Smallmouth fishing in rivers: Cranks or soft baits 2024

Bassman2144 reply :

I'm a new person to smallmouth, however I'm going to start hitting the rivers heavy this summer for smallmouth. The question I have is what does everyone prefer to use as bait in the rivers. Lake fishing I like to use soft baits like Gulp and plow jockeys. I also like to use crank baits, what does everyone use?

roadwarrior reply :

Welcome aboard!

Well, one consideration is lost lures. I fish some soft plastics weedless and still lose most of them! I think you will find soft plastics to be very effective. I had some luck last weekend throwing a GYCB Single-Tail Grub on a 1/8 oz jig jead. Other plastics to consider are 3 1/2" tubes, Hula Grubs, lizards, Fat Ika and Senkos.

The only class of hard baits I actually use is jerkbaits.

Good luck!

8-)

fishizzle reply :

soft plastics are great

I use jigs-

jerkbaits Rapala slashbait--rip it

spinnerbaits Willowleaf--burn it

Senko all sizes- drop shot, wacky deadstick

tubes- spiraling down then dragged

Search lots more info on this site--good luck

smallieking reply :

hey welcome i use both soft baits alot more than hard but considering which one is basically all seasonally for example on rivers here the prespawn which is colder weather smallies are just coming out of hibernation and are very active and hungry i like to use a fast moving reaction bait like a jerkbait x raps are great and the old rebels are ok too. well then there is the spawn soft is teh only way to go if u can sight fish tubes and larger profile baits but when u cant see very well a carolina rig or fluke is a great bait to use i like crankbaits during the post spawn then summer really depends on the conditions then fall is mostly soft baits and jigs just wondering where u are from?

Bassman2144 reply :

I am from the good ol' state of Michigan. I live near the capital in a town of Grand Ledge Michigan. I bought a small jon boat to fish the rivers and was looking to do some small mouth bass fishing

the captain reply :

Well I don't fish rivers for smallies but I fish abig crick and prespawn generally spinnerbaits work well, Spawn tubes and other large things worked slow, then the rest of the summer I use senkos mainly, then I use any kind of plastics till I find what they like. I rarely use crankbaits at all mainly because I don't have much luck with them in the winter I use Jigs and some tubes T-rigged worked real slow every now and then I'll tie on a crankbait and play around a little but that usually don't last to long. I would actually rather use jerk-baits over cranks too. So I'd go with soft baits.

HesterIsGod reply :

Every lure i use for largemouth i use for smallies. I just go a little smaller and usually adjust my technique to a little faster and erratic

kevin07 reply :

I fish a big creek in Pa i mostly use texas rigged creature baits and and tubes, i hammer em

smallieking reply :

yea im from PA so the baits that work good here can work terrible over there just keep it simple natural colors and you will be able to figure it out and start making patterns based on your experiences

HesterIsGod reply :

Quote
I fish a big creek in Pa i mostly use texas rigged creature baits and and tubes, i hammer em

Welcome to BR, Kevin

Bronzeback117 reply :

I live in Michigan also. Last year was the first year I tried wacky rigging senkos in the rivers. I tore em up. So def give that a try. Also, I like to use 3" gulp craws and rebel crawfish.

Chode2235 reply :

I fish small rivers for smallmouth all summer, and really only use hard baits. I love the jointed and original rapalas. Gold color, up where I am works wonderfullly.

I like the rapalas in the river because they can be scattered out over a variety of structure. The hard minnow baits can cover a lot of water, and give you great flexibility in your presentation. They also work well for drifting and floating. I found while using jigs or other soft bottom hugging baits that I drifted to fast to really fish them.

Granted soft baits have their place, especially when the fish are more negative, but in the summer I throw jointed rapalas pretty much exclusively.

p.s. the rebel crawfish work great too.

AKFerzy7 reply :

bandit 100s in craw pattern work well

jrhennecke reply :

Most of the river smallies I've caught out here have been on crankbaits. A Bomber Flat A in brown craw.

brushcutter reply :

I use both. Jerk baits, bomber a's, rocket shads, poor boys goby on a stand up head, Here lately I have had good luck with storm swim baits. Especially the chartruse shad 3".

brittlab reply :

I just started wading rivers and creeks for smallies last year and the rebel teeny craws were very productive as were the rapala jointed floaters. I hope to try out more plastics and tubes this season.

WV_Eagle reply :

I have most success with softs...especially tubes and craws. Also has some success last year drifting Berkeley Gulp minnows and gobies.

