes are also my best numbers bait. So long as you know there are or should be fish around (eddies, pools, break lines), youll catch smallies on a tube. It's the first thing I fish and the lure that I have the most confidence in.

 

-Grubs- (Kalin's) also super productive at any time of the year. I play around with colors and length to see what they want. Greens and smokes work best here. 4" usually, some 5" and 3" for trailers.

 

-finesse jigs- they'll will get bit any time the tube bite is on in my experience. The kicker is that I've had days when a tube gets nadda, but the jig gets slammed. 

 

-Mepps Aglia- for me it's Mepps. Not inline spinners. Mepps. They're money here on any fish and Smallies love them. Downside is they're very snaggy if you're in unfamiliar water. 

 

-Plastic Craws- I use these as jig trailers a lot, but fish them alone more probably. Some days they out fish tubes, some days it's about the same but the claws make them fall slower which can be key. I cast into current and just reel slower lack as they bounce down river.

 

I do all my tubes, craws, finesse worms, etc on Cadman's Smallie slidin' jigs (confidence baits draggin heads too) and that's the key. They weedless, pretty snag proof unless it's super rocky, and make plastics sit up on the bottom. Finding this style jig hook was the best thing for me. No more worries about snags and lost lures so I fish confidently!

 

Well, that's my run down on what I do and like. Now I wanna go fishing... crap.


fishing user avatarTriCityBassin' reply : 

Here is a picture of my smallmouth river...James River in Richmond VA. I don't catch fish on plastics/bottom baits. I also don't have one over 2.25lbs. HELP!

DSC06384.jpg


fishing user avatarJagg reply : 

Topwaters. Floating minnows, Heddon Torpedoes, Tiny Lucky 13s.


fishing user avatarTnRiver46 reply : 
  On 1/6/2017 at 3:37 AM, TriCityBassin' said:

Here is a picture of my smallmouth river...James River in Richmond VA. I don't catch fish on plastics/bottom baits. I also don't have one over 2.25lbs. HELP!

DSC06384.jpg

Senko Senko and more Senko. weedless and weightless. It can be a topwater a jerkbait or a do-nothing bait 


fishing user avatarWI_Angler1989 reply : 
  On 1/6/2017 at 3:37 AM, TriCityBassin' said:

Here is a picture of my smallmouth river...James River in Richmond VA. I don't catch fish on plastics/bottom baits. I also don't have one over 2.25lbs. HELP!

DSC06384.jpg

 

Personally, I'd fish some Kalin's grubs and Aglias. If it's topwater season I'd throw a popper too. 


fishing user avatarsmr913 reply : 

In the late spring/summer throw a 3/16 or 1/4 jig with a craw trailer straight up stream and let it bounce down. Use a high speed reel to keep in constant contact with the bait. I also do pretty well with a buzzbait or whopper plopper 90 in black across current breaks and eddies. 

 

In early spring/early fall you can't beat a white beetlespin or other shad colored spinnerbait but they move out of the fast water.


fishing user avatarJagg reply : 

Yup, my bad. This time of year a Spot Remover jig with a Z-Man plastic. Ned rig or Slider Spider jig is also an option since you don't want to really be on bottom with those, but swimming just off bottom.


fishing user avatarTriCityBassin' reply : 
  On 1/6/2017 at 6:36 AM, Jagg said:

Topwaters. Floating minnows, Heddon Torpedoes, Tiny Lucky 13s.

Yep do this now. But no option when that bite shuts off.

  On 1/6/2017 at 7:33 AM, TnRiver46 said:

Senko Senko and more Senko. weedless and weightless. It can be a topwater a jerkbait or a do-nothing bait 

What do you do? Just let it tumble in the current?


fishing user avatarScott F reply : 
  On 1/6/2017 at 11:55 AM, TriCityBassin' said:

Yep do this now. But no option when that bite shuts off.

What do you do? Just let it tumble in the current?

