Top five smallmouth baits 2024
Up north fishing reply :
Looking at trying some new baits. Any and all helps thanks
lecisnith reply :
Tube, Senko, Jerkbait, Spinnerbait, Popper. In that order for me.
Scott F reply :
Rivers, or lakes? Spring, summer or fall?
Up north fishing reply :
On 2/1/2016 at 10:11 AM, Scott F said:Rivers, or lakes? Spring, summer or fall?
Lakes middle to late spring and rivers spring and summer. Thanks
Scott F reply :
Suspending jerkbaits in the spring during prespawn in lakes. Senkos all year long in lakes and rivers. Walk the dog topwaters and poppers, spinnerbaits, and in-line spinners during summer on rivers.
Up north fishing reply :
On 2/1/2016 at 10:27 AM, Scott F said:Suspending jerkbaits in the spring during prespawn in lakes. Senkos all year long in lakes and rivers. Walk the dog topwaters and poppers, spinnerbaits, and in-line spinners during summer on rivers.
I use almost all of these baits at those times.
Thanks
TyF reply :
I have caught both of my 20+ inch smallmouth and many in the 18-20 inch range on a lucky craft Sammy in rivers in the summer/early fall. By far my favorite smallmouth lure no matter what time of day. it seems I catch numbers with the average size being bigger than anything else I try.
roadwarrior reply :
Rage Tail Menace, MegaStrike MegaBug, BPS Tender Tube #71 and Siebert Outdoors 3/8 ounce jig (PBJ)/ Rage Tail Craw (PBJ).
WI_Angler1989 reply :
For me its all the same regardless of lakes or rivers. In no particular order: 1/8 oz tubes, Rapala Husky Jerk (various colors), Mepps Aglia #3 brown/silver, 4" Kalins Lunker Grub (smokes and greens), and 1/4 oz finesse jig with a matching craw trailer.
Let the fish tell you what to use, start with what seems like the best choice based on water color, temp, season and wind etc.
Steveo-1969 reply :
Disclaimer: I only fish smallmouth in a river, depth usually 4 feet or less. And I'm allergic to treble hooks... (I intended to try the Ned rig last year and never did, but if I fish it this year with success it will probably go on the list...)
In no particular order (though I usually try a jig first...)
1) 1/8, 3/16, 1/4 ounce finesse jigs, 2) Ragetail Menace Grub, 3) 4" Senko-style bait, 4) 3"-4" curly-tail grub, 5) Baby Rage Craw
Dwight Hottle reply :
Jerkbaits
Crankbaits
Hair jigs
Blade baits
Spoons
Choporoz reply :
Rivers, primarily:
1/4 oz lipless crankbaits
Larew Sweet Swimmer on Owner Ultra Ballhead
Tubes
Road Runner with just about any minnow plastic
Slim, straight worms - generally rigged trig, or shakey
bowhunter63 reply :
Rage Craw,Rage Menace,Swim jigs with swim bait trailer.Wacky worm and the Rebel crawdad crankbait.I fish rivers almost all the time and they work really well.Swim jig trailer i use the Creme real screamer.
ww2farmer reply :
On my lake, I target smallmouth early..........like the first couple weeks after ice out, then switch to largemouth for a while until the smallmouth hit the beds. I will bed fish for them a few times to get it out of my system, but I go back to largemouth once I get bored with it. Then just after the smallmouth pull off the beds, but before they go into there summer time stuff, I target them again.................Then it's largemouth all summer, with occasional smallies mixed in. In the fall I will fish for both, often in the same day, but in different places. In 2015 my top 5 smallmouth baits were:
#1 Yum Warning shot nose hooked on a dropshot
#2 3" Havoc Pit boss on a 3/4 oz. biffle type wobble head
#3 4" wacky rigged yum dinger on a 1/16th oz. wacky jig head
#4 Chatterbait
#5 Silver buddy..........this was the first year I bothered to learn/use this style of bait, and it was eye opening.
THE_Vue's reply :
Neko rig a zoom red blk finesse worm with #2 owner wacky weed guard.
Drop shot with strike king dream shot.
Vision110 or Jr any color will do but problue is killer here in WI.
