Smallmouth baits for extremely clear water ? 2024

huskybass reply :

What baits do you prefer for smallmouth in waters that are extremely clear? The reservoir I fish is clear enough to see bottom in 20' on a calm day. The forage base is rainbow smelt and crayfish primarily, with some yellow perch mixed in.

I have a handful of favorite baits, but I am always open to new ideas.

Thanks in advance.

Stingray23 reply :

use the basics like small finesse worms, tubes, grubs....I would use natural colors like browns, greens, whites, pearls, clears.

Chris W reply :

I fish Dale Hollow and it is hard to beat a Hair Jig there water clarity is close to the same and believe it or not yellow is one of the best colors. Check out www.punisherlures.com to see some great hair jigs made right here in TN by some great people.

Tim Ford reply :

Jerkbaits and Flukes.

wisturkeyhunter reply :

Natural colored jigs and plastics, brown, greens, black, and smoke. Don't be afraid to throw swimbaits either. Mattlures makes some great perch patterns and 3:16 does too.

roadwarrior reply :

The only thing I can suggest that you might not already be using is the

GYCB Fat Ika. In flat water, less than 12' deep, this is my #1 producer.

Skirt forward, 4/0 EWG Gamakatsu Offset Worm Hook, weightless and

weedless. Pick your favorite color, I don't think it matters. Mine is

watermelom with black flakes.

Otherwise, in low light both topwater (Zara Spook & LC Sammy)

and jerkbaits (LC Pointer, Rapala Husky Jerk & X-Rap) are favorites.

During the day, 3 1/2" tubes (baby diaper yellow), GYCB 5" Single

Tail Grubs and Single Tail Hula Grubs are standard fare.

I love me some jigs, but they have never been big for me targeting

smallmouth. I feel the same way towards the Senko which is still my

go-to largemouth bait.

8-)

Dwight Hottle reply :

Try LC staysee in 90 Sp. They mimic the size of rainbow smelt very well. Pick a color pattern that matches the hatch. It work on Erie with similar water clarity & a strong rainbow smelt population.

iceintheveins reply :

Natural colored grubs, tubes, senkos, soft jerkbaits, craws, ikas, and finesse worms. Very natural colored cranks, jerkbaits, and topwaters in the evenings.

midnighthrasher reply :

Tubes, tubes and more tubes.

dacrawdaddy reply :

Easily the best bait for smallmouth in ultra clear water is a Zoom super fluke jr., small clear plastic spook, drop shot 4" dragon worm by Mann's, and in the fall a bitsy bug jig w/tiny Paca chunk.

pondmaster32 reply :

all types of plastics. make sure the colors are natural or they match the forage, and other food sources in the lake.

J Francho reply :

Bubble Gum (pink) Super Fluke.

Thad reply :

Been doing pretty good on a 5" Mission Fish lately, dark hitch.

Crestliner2008 reply :

Quote
Easily the best bait for smallmouth in ultra clear water is a Zoom super fluke jr., small clear plastic spook, drop shot 4" dragon worm by Mann's, and in the fall a bitsy bug jig w/tiny Paca chunk.

Where do you get the Dragon Worms? I used them several years ago on my DS, but have been unable to find them. Outstanding producers!

Pitchinkid reply :

Id go to a Smaller Shakey head worm on a spot remover. Green pumpkin is my choice. I like a small 4 "finesse worm on a mojo rig or a split shot rig too. I have done fairly well with the Trigger X line of soft plastics and of course zoom finesse worms. Both in Green pumpkin.

BrnzeBckStalker reply :

like most people have said natural colors work really well. i use alot of berkley power grubs i believe is the brand. pumpkin seed and i think green pumpkin seed 4inch. you can also feed them onto a spinnerbait hook or a jig hook. or use a jig and pork. just make sure you match the weight of the lure to the rod you are using for action. not sure what the current is if at all where you are fishing in the reservoir.

SuperNewbie reply :

maybe a yellow perch shad rap size 7 or whatever matches the hatch ;D

Tim1980 reply :

I just used watermelon Tiki sticks and had a good day on a clear reservoir.

jesse-c reply :

I would have to say Jackall cover craws. rigged with a 1/16 ounce weight. these things are like crack for smallies. Anyone else been using them?

SausageFingers23 reply :

I fish on a lake in the northeast that is very rocky and has visibility up to about 20 ft. Its spring fed and exceptionally clear. Food sources are rainbow smelt and crayfish. You can see them all over the place. Ive taken a number of decent smallmouth in the 3-4 lb range on a yozuri rainbow crystal minnow crank and on spinnerbaits. I usually fish the abrupt depth changes - casting into shallower water (3- 5ft)and letting it stop and fall at the depth break. Its worked pretty well for me in all kinds of weather conditions. Hope this helps.

lineman711 reply :

I've always fished soft plastics in water like you described but lately I've tried a Bandit 300 series in Rootbeer color and have been amazed at the number of smallies it has landed for me.

psallidas reply :

I use a 3 inch to 5 inch Rapala Skitter Pop Topwater Lure. You can fish this anywhere from dark areas at night with lots of cover and structure, to open waters in mid-afternoon. It will always get a nice one. Good Luck!

bronzer reply :