It doesn't exactly tumble but flows with the current. I use braid that floats. Reel fast enough to keep most, but not all the slack out of the line. Watch the line, when a fish picks up the bait, the line will twitch, then set the hook. If you drift it under overhanging trees, you will get lots of bites.


fishing user avatarTryan reply : 

Bottom:  Chompers Hula grubs on a standup jig or football jig.

 

Middle: spinnerbait or crankbait

 

Top:  A Sammy/ other WTD or buzzbait.

 

Also, a Ned rig always produces numbers for me.

 

I'll have to give the rage tail menance a try.  


fishing user avatarchattooga_ basser reply : 

There are some good answers here. My  favourite river smallmouth baits are a Rebel craw crankbait, 4" stick worm, and a tube. I throw the craw around rocks, gravel etc, the stick worm is for skipping under shady trees and  undercut banks. The tube is my open water bait for fishing eddies, eddy lines and other current breaks.  

  

 


fishing user avatarPatrickKnight reply : 

If the fishing is just really bad I can always get something on 4 inch green pumpkin Yamamoto curly tail. Cast it up stream and bump it off every rock possible.


fishing user avatarTriCityBassin' reply : 

All good ideas...some is textbook and should be solid.  I will try most of these...but the plastics are a killer in my area bc of the sunfish (river bream).  Freakin' piranhas!  They shred any plastic i throw.  A hula grub will be a Ned rig in 5 casts. I will give all of these a serious go, i know the big girls are there but not hitting on the top.  I will have to figure out the senko drift


fishing user avatarPatrickKnight reply : 
  On 1/7/2017 at 5:53 PM, TriCityBassin' said:

All good ideas...some is textbook and should be solid.  I will try most of these...but the plastics are a killer in my area bc of the sunfish (river bream).  Freakin' piranhas!  They shred any plastic i throw.  A hula grub will be a Ned rig in 5 casts. I will give all of these a serious go, i know the big girls are there but not hitting on the top.  I will have to figure out the senko drift

 

I have this issue as well, I find the Z-Man brand baits hold up better just due to the material they are made out of. However I seem to do better on the Yamamoto baits.


fishing user avatarrazor6570 reply : 

Smallie.JPG Jig head underspin with a green pumpkinseed grub.

 

 

 

Smallmouth.jpg


fishing user avatarroadwarrior reply : 

One of my favorites, too!  I throw a Sworming Hornet/ LFT Live Magic Shad.

 

:ok-wink:


fishing user avatarJacob Phelps reply : 

I have had success with 5 inch senko style works wacky rigged, T-rigged craws, tubes, and crankbaits. I began to use jigs at the end of last season with a little success. Purchased a couple finesse jigs to try. I also have a popper that I want to start using on the river. 


fishing user avatarWI_Angler1989 reply : 
  On 1/11/2017 at 4:07 AM, Jacob Phelps said:

I have had success with 5 inch senko style works wacky rigged, T-rigged craws, tubes, and crankbaits. I began to use jigs at the end of last season with a little success. Purchased a couple finesse jigs to try. I also have a popper that I want to start using on the river. 

 

Sounds like myself. I haven't done much wacky rigging, to my own loss, but I want to do some more finesse jigs and poppers too. The main spots I fish from shore are tough for wacky. I think once I'm in the canoe more it'll work better.


fishing user avatarSnipe Hunter reply : 

Are you fishing anywhere near some deeper water? I catch a lot of small smallies in the Upper Potomac and Shenandoah. Almost (maybe all) of my bigger fish came in or near deep water. When I say deep, I'm talking about 6ft if I can find it. They may not be in it but they'll be near it. Fish the fast water near deep spots.


fishing user avatarking fisher reply : 

In a river that size at that water level, I would cover every inch of it with a number 3 Mepps, or Vibrax.  You would be able to put an inline in every riffle pocket, edie, run, pool, and tail out from top to bottom quickly. It all looks very fishy. Some of slower water looks perfect for a floating Rapala.  Twitch it on the surface in the pockets next to shore than steady retrieve through the middle.  With these two lures, you should be able to catch any species of sport fish in that water.  Also perfect water level for a fly rod, with wooly buggers, and string leaches.