Fat ika watermelon
1.0 strike king blue gill but when game time my MB knuckle does the trick.
MSWV reply :
Im a river(rocky river) smallmouth guy and my 5 go to baits are:
1)Cabin Creek Tube - I can fish a tube all year. Ill drag it in Jan & Feb, bounce it in March, Texas rig it in April & May, bounce eratically through August, then reverse sequence.
2)Strike King 1.5 SB or 3XD Crankbait - Crankbaits seem to always catch some of my biggest fish during March & April when the water is Sexy Green to stained.
3)Spinnerbait - Rivers seem to be muddy atleast 30% of the time therefore a white spinnerbait is tied on!
4)Senko - Theres always those days when a senko will just outcatch everything else..
5)Heddon Topwater Torpedo will bring in numbers of Summertime bass! I fish a clear one mostly during clear water. And Ill fish with a Rapala Skitterwalk alot also..
Delaware Valley Tackle reply :
All good smallie baits mentioned. I'll give a second to two: the fat ika and tiny torpedo are very productive for me.
roadwarrior reply :
On 2/4/2016 at 2:51 AM, Delaware Valley Tackle said:All good smallie baits mentioned. I'll give a second to two: the fat ika and tiny torpedo are very productive for me.
You can add the Fat Ika to my list, too!
Delaware Valley Tackle reply :
On 2/4/2016 at 3:21 AM, roadwarrior said:You can add the Fat Ika to my list, too!
RW, what hook are you using for the ika ? Some 03 ewg seem to wad up and 04 are a hair too long (Gammy mostly)
roadwarrior reply :
https://store.baits.com/product.php?productid=125&cat=38&page=1
4/0 EWG Gamakatsu specially made for GYCB
Up north fishing reply :
On 2/3/2016 at 9:32 PM, MSWV said:Im a river(rocky river) smallmouth guy and my 5 go to baits are:
1)Cabin Creek Tube - I can fish a tube all year. Ill drag it in Jan & Feb, bounce it in March, Texas rig it in April & May, bounce eratically through August, then reverse sequence.
2)Strike King 1.5 SB or 3XD Crankbait - Crankbaits seem to always catch some of my biggest fish during March & April when the water is Sexy Green to stained.
3)Spinnerbait - Rivers seem to be muddy atleast 30% of the time therefore a white spinnerbait is tied on!
4)Senko - Theres always those days when a senko will just outcatch everything else..
5)Heddon Topwater Torpedo will bring in numbers of Summertime bass! I fish a clear one mostly during clear water. And Ill fish with a Rapala Skitterwalk alot also..
Thanks Ill definitely try all of these things coming spring /summer
WdyCrankbait reply :
4" weightless senko in the summer and Zoom Green Pumpkin Speed Craw, some luck with flukes as well.
has anyone used a Gambler BB cricket for smallies?
WI_Angler1989 reply :
I love me some Cabin Creek tubes! Salty Critter Jr's to be exact. I rig them up on confidence baits draggin heads and go town. It's completely weedless and the tubes are soft and have great action.
susQbassman reply :
Tube,crankbaits,spinnerbait, popper,soft swimbait.
Drew03cmc reply :
Zoom UV Speed Craw, Rapala XR8 silver, Yum Craw Papi and I aim to try the Rage Craw, Baby Rage Craw, Pit Boss Jr, Jackall Darts Hog and Rage Menace.
gardnerjigman reply :
KVD Coffee Tube- green pumpkin
One Knocker Spook- Bone
Ned Rig (the real one)
Bladed Jig- C&C Custom Baits- Electric Chicken
KVD 1.0- threadfin shad
RangerDanger reply :
Bullshad
Pompadour
Mikey
Bladed Jig - C&C - Ivy
Jar11591 reply :
For me it's:
5" senko
Yamamoto Hula-grub
2.5" Storm Chugbug
Rapala DT-6
Live craws (don't use bait anymore but you can't deny the effectiveness of live craws for smallmouth.
strikefc34 reply :
Super spook, spinnerbait in the wind, Splash it, Kalins grub and the whopper plopper 90.
