What bait/lure do you have the most luck with for SMALLMOUTH? 2024
Josh Sharp reply :
Just curious what's your go to small mouth bait?? For me it is the small finesse jig, with a small river bug as a trailer, they seem to love it!!!
A-Jay reply :
Let's see - since we're sharing video - ***Edit- the OP's video is gone so now I look like a hump. 
Jerkbaits work OK ~
Small Spinnerbaits are good.
Topwater walkers & poppers are decent
Even get a few on the umbrella rig.
But big spinnerbaits are by far my favorite.
A-Jay
J.Vincent reply :
5 years ago it was a Tube Jig and Mojo Rig with 4” Senkos....but over the past few years it’s been Walk The Dog style Topwaters and Lipless CrankBaits with the occasional Spinnerbait.
Derek1 reply :
Damm AJ, that’s how hard work pays off right there.
Hollada reply :
Depends on time of year, but if I had to pick one it would be close between a Ned and a dropshot.
my favorite is topwater, second favorite is a jerk, but those seem to be a condition specific bait whereas the dropshot and Ned are more general purpose baits for me.
WI_Angler1989 reply :
My go-to for river smallmouth is a 2.5" Cabin Creek Salty Critter Jr tubes, green pumpkin blue, rigged on a black Cadman's Custom Jigs "Smallie Crawlin" jig.
I love fishing small tubes (craws and little creature baits too for that matter) for smallies. Getting to know the river bottom, finding where the fish are, and the "Thump!" Of a tube hit.... just can't be beat for me.
Junk Fisherman reply :
Depends where and when I am fishing.
My #1 all-time big smallie bait is a large profile 4" tube. Swimbaits, dropshot, and a Ned rig are my other main weapons.
Djohn reply :
Winter/spring - jerk bait
summer/fall - tube
BoatSquirrel reply :
Here in TN, its prime jerkbait time. Also a crankbait. In a month, hopfully, the topwater bite will have woken up!
TOXIC reply :
As A-Jay points out so eloquently
Smallies will take a lot of different lures. By limiting yourself to a favorite you might just be missing the bait they want that day. I can tell you that it seems like every year we go to St Clair (smallie heaven for me) there is one bait that will outproduce the others. The only way to find out what that bait might be is to rotate through the arsenal until one starts outproducing the rest. Here is my "Arsenal" for St Clair every year. In no particular order:
Senko
Weighted Senko (Wong Rig)
Lipless (SPRO Aruku Shad)
Dropshot
Ned Rig
DShad (Yamamoto Fluke style bait)
Jerkbait
Tube
In-line spinner
Spinnerbait
Crankbait (SPRO Little John in different depth ranges)
Dropshot
So, as you can see no simple answer, no single favorite. Dang I love smallmouth
ohboyitsrobby reply :
I catch 99% of my brownies river fishing I catch 90% of those on a 1/5 oz rebel wee craw in nest robber.
roadwarrior reply :
#1 Rage Tail Menace (Smoke)
#2 BPS Tender Tube #71
#3 Sworming Hornet/ LFT Live Magic Shad
#4 Alabama Rig
#5 Megabass Ito Vision 110
#6 Strike King Red Eye Shad
#7 Rage Tail Baby Craw (Watermelon/ Red Flake)
#8 Siebert Outdoors Jig Grid Iron G2/ Rage Tail Craw (PB&G)
J Francho reply :
For most times outside of late pre-spawn and spawn, a small plastic presented on a drop shot rig or Hopkins Shorty spoon vertically jigged works best for me. The tough part is finding them. Getting them to bite, not so much.
Dwight Hottle reply :
Big smallmouth love big jerk baits.
Steveo-1969 reply :
My go-to bait for the river smallmouth I fish is a 3/16 ounce Strike King Bitsy bug in blue craw, a Strike King Baby Rage Craw in blue craw, and the tips of the claws colored orange with Spike-It. I fish this bait more than anything else and I know at times if I fished with other baits I would catch more fish. But I don't care, fishing this little jig makes me happy. It's the "thunk" of the bite and the hookset that just gives me goosebumps!!!!!!
I love it so much I had @Delaware Valley Tackle build me a custom rod last year specifically to fish this jig.
rod snapper reply :
My go to for moving water Smallmouth is a Rebel Wee, or Teeny Wee Crawfish. They will work all year round, and different versions can dive really shallow, or as deep as necessary in a river or creek. they are versatile, catch more than just smallmouth, are pretty cheap, plus they work.
Mastermarsh reply :
River Smallies- Black Bitsy Bug w/ a black grub trailer will catch good numbers and size of fish all year long.
Lake Smallies- Swimbaits or Dropshot can be utilized the entire year and I'll typically have them tied on at all times while fishing for smallmouth.
redmeansdistortion reply :
For me it's always 3" tube baits and 3" grubs. I keep a large assortment of both in my vest in various colors.
TnRiver46 reply :
Tube, grub, pop r, worm, spook, rattle trap, buzzbait, swim jig, fluke, senko, frog........ those boogers eat anything!
Spankey reply :
On 2/14/2019 at 8:41 PM, TnRiver46 said:Tube, grub, pop r, worm, spook, rattle trap, buzzbait, swim jig, fluke, senko, frog........ those boogers eat anything!
Great post.
They are not fussy. But you have to find out what their sweet tooth is after that day.
Spankey reply :
My biggest smallmouths have been caught with crankbaits. My biggest smallmouths have been caught in October. My biggest smallmouths were caught on a color that doesn't work as well for me throughout the heart of the season.
billmac reply :
Jig and spinner.
Log Catcher reply :
On 2/13/2019 at 8:05 PM, TOXIC said:As A-Jay points out so eloquently
Smallies will take a lot of different lures. By limiting yourself to a favorite you might just be missing the bait they want that day. I can tell you that it seems like every year we go to St Clair (smallie heaven for me) there is one bait that will outproduce the others. The only way to find out what that bait might be is to rotate through the arsenal until one starts outproducing the rest. Here is my "Arsenal" for St Clair every year. In no particular order:
Senko
Weighted Senko (Wong Rig)
Lipless (SPRO Aruku Shad)
Dropshot
Ned Rig
DShad (Yamamoto Fluke style bait)
Jerkbait
Tube
In-line spinner
Spinnerbait
Crankbait (SPRO Little John in different depth ranges)
Dropshot
So, as you can see no simple answer, no single favorite. Dang I love smallmouth
I'm not trying to hijack this thread but I have a stupid question to ask. What is a Wong Rig you have listed by the Weighted Senko?
TOXIC reply :
On 2/15/2019 at 8:48 AM, Log Catcher said:I'm not trying to hijack this thread but I have a stupid question to ask. What is a Wong Rig you have listed by the Weighted Senko?
It's a rig that I originally learned from Judy Wong (another Yamamoto prostaffer