fishing user avatarWI_Angler1989 reply : 
  On 1/16/2017 at 1:09 AM, king fisher said:

In a river that size at that water level, I would cover every inch of it with a number 3 Mepps, or Vibrax.  You would be able to put an inline in every riffle pocket, edie, run, pool, and tail out from top to bottom quickly. It all looks very fishy. Some of slower water looks perfect for a floating Rapala.  Twitch it on the surface in the pockets next to shore than steady retrieve through the middle.  With these two lures, you should be able to catch any species of sport fish in that water.  Also perfect water level for a fly rod, with wooly buggers, and string leaches.

 

+2 on the Mepps for a search lure! It's worked well for me at all stages too: early spring, summer and fall. Just vary the speed and beware snags.


fishing user avatarBigSkyBasser reply : 

Senkos seem to rule all on the rivers here for the vast majority of season. The versatility of a wacky rigged senko in current is incredible and call also be rigged for any other smallmouth finesse application you could think of. 


fishing user avatarscaleface reply : 

I bank fish the Mississippi . I find a rip rap bank in the current  , cast cheap spinnerbaits up stream to different depths , let the  lure sink . As soon as it  touches  down   pop it up and try to retrieve barely above the rocks.  H&H spinners and 1/4 ounce beetle spins work well with this tactic .  


fishing user avatarSammies77 reply : 

River smallmouth aren't very picky, get the bait in front of them and more than likely they will eat it. Learning how to read the current and using it to properly present your bait to the fish is more important. 

 

Some of my favorite river smallmouth baits are:

Buzzbaits 

Spinnerbaits

X raps and pointers

1/4 oz Rattle traps and red eye shads

Pearl Flukes

Mann's baby 1-

Kvd square bills

Bandit 200 and bomber 4a's

Jig-n-craw, tubes

And the yum christie craw is my absolute favorite soft plastic for river smallmouth. 

 

For water temps under 40 the erie darter jr is my go to bait. 

 


fishing user avatarfishnkamp reply : 

I fished the Shenandoah and Potomac as well as the Susqy for years.  Kalin grubs on a Perfect finesse work hook (check out Bass Pro Shops) small twin tail beetle spin type bodies on 1/8 ounce ball head jigs used to work well. If you have to upsize to get rid of the sunfish/ piranhas then do so.  Add another couple of baits to your arsenal. Throw a tiny torpedo and mid sized PoP R in the slack water just behind and in front of each of those rocks.  Another bait to get to know well is the Reaction Innovation Skinny Dipper and Little Dipper. Throw those on a belly weighted swimbait hook. Throw those up into the current as it comes around the rocks and into the slack water and just hold on. 


fishing user avatarRoLo reply : 

If I was restricted to nothing but a jig & Kalin Lunker Grub,

I'd be as happy as a pig in <?>, whatever it is they like.

 

Roger


fishing user avatarSusquehanna reply : 

IMO, the two best baits are crayfish and stonecats.

Im not sure where you get a stonecat for conventional tackle besides using live bait. I tie them and they work wonderfully.


fishing user avatarTriCityBassin' reply : 

Sorry I've been mia....work.  I use the topwaters now.  I will definitely try the swim baits.  I was thinking of trying a finesse flipping jig also. 


fishing user avatarFryDog62 reply : 
  On 12/20/2016 at 7:14 PM, roadwarrior said:

I have been fishing the Tennessee River for nearly twenty years. The only lure I have ever used that has out-fished live bait is the Rage Tail Menace, T-rigged and weedless.