Less success with hard baits...but it may well be me and my presentation.

skeeter55 reply :

I fish or smallies in Missouri and Arkansas. I have found crankbaits work best in fast water and tube baits for slower water. I have caught them on sinko baits.

roadwarrior reply :

Welcome aboard!

8-)

Josey Wales reply :

GOD I LOVE SMALLIES!

Try a Big-O in the craw pattern... there are 2 out now, one is a brown and the other a red... 2 1/4 inch I believe.

If you have time on your hands sandblast one and due a greenish blue craw...

works for me, and I hope this helps.

Tubes are always good, but better in lakes I think.

Bassnbrett101 reply :

I hammer the rivers around Pittsburgh Pa and i would have to say without a doubt that the best two baits you can use are jerkbaits and tube jigs

MNGeorge reply :

The upper Mississippi where we fish runs fairly dirty most of the early season. During that time we use tubes, spinnerbaits, buzz baits and crankbaits. We use rattles in the tubes. Crankbaits are mostly lipless models in some kind of Chrome color pattern. Spinnerbaits are single colorado blade or tandem willowleaf blades in white or chartreuse. Buzzbaits are Persuader double buzzers in white or chartreuse. ;D

Phishin Fillip reply :

In the rappahannock river i use a lot of double tail hula grubs texas style. They are my go to bait because they dont get lost too easy if rigged with a 4/0 offset hook. They do, however, get their tails bitten off pretty often by smaller smallmouth and bluegill. If you are wading as long as you arent fishing a particular deep spot in a river you shouldnt have a problem going up to whatever bait you are using and getting it unstuck. I will definitely start using some cranks and things that aren't quite as safe. I'll be fishing the New this spring and the Rappahannock this summer and I'll be back to the New in the fall.

Tokyo Tony reply :

So basically, if I read this thread right, you can use pretty much anything - I think that is the case, depending on the conditions ;D

I will say, the few times I've fished for river smallies, that minnow baits worked head and shoulders better than plastics. I've had a couple days where we'd go through stretches below rapids that literally every cast you'd get bit with any kind of jerkbait, but couldn't sniff a strike on a plastic worm or grub. Sometimes they're just looking to eat some sushi ;D

Amen Josey Wales, I LOVE SMALLIES TOO!!!

Bassnbrett101 reply :

for river fishig all you need are 3 1/2 inch tube in green pumpkin on a jig head and lucky craft jerkbaits. if you have those two things and your fishing for smallmouth you will do well

Darrell660 reply :

I like to use Strike King Lil MR. Money spinnerbaits and Buzz King Junior buzz baits when the water is warm. I recently bought a Tracker 1436 jon boat just to river fish with. Can't wait untill the water warms up a little more!

CRSMALLJAW15 reply :

1/16th ounce weight texas rigged baby brush hog

Internally weighted tube

1/16th weight jighead with a curly tailed gurb

they smash em all

iceintheveins reply :

My best presentation for river smallies is actually an inline spinner like a Panther Martin. I like the sizes from #6 to the biggest, which is #15. Even a 9" smallie will hammer the #15.

Cranks work well though as well. Shallow to medium crawfish colored ones are great, as are lipless cranks. The spinner seems a bit more consistant though.

I catch almost all my river smallies on the following presentations:

1. Panther Martins (gold, chartreuse, black, orange)

2. Two and a half to 4" grubs and tubes in crawfish colors

3. Crawdad pattern cranks

4. Buzzbaits (LETHAL in shallower sections where current is slower)

5. Spinnerbaits

6. Soft Jerks

Carry a couple poppers and prop baits though too. That list should be enough for you.

Brush Hog20 reply :

I swim a size 2 black/white wooly bugger I tie myself on a 6 wt flyrod most of the time. I have also caught them on a craw colored wiggle wart on spinning tackle.

SuskyDude reply :

How 'bout both? Seriously, river smallies are aggressive!! There isn't a lure you cant catch them with, if you can find them Sure some days a crank will beat a tube, and others an inline will beat both, and a jerkbait won't get a sniff... but on the whole, if you're on them, your on them, even a t-rigged rock will get bit if you work it right!

Gotta find them first though.

iceintheveins reply :

River smallies are a blast. I'm lucky to have a river as special as the Yampa nearby. Lots of 2 - 5 pound smallies and plenty of big pike as well.

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Smallmouth fishing in rivers: Cranks or soft baits 2024

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