Favorite River Smallie Bait 2024

AZfishrman01 reply :

My personal favorite is a Power tube t-rigged with a 2/0 Gamakatsu and a Tru-Tungsten 1/8 oz bullet weight. Pulling/ hopping that through the weeds is devastating. Either the tube or a mini Paca craw catch'em in my neck of the woods.

What's everyone elses?

NEjitterbugger reply :

In my favorite smallmouth spot my go to bait is a rapala about 3 to 4 inches long and the classic grey body fading to a black back ( preferably a broken back).I also like to use use jig heads and use any of your favorite soft plastics in slower moving parts of rivers...

If there are lots of crayfish in the river the smallies are probably fat, you would think that they would hit them but I fished one spot with crayfish for about an hour...nothing...switched to my rapala... caught 40 smallies and 6 trout..smallies were ranging from 1lbs to 2lbs 14oz. Crayfish for me anyways are more successfull in lakes.

Crestliner2008 reply :

3" curly tailed grub on a 1/8 oz. ball head jig. Has caught countless smallies for me for over 30 years.

iceintheveins reply :

Panther Martin #15, or a 3" tube on a 1/8 ounce head.

retiredbosn reply :

The Greenbrier and New river 4 inch curly tail for sheer numbers. Tubes and naked t-rigged craws, bitsybug jigs with a paca chunk trailer seem to catch bigger bass

moguy1973 reply :

4" puke colored BPS tube or white super fluke. Rebel craws always work well too.

bigdawg74 reply :

i fish every weekend morning on a river a few miles from my house . it is just big enuff that i can cast almost across it with a topwater. that being said i have had great luck with a jitterbug. there is to much stuff on the botom to use anything that sinks because if it its bottom i lose it 9 times outa 10. i have had real good luck tha last few weeks with a berkley black and white walley crawler harness that i modified so the 2 hooks are closer together.

wademaster1 reply :

2" charlie brewers slider grubs in baby bass color on a cottonmouth jighead work great for me; gold panther martin spinners too

RyneB reply :

I have been fishing smallies on a small river (20 yds across on average) since for about 17 years. I have 5 favorite baits

- X Rap in clown color

- grub with a 1/4 oz jig head. I like black, but have caught them on any color you can think of.

- tube, i like a chartreuse tail with a brown body

- finesse jig

- Yum Crawbug. This is my favorite smallie bait. Rig it naked or as a jig trailer, either way, it flat out catches fish.

Curved reply :

2" southern pro triple tail grub on a splitshot rig

1-2" piece of a senko on a hook unweighted

4" power worm with the tail cut off, unweighted, wacky rigged

Bluebasser86 reply :

Zoom Meathead or finesse worm on a shakyhead, Guido Bug on a shakyhead, LC Sammy, SK Bitsy tube.

11justin22 reply :

Texas rigged tiny brush hog or sk bitsy tube

PABASS reply :

Seems like it depends on the year locals tell me that, few years back a senko would be the bait to throw, few years back before that a single tail grub, few years before that would be top water, having allot of success this year on hula grubs without the skirt, go figure, and top water is out, sadly.

Curved reply :

Just found a great new-to-me smallie bait: Powerbait Twitchtail Minnow

Caught a limit and then some of good size fish in a couple hours after work today.

bowhunter63 reply :

Tube in craw color or banging rocks with a crankbait.

PaddleOut reply :

I've had good luck with a Bomber 6A Root/Chart and a War Eagle finesse spinnerbait in mouse. I replace the blades with regular willows.

Jedwards36 reply :

I generally throw...

Super fluke jrs

F2 craw papi (2.75" craw color)

a few blue fox spinners

And sometimes a rebel craw, but its normally too deep for it

scaleface reply :

Any soft plastic or jig that resembles a crawdad.

flyfisher reply :

Soft plastic craw on slider heads

Crankbaits (when the conditions are right)

but my all time favorite is a nose hooked 4" or smaller stickbait

Gavin reply :

This spring..river levels were up....About 50/50 1/2oz spinnerbait or a swim jig, both with a curlytail grub trailer

May-September. Drought conditions, hot, low gin clear rivers..I probably caught 90% of my fish on a walk the dog plug. Couldnt fish the bottom because it was covered in snot moss.

Last month..Rivers still low and clear. Suspending Jerkbaits were the ticket

From now till spring...Suspending Jerkbaits & Jigs, and hair jigs usually see the most action. Cranks if the water rises.

Good Luck.

tbassfd reply :

Probably not really a river, but a creek that I fish in south central TN the only bait I carry is a rebel teeny crawfish, usually catch between 30-50 fish per trip. Not usually large fish but great fun and have caught up to 3 lbs.

Tyler j reply :

I like to throw a swimbait or a-rig just because you catch big ones for numbers a hair jig tube or a 6xd

Shoop05 reply :

This may be a new one, picked this up Catfishing on the Ohio River. Take your line and put a 3 way swivel on in. Tie a leader on the bottom end approximately 6" to 18" depending on your preferance and put a 1/4oz to 1/2oz sinker on the end. Small egg sinkers with gold loops make for easy attachment. A drop shot sinker works wonderfully too. Next tie the other leader roughly 6" to 12" out that will hold your bait. Dont make this leader too long or it will become difficult to feel the fish when they pick up the bait. As for lures, I have found that any bait that delivers a fluttering action in the current works great. I.E. twin tail grub, robo worm, small Zoom craw, any straight tail worm, or tubes. Cast up river or stream, and as the rig floats downstream the sinker will grab the bottom and the bait will flutter horizontally parallel to the bottom. If you can hit the edge of current breaks to where the bait barely flutters, it's a killer. With a drop shot or small egg sinker the rig will gradually float downstream usually keeping the bait fluttering just off the bottom or desired depth. You may have to experiment and adjust, but once you figure out where the fish are holding, HANG ON!!!