 

:xmas-115:

Road, what colors on the Menace do you find best for smallmouth?


fishing user avatargimruis reply : 

I prefer to fish them with a topwater or shallow running crankbait but sometimes they aren't aggressive enough for those so I will use a soft plastic resembling a crayfish like a tube.


fishing user avatarSneakyPete reply : 

A buddy and I kayak drift fished down near point of rocks Md, and he crushed the smallmouth with a black lizard on a Texas rig. He caught over 30 smallies on our trip.


fishing user avatarJustjigger reply : 

Mepps comet minnow, watermelon baby brushhog, storm 360


fishing user avatarBuckeye Ron reply : 

I fished river smallmouth for fifty years. I'd rate a plastic craw near the top. I've also done very well with in-line spinners such as Mepps and Rooster Tails. Don't forget to throw a few small crankbaits in your box as well,along with some Rapalas and topwater lures. Jig and pig can't be beat if you're after big fish.


fishing user avatarroadwarrior reply : 
  On 3/19/2017 at 12:10 AM, FryDog62 said:

Road, what colors on the Menace do you find best for smallmouth?

Smokey Shad

http://www.strikeking.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=661&Itemid=1060


fishing user avatardwh4784 reply : 

I'm jealous of all of you that can fish rivers and creeks for smallies with Senkos and other plastics. My local river has native redband rainbow trout and is "selective gear" which means single barbless hooks and no bait or scents. Sadly that takes pretty much every soft plastic I can find out of contention since they are always salted and/or scented. I do best with float-n-fly but catch a LOT of dinks. If I could find a source for unscented tubes or stick baits I bet I could find some bigger fish in there.


fishing user avatarTurkey sandwich reply : 
  On 3/22/2017 at 12:21 PM, dwh4784 said:

I'm jealous of all of you that can fish rivers and creeks for smallies with Senkos and other plastics. My local river has native redband rainbow trout and is "selective gear" which means single barbless hooks and no bait or scents. Sadly that takes pretty much every soft plastic I can find out of contention since they are always salted and/or scented. I do best with float-n-fly but catch a LOT of dinks. If I could find a source for unscented tubes or stick baits I bet I could find some bigger fish in there.

Smallmouth on the fly are a LOT of fun, too.  Casting streamers accurately definitely takes practice, but size 2 - 1/O Clouser minnows, size 4 or larger wooly buggers, and articulated sculpin patterns will catch both numbers and large smallies.  As a bonus, any trout you're likely hooking on any large streamer is probably a 16" or better rainbow and are definitely a fun change of pace from the smallies.  


fishing user avatarTriCityBassin' reply : 
  On 3/22/2017 at 12:21 PM, dwh4784 said:

I'm jealous of all of you that can fish rivers and creeks for smallies with Senkos and other plastics. My local river has native redband rainbow trout and is "selective gear" which means single barbless hooks and no bait or scents. Sadly that takes pretty much every soft plastic I can find out of contention since they are always salted and/or scented. I do best with float-n-fly but catch a LOT of dinks. If I could find a source for unscented tubes or stick baits I bet I could find some bigger fish in there.

Reach out to the custom garage pour guys.  A lot of them will pour to order for you. Problem solved. :)

 

Everything you all list I use. Plastic=mean river bream in the James. Lol but I will keep donating if that is what it takes. 

 

I want to get out pre spawn on the river. Temps here are 54-57 on the river. Any advice on where and what to use?


fishing user avatarBrown Town reply : 

My go to baits are 4 inch senkos rigged wacky and lipless crankbaits thrown down stream and worked yo-yo style slowly against the current. Try to simulate a baitfish struggling against the current they usually crush it as you're lifting your rod tip and bringing that bait towards the surface. Downside is getting snagged on any laydowns or rocks you can't see as you let the bait fall, but you can usually get it back if you walk downstream of the snag.


fishing user avatarMokujon reply : 

Double fluke (donkey rig) pearl white or pink zoom super flukes always produces for me. You can fish them fast or slow. 

 

Whooper plopper, buzz baits or poppers work well. I also like lipless or shallow square bills. 


fishing user avatarCollin W reply : 

I like using a 1/0 flipping hook, with a tungsten weight pegged at the top. Remember to use a snell knot to ensure better hookups. I then Texas rig a craw and hook it along the rock bottoms!


fishing user avatarPenn Fisherman reply : 

I've heard that in most rivers in-line spinners perform well.