I fish a lot of clear streams here in Southwest Virginia that are fairly small by most standards..........we like green pumpkin tubes and grubs but watermelon or green pumpkin YUM Crawbugs are starting to do well as well....the fish can be skittish as times.........longer casts are required to access fish that aren't spooked

lineman711 reply :

Bronzer, what areas of SW VA are you fishing?

bronzer reply :

I mainly fish the Levisa going through Grundy into Kentucky. I also fish the North Fork of the Holston but havn't been there yet this year......I have fished the Clinch but it is hurting these days it seems.....planning on a trip to the New later in the summer but I hate wading that river! The Russell Fork in Dickinson County is producing some nice bass these days as well........I caughta 20 and 1/8 long smallie between Grundy and the Kentucky line Saturday.........4.5 pounds.......great fish.......were do you fish??

hawgwalker reply :

Watermelon zoom lizard six or eight inch, zoom centipede, 4'' venom tube watermelon copper flake

lineman711 reply :

Bronzer...

I fish all around Smyth County, mostly around Saltville in the Holston. I occasionally make it up to the New River. I try to fish South Holston lake every now and then, but never do that good there. Hungry Mother is another one that I've had little success on. Laurel Bed Lake is pretty good certain times of the year, if you have a boat or canoe.

Tuckman reply :

In clear water I like to use a technique I call senko bombing, I make a really high, really long cast with a wacky rigged junebug dinger and let it make a big splash...in clear water the fish can see the disturbance from a long ways off and will often swim over to investigate, and anytime that bass and senko meet the potential for a strike is there

S Hovanec reply :

I've been doing quite well on my local deep/clear reservoir dropshotting Jackall Cross Tail Shads in the Ayu color.

Primary forage there is alewife, crayfish and some rainbow smelt.

Scorpio reply :

I have had real good luck with the 4-inch clear Kalin grubs in clear water.

MALTESE FALCON reply :

This season my biggest producers have been, XCalibur Xr50 lipless crankbaits in Blue Chrome/Orange, or Pearl Melon, and spinnerbaits white, or translucent.

Falcon

CWeb Canada reply :

Perhaps some of you can provide me with some ideas on how to rig the Fluke as well as how you would present it?

Thanks in advance,

CWeb

dinkman reply :

I haven't seen anyone mention the Yum Crawbug yet, that thing is an all time producer for me when I fish for smallies and there are crawdads present. Bitsy Bug jigs with zoom trailers, 6" pumpkin/ chartreuse tail lizards and any type of rapala minnow imitator are always ready to go when smallmouth fishing.

hotrod reply :

whacky rigging a 4" senko, casting upstream in a very clear/shallow Shenendoah River has been producing well for me lately

whittler reply :

Have to admit, I'm not a big match the hatch person. Usually when the bite is tough I will go to something wild, Flo. pink or purple glitter, something that jumps out at them.

I equate smallies with cats. If you roll a chartruse ball in front of a cat they will take a swat at it, no plan at all to eat it, just a feflex. I think smallies are much the same.

fishn hard reply :

The best bait Hands down for Big smallmouth in clear water is the cotton cordell Blue striper its a old salt water bait that was designed for top water use.But the old timers up here in Pa figured out if you drill them and take out the rattle balls and fill with #8 bird shot it will swim under the water about 2 foot.The bait works great when the water has a little chop and its over cast make long cast and just reel it back it has its own action built in and hold on when they hit they rock it hard.If any one wants to know how and where to drill them just let me know

StrikeKing76 reply :

Rapala Xrap 10 in hothead and Parrot.

GYCB 4" Shad shape worm in shad color demeki or drop shot. Black maribou hairjigs, or a Ned rig with green pumpkin.

A-Jay reply :

@StrikeKing76 ~ Dove pretty deep into the achieve pool for this one did ya ?

A-Jay

DropShotHotShot reply :

I have done well with a 4" natural shad senko dropshot on Mille Lacs, its clear water, but not as clear as you are saying.

StrikeKing76 reply :

On 12/6/2017 at 1:07 PM, A-Jay said:

@StrikeKing76 ~ Dove pretty deep into the achieve pool for this one did ya ?

A-Jay

achieve greatness.

On 12/6/2017 at 5:58 PM, DropShotHotShot said:

I have done well with a 4" natural shad senko dropshot on Mille Lacs, its clear water, but not as clear as you are saying.

Mille lacs is about the same clarity. I'll also throw VMC moon eye jig 1/8 with Berkley Gulp 4" Minnow and that does very well.

StrikeKing76 reply :

On 12/6/2017 at 1:07 PM, A-Jay said:

@StrikeKing76 ~ Dove pretty deep into the achieve pool for this one did ya ?

A-Jay

On 8/11/2009 at 2:09 AM, S Hovanec said:

I've been doing quite well on my local deep/clear reservoir dropshotting Jackall Cross Tail Shads in the Ayu color.

Primary forage there is alewife, crayfish and some rainbow smelt.

Have you ever tried lucky craft LV500 in Ghost?

S Hovanec reply :

On 12/9/2017 at 4:32 AM, StrikeKing76 said:

Have you ever tried lucky craft LV500 in Ghost?

No. I only fish soft plastics there.

StrikeKing76 reply :

On 12/9/2017 at 4:41 AM, S Hovanec said:

No. I only fish soft plastics there.

Oh OK.

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Smallmouth baits for extremely clear water ? 2024

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