WPCfishing reply :
I've done well with beetle spins, tubes, 1.5 square bills, jerk baits and 4" sticks.
papajoe222 reply :
Hair jigs, tubes, suspending jerk baits, Spooks and spinnerbaits. Smaller in rivers and in spring.
Zachary Nute reply :
Depending on time of year:
Spring:
Blade bait
Jerkbait
Hair Jig
Drop-Shot
Summer:
Drop-Shot
Finesse Jig
Swimbaits
Topwater
Fall:
Blade bait
Rattle Trap
Drop-Shot
Finesse Jig
Winter:
Blade Bait
Jerkbait
Hair Jig
Shaky Head
Of course this is all dependent upon conditions. But I hope this helps you!
roadwarrior reply :
Add a lipless crank to the Spring collection, a Rage Tail Menace and Sworming Hornet/ LFT Live Magic Shad year around.
Ck13fish reply :
1. 1/2 oz. Football jig with a zoom chunk trailer
2. 4" Tube
3. Rapala Shadow rap shad
4. Senko
5. Hair jig
A-Jay reply :
In no particular order:
Drop Shot Rage Craw
Jerkbait
Blade Bait
Tube
Hair Jig
Honorable Mention ~ Spinnerbait
A-Jay
Keegan G Frawley reply :
Only rivers
1. Tubes
2. Spinnerbaits
3. Crankbaits
4. Swimbaits
5. Craws, jigs,Ned rig
top water heddon torpeedos
Justjigger reply :
Perfect answer
FryDog62 reply :
5 inch Yamasenko in Blue Pearl Fleck
5 inch Kalin Wac o Worm in Baby Bass
Fat Ika in Blue Pearl Fleck
Shadow Rap/XRap in Hot Head or Chartreuse
Orange 4 inch Hula Grub
Jitterbug for topwater
offsidewing reply :
I have "body of water specific" favorites, but these are within reach at all times where ever I'm bass fishing year round:
- Fat Ika (caught 4lb+ fish on every color I've tried)
- 5" Senko weightless. Wacky or T-rigged. Can't go wrong with Green Pumpkin/Black flake or Black w/ Blue Flake.
- 3.5 inch Fat Gitzit Tube Jig on 1/4oz jig head. Brown Craw Salt and Pepper color.
- Drop shot a 4-5 inch Roboworm
- 5" Hula Grub. Weightless or with an 1/8th ounce bullet weight. Same color as Senkos.
If they aren't biting on any of these, they aren't biting.
Added flukes and Ned Rig to my tackle box this year because so many people recommed them. I also use have crankbaits and swim jigs for when the body of water allows it.
Fishin' Fool reply :
On 2/2/2016 at 8:08 AM, ww2farmer said:On my lake, I target smallmouth early..........like the first couple weeks after ice out, then switch to largemouth for a while until the smallmouth hit the beds. I will bed fish for them a few times to get it out of my system, but I go back to largemouth once I get bored with it. Then just after the smallmouth pull off the beds, but before they go into there summer time stuff, I target them again.................Then it's largemouth all summer, with occasional smallies mixed in. In the fall I will fish for both, often in the same day, but in different places. In 2015 my top 5 smallmouth baits were:
#1 Yum Warning shot nose hooked on a dropshot
#2 3" Havoc Pit boss on a 3/4 oz. biffle type wobble head
#3 4" wacky rigged yum dinger on a 1/16th oz. wacky jig head
#4 Chatterbait
#5 Silver buddy..........this was the first year I bothered to learn/use this style of bait, and it was eye opening.
Best color of Yum warning shot for smallmouth?
Bluebasser86 reply :
On 4/13/2016 at 8:45 AM, Fishin' Fool said:Best color of Yum warning shot for smallmouth?
I've been doing really well on the oxblood/red flake. I'll bet money that Morning Dawn is going to be a productive color if I ever remember to pick some up!
"hamma" reply :
bone colored pop-r
spinnerbait , white or chartruese
1/4 oz jighead with a 3 or 4 inch smoke grub
pins minnow 1/8 oz
1/8 oz lake fork screwlock weight with a 1/0 gammy ewg hook with either a 4" black chartruese tailed worm, or bluegill colored 4" berkley zipper worm, (not sure they still make these, but i bought bulk years ago)
heddons torpedo topwater
lakeannaangler reply :
1. Popper
2. Jerkbait
3. Finesse jig
4. Football jig
5. Tube
Crankinit reply :
In no particular order, Senko, Popper, Tubes, Spinners, Flies (various)
Nick S reply :
Buzzbait
Yum christie craw
Pearl fluke
Sk 1.5 square bill crankbait
Jig-n-pig
Poor boys erie darter jr- for cold water
scaleface reply :
Plastic craws , buzz baits , stick worms , tubes , jigs . River Smallmouths crush buzzbaits .
joe chum reply :
4" Yum Dingers on a DS
3.5" Dry Creek Double Tubes w/ Lindy E-Z Tube weights
4" Zoom Dead Ringers Texas rigged with 1/16, 1/8 & 3/16oz.
Lucky Craft Gunfish 95
Lucky Craft Pointer 78
Yudo1 reply :
4" senkos, rapala x rap 8, coffee tube, 3" grub, fat ika.
Mark888 reply :
From my experience:
Robo worm drop shotted, popper, senko rigged wacky style, bitsy flipping jig and a trick worm on a shaky head!
jimmyjoe reply :
Always in current, always in rocks:
Early- Betts spin, dark, low and slow.
Countdown in the shallows.
Prespawn- Chartreuse spinnerbait low.
Rat-l-trap high
Postspawn- Deep Little N low
Dadevle up high
Fall- Black Fury combo (red) low
Countdown high
The lips on those Countdowns break really easy on rocks. I think I keep Rapala in business. 
jitterbug127 reply :
Tubes should be answer number 1 for everyone
CNYfishing reply :
On 2/1/2016 at 10:20 AM, Up north fishing said:Lakes middle to late spring and rivers spring and summer. Thanks
For the lakes i would fish slow using finesee baits or a jerkbait and in rivers try a bucktail jig they catch everything.
Hurricane reply :
So far this year its been
Ned Rig
Ned Rig
Ned Rig
Ned Rig
Ned Rig
In green pumpkin..
MALTESE FALCON reply :
Here on St. Clair, my go-to Smallie baits are:
1-Crankbaits
2-Senko or Yum Dingers
3-Lipless crankbait
4-Spinnerbait
5-Beavers
Falcon
NewRiver reply :
A tube, senko, "soft plastic hellgrammite," and a fluke are all I need to catch smallies year around in the waters I fish. I fish these baits in no particular order and stick with earth tone colors.
Wildbillb reply :
Jerk bait
Stick.bait
Tube
Grub
Spinner
Turkey sandwich reply :
I fish them in rivers primarily, and this changes seasonally/based on conditions, but the core stays the same. Tubes and grubs work year round. Cranks/lipless cranks are great ways to cover water fast from spring through fall. A good popper is excellent from spring to fall as well, and if I had to pick one more, it would be a light Jig/craw.
Janderson45 reply :
I've only ever caught river smallmouth on the st Lawrence, so that's not really like a lot of other small mouth rivers being referenced here..
most of my smallie fishing is on lakes, my top 5 would in no particular order be:
dropshot
tubes
jerkbaits
spinnerbaits
topwater
obviously there are other great ways to catch em, but that's what I would use.. Also, with the exception of topwater baits I always fish fluorocarbon when targeting smallmouth.
NYWayfarer reply :
I fish smallmouth on rivers and lakes. All baits I list are equally good in both. Top 5 baits in no particular order:
senkos (or strike king shim e sticks to save $)
zman TRD Ned Rig or Zingerz
Drop shotting Roboworms
Drop shotting Strike King Perfect plastic dream shot (love the coffee salt scent of these baits. Can't say enough about how it takes the fish stink off my hands) fragile baits though I lose the tails off of them a lot.
drop shotting Jakall cross tail shad.
DubyaDee reply :
1. Perch jerkbait
2. Canadian mist tube
3. Dropshot anything
4. Spybait
5. Bone spook
NYWayfarer reply :
On 9/3/2016 at 12:58 PM, DubyaDee said:1. Perch jerkbait
2. Canadian mist tube
3. Dropshot anything
4. Spybait
5. Bone spook
Canadian Mist tube? Forgive my ignorance but I never heard of that but it sounds like soaking a tube in Canadian whiskey!
DubyaDee reply :
It's like a gray color with purple flake. I think it looks more like a goby than a craw.
ol'crickety reply :
Rapala F13, Rapala Skitterpop, undressed brass Mepps, Senko, and pearl fluke.
bigbill reply :
I don't catch that many smallest but on over cast rainy days.
Joesfly 1/4oz bass size, firetiger apache.
Joesfly 1/4oz bass size, glo tiger.
Spinnerbait, Indiana gold blades, Hot chartruese skirt, chartruese split double tail grub.
Mepps #3 Anglia gold blade, Brown dressed.
Mepps #3 Anglia silver blade, grey dressed.
PatrickKnight reply :
On the river I fish I could get by with just a black buzzbait and a green pumpkin grub. However since its 5:
4 inch grub
Popper
buzzbait
ned rig
jerkbait
Drowning A Worm reply :
On 2/2/2016 at 8:08 AM, ww2farmer said:On my lake, I target smallmouth early..........like the first couple weeks after ice out, then switch to largemouth for a while until the smallmouth hit the beds. I will bed fish for them a few times to get it out of my system, but I go back to largemouth once I get bored with it. Then just after the smallmouth pull off the beds, but before they go into there summer time stuff, I target them again.................Then it's largemouth all summer, with occasional smallies mixed in. In the fall I will fish for both, often in the same day, but in different places. In 2015 my top 5 smallmouth baits were:
#1 Yum Warning shot nose hooked on a dropshot
#2 3" Havoc Pit boss on a 3/4 oz. biffle type wobble head
#3 4" wacky rigged yum dinger on a 1/16th oz. wacky jig head
#4 Chatterbait
#5 Silver buddy..........this was the first year I bothered to learn/use this style of bait, and it was eye opening.
What time do they usually migrate to rivers and creeks?
juicebass reply :
Early spring: Rapala DT in red devil craw colour.
A jerkbait in spring in clear water.
summer: black spinner bait or chartreuse chatter bait in dirty water
ANY TIME: Tubes and senkos.
morning and night: poppers
Columbia Craw reply :
4 inch tube
Hula grub
Robo worm drop shotted
Dual willow blade spinnerbait CONFIDENCE BAITS
Normans Deep Little N
Super Spook
Jerkbait
12 others reply :
Nightcrawlers
Nightcrawlers
Nightcrawlers
If you want to be fancy use plastic worms. They do ok.
lecisnith reply :
On 12/3/2016 at 9:13 AM, 12 others said:Nightcrawlers
Nightcrawlers
Nightcrawlers
If you want to be fancy use plastic worms. They do ok.
I think there are about 50,000 members here that could share the nickname "Fancy Pants", then.
Bassfishnc18 reply :
Berkley flicker shad
strike king finesse jig with a yum craw chunk
senko texas rigged weightless
3 inch flutter spoon
drop shot with small finesse worms
All have produced multiple nice fish for me in northern waters
12 others reply :
On 12/5/2016 at 2:55 AM, lecisnith said:I think there are about 50,000 members here that could share the nickname "Fancy Pants", then.
It's a joke lol
Zach Winn reply :
In no particular order, GYB Senko/BPS Stick-o, Strike King 3.5" coffee tubes, drop shot(3"senko or kvd dream shot), 3/8 oz jig with a craw trailer, ned rig and mepps spinner. These baits caught several hundred smallmouth for me in 2016.
gmoney13 reply :
1. Spinnerbait/Jerkbait
2. Senko
3. Dropsot
4. Popper/Spook on overcast sprig/summer days
5. Squarebill Crankbaits
Jagg reply :
It's been a while, but here's what worked on the Smith's Branch of the Cumberland River is this:
Early Spring
Mann's stingray grub
Yum 3" & 4" tube
Smithwick suspending Rouge
finesse jig/spot remover
Spring-Summer
slider jigs w/ Slider worms, Slider grubs and Yum hawgtails.
Yum Tubes
Kalin Grubs
Heddon Torpedoes, Baby Lucky 13s,
Rapala and Rebel Floating Minnows, Rebel Jumping Minnow
Snipe Hunter reply :
1 .Chartreuse skirted spinnerbaits, The blade is less important
2. Creature baits/tubes
3. Senko
4. Torpedo
5. Grubs
Honkytonk reply :
Keitech swing impact fat 3.8 in pro blue/ red pearl on a jighead, has been my best smallie bait
DoDFire reply :
Hair jigs....... 1/8 oz. In the winter, 116 oz in the dead of summer, I know a bunch will scratch their head about the summer deal but trust me it works. Ohhhh yeah and I fish it on a 9'crappie rod in summer as well 2-4 pound line.......keep scratch's your heads, LoL.
Lake Fish'n I sling Hair jigs, blade baits, jerk baits, spy baits, football jigs, wake'n a bomber long A.
River Fish'n (wading) Fluke and Rebel Wee Craw
Each and every true "trophy" smallmouth I have caught was caught on 18 oz hair jig. Go figure.
Turkey sandwich reply :
Hair jigs, in the rite condition can work year round. A ridiculou ser number of smallmouth have been cast on Clouser Deep minnows and Lucky's Deceivers and they're very similar, just presented on a fly rod. The other bonus with a hair jig is that walleye seem to love them year round, too, so it's a good way to catch dinner. (I am an awful intentional walleye fisherman and never really learned them well. That said, those I have caught seemed to love hair jigs, especially if trailed with a plastic worm or live leach. )
DoDFire reply :
On 12/15/2016 at 4:48 PM, Turkey sandwich said:Hair jigs, in the rite condition can work year round. A ridiculou ser number of smallmouth have been cast on Clouser Deep minnows and Lucky's Deceivers and they're very similar, just presented on a fly rod. The other bonus with a hair jig is that walleye seem to love them year round, too, so it's a good way to catch dinner. (I am an awful intentional walleye fisherman and never really learned them well. That said, those I have caught seemed to love hair jigs, especially if trailed with a plastic worm or live leach. )
In the winter and summer I never use a trailer on the small jigs, I have fished with people in my boat that have used a minnow or plastic during those times and I have caught just as many of not more than them. I do fish a trailer in my 14 oz buck tails on summer nights.....Uncle Josh 101's in black. I use fox tail in winter on the 18 oz, craft hair on 116 oz. in summer and bucktail on the 14 oz. at night during summer. Hair is a big deal often overlooked and that's fine with me. I fish one day 2 years ago and it never got above 13 degrees with 45 degree water temp. I arrived at the boat ramp right at day light as well as 1 other boat. I fished til I had about 1 hour if day light to go as well as the other boat and we both arrived back at the same time. As we loaded up we had the dock talk and I asked if they did any good and they used a few words and said NO but they had 1-2 hits all day (I'd been loaded and out by lunch if that was me) they then asked me if I did any good and I told them I caught 24 and with a crazy look they asked if I was crappie fishing. I said "nope, chase's smallmouth" they looked at me like I was crazy and then asked what I was using I said, hair jig.........you could hear the ice freezing harder hahahaha. They slung everything in the boat they said and nothing. I had 24 all day with my best 5 weighing about 19 pounds. I will never forget that day. I did give them a dozen jigs and told them to share, the next time I seen them they just loved me and then bought another dz. Hair jigs flat out catch fish.
Jagg reply :
That aspirin head looks real nice! I've been using more hair jigs here in CO, but I only use them in certain conditions in TX.
DoDFire reply :
On 12/16/2016 at 3:02 PM, Jagg said:That aspirin head looks real nice! I've been using more hair jigs here in CO, but I only use them in certain conditions in TX.
Great little head and you would be surprised how snag free it is in the rocks. That is my dragging head for the 18 and 116 oz hair jigs in winter, I use it in 14 oz during summer nights.
Deeare reply :
I've had great luck in summer using a baby brush hog on a c rig in the northeast. dragged slowly on the bottom. Green/natural colors. Fish it near a drop off if possible
MichiganBass80 reply :
Dropshot (dreamshot, half shell, roboworm), spinnerbait, crankbait, tube, jerkbait
Sammies77 reply :
Spinnerbait
Buzzbait
Mann's baby 1-
Jig-n-plastic
Fluke
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