But sometimes on new waters it's best to just use a trial and error technique.


fishing user avatarMNGeorge reply : 

Swim jig with craw or swimbait trailer if the water is clear enough, chatterbait if not, 5" stick worm rigged wacky, beaver style bait or tube on a Fin-tech Titleshot jig or on a Jika rig, squarebill cranks, buzzbaits once the water warms up. NED rig if the fishing is tough.


fishing user avatarflg2010 reply : 

 

Well the only thing that has worked on the Walkill river near me has been:  Yellow Hair Swim Jigs (Roadrunner), White Grub Swim Jigs (Roadrunner), Gold Spoons, and a floating crankbait.  The water is pretty muddy looking but when the sun is out a little that stuff works.  I have caught smallies consistently on them.  I have seen them spit out spinnerbaits.  

 

The biggest fish I have caught was a 3.5 pound Smallie on a yellow hair swim jig.

 

I also need to point out that the bass in the Walkill seem to be a strange hybrid in regards to the Smallmouth Bass I have seen, likely a sub-species.  The part of the river I fish seems to only contain Smallmouth bass, Rock bass, catfish, and baitfish.  There are no trout, no largemouth bass, and it seems the bog turtle and crawfish population has exploded.

 

The fish are agressive however they avoid top lures.

 

Despite all of this the fishing is the most challenging I have ever seen.  This is not a stocked pond or lake, these fish are tough.  I had a catfish on th eline could see him in the murkey pool.. tried to land him and my rod snapped.  In the same pool I saw rock bass just hanging out unphased...

 

I have tried various rigged and brand plastics, various spinnerbaits, various creature plastics.. nothing.

 

 

bestsmallmouth.jpg

Edited by flg2010
add bass photo

fishing user avatarScott F reply : 
  On 5/3/2017 at 6:44 AM, flg2010 said:

I also need to point out that the bass in the Walkill seem to be a strange hybrid in regards to the Smallmouth Bass I have seen, likely a sub-species.  

 

 

What makes you think the smallies are a "strange hybrid"?


fishing user avatarflg2010 reply : 
  On 5/3/2017 at 7:50 AM, Scott F said:

 

What makes you think the smallies are a "strange hybrid"?

 

Extremely aggressive much more so then usual.


fishing user avatarScott F reply : 

Not likely any kind of hybrid. If food is scarce and they are schooled up, they need to be aggressive to get to food before another fish does. Not an uncommon occurrence in rivers.


fishing user avataroakeybassin reply : 

I fish the Susquehanna River quite a bit.  Most of my fishing on that river so far has been from the bank since I don't have a boat yet and just made friends with someone who does! My go to baits are a swim bait, a lipless crank bait and tubes when fishing slows a bit.  Although their names for lures and colors might be a bit on the lewd side, I love fishing Reaction Innovations little dipper in statutory grape color either weightless or on a ball head jig.  I was directed to this by our local bass specific tackle shop when the fishing was tough and it was an immediate producer.  Also, I fish a lipless crankbait in sexy shad color with great success.  I've even pulled in a few walleye while fishing this lure.  For tubes, I like using a green pumpkin or watermelon tube with some type of natural colored flake.  Generally speaking, each time I have gone out one of these lures has worked in my favor.  When all else fails, my fallback is a green pumpkin Yum Dinger or crawfish pattern, but this is usually my last resort.


fishing user avatarBassguytom reply : 

 Specifically in the Susquehanna River we use tubes (road kill camo made by wack worm) and swimbaits. Anything  that imitates a crayfish works here as there is a massive population of crayfish in this river. That's what makes this river a world class smallmouth bass fishery. Go get them! 


fishing user avatarNYWayfarer reply : 

I had success this weekend throwing weightless stick baits while drifting along the shoreline. While the boat was drifting down the shore I would get multiple catches as the Smallies were attacking anything that looked like food that floated past them.

 

Top water baits of any kind on this kind of drift would have worked as well. The way the smallmouth were surfacing for top water insects made it a fly fisherman's dream out there.

 

 




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