Good Luck!!!

Bass Junkie reply :

I have had great success with a Jackall Cross Tail Shad rigged on a 1/16th oz. jighead with a large hook. Throwing it upstream and twitching/swimming it down river while gently reeling in the slack.

Bigwrench reply :

Arkie Salty Grub for River fishing smallmouth- T rigged . My fav all time river lure

livetofish28 reply :

Hand tied crawfish jig pattern on a 1/8 ounce hand poured head with a 2/0 hook

Basshammer reply :

My favorite is a craw or a hair jig.

Basshammer reply :

I love the hair jigs and craws with bang scent applied to them.I

matt996 reply :

double tail hula grub by gycb on a 1/4 football head works around here.

flippin and pitchin reply :

Hula grub in 176 with a 1/4 oz. football head

Green Ugly 3.5 inch tube

Robo worm or a Shark on a dropshot

Normans Deep Little N in **** color

Revenge or Northstar 1/2 oz. spinnerbait in green or blue glimmer shad

Sammy

5 inch green pumpkin lizard in a light Carolina rig

LC Pointer 95 Ghost shad

These baits will always be ready to go any time of the year.

jhoffman reply :

My favorite smallie "bait" is a live hellgramite lol

I catch them on all kinds of stuff to focus on one

d3bf48 reply :

White or pearl jig and twister

Jig and craw

Spinner bait

The 3 I tend to catch fish on year round

CPBassFishing reply :

When I go on my bi-monthly canoe trip on the susquehanna river I absolutely slaughter them on a 3.5" Power Team Lures Craw D'oeurve. I use a 1/4 oz. Stand-up shaky head.

roadwarrior reply :

Rag Tail Baby Craw

Red Eye Shad

Hollow Belly

Shadalicious

Keitech Swing Impact Fat

Siebert Outdoors Jig/ Rage Tail Craw

Megabass PopMax

Lucky Craft Pointer

John Buzzell reply :

My first goto bait would be a 3.5 inch Mizmo small jaws tube. My second boot bait would be a 5 inch Yum dinger (I fish it either Texas rigged if fishing around heavy cover or wacky style if the cover permits).

29JMP29 reply :

1/4 oz smoke swim jig reeled swim-stop. Perch shad raps and X raps work good too.

Snakehead Whisperer reply :

I have caught river smallies on just about every lure I can imagine, but there are only a few go to lures that are consistent for me.

-Bucktail jig.

-Dropshot w/ 4" stick bait.

-1/16-1/4oz. jig head with 1.5-4" grub.

-Slider jig with 4" stick bait.

-Roach Walker weight on a 3-way rig with a grub on a floating jig head (and most other river walleye rigs.)

-3.5" tube t-rigged on an EWG hook with rattle and a jig weight.

-Wacky rigged stick bait.

-1/8oz. buzzbait.

-Zara Puppy

Bassun reply :

If I had to choose one bait, it would be a no brainer: Rapala Jointed Minnow. AKA the "Broken Back Rapala". Silver and Black in J-7 if I could only have one. J-9 for bigger fish, J-5 if I end up in a creek; and if the water gets a lil muddied up I like the gold and black. But, if I could only have one, it's the Silver and Black J-7. I've caught too many fish on it under too many different conditions to not trust it.

rdollar80 reply :

Northland Mimic Minnow in firetiger color...also has to have a brass colored beetle spin with it. If I run out I will go to a chartruse rooster tail with a brass blade.

vt3fan reply :

when the water is cold- upper 30's to 45, I have had success with 3" charlie brewer bass grub with 1/16 oz slider head. Color- watermelon w chartreuse tail. Fished real slow.

Clifton905 reply :

Zoom 3'' Fat Albert. I stock up on green pumpkin, salt and pepper and smoke. They haven't let me down yet. Usually throw em on a gamakatsu lead head. Small salty crawl is another favorite.

tubeman reply :

On 1/22/2013 at 1:31 PM, Bassun said:
If I had to choose one bait, it would be a no brainer: Rapala Jointed Minnow. AKA the "Broken Back Rapala". Silver and Black in J-7 if I could only have one. J-9 for bigger fish, J-5 if I end up in a creek; and if the water gets a lil muddied up I like the gold and black. But, if I could only have one, it's the Silver and Black J-7. I've caught too many fish on it under too many different conditions to not trust it.

Its hard to beat these reliable marvels.

iabass8 reply :

shakey head /w rage baby craw or zoon finesse worm. jerkbaits are a close second.

riverfisher reply :

One bait for Creek Fishin Im gonna have to say Chug Bug......................wait white 4" curley tail.....................no Fluke!!

Bronzebacksrule reply :

This is a tough one because there is a difference between favorite and most productive! Lol

I have to say I've caught more river smallies on 3.5" tubes in purple smoke or gobie color than any other bait but I have the most fun with buzz baits and jerkbaits.

I've used a lot of x raps and lucky crafts and am gonna try some others this year.

streamwalker reply :

on the rivers i fish i generally use a spinner. color is dependent on clear skies or cloudy days. i seem to have the best of luck with spinners also a small stripped bass rapala that dives deep seems to pull them out when i come to deep spots.

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Favorite River Smallie Bait 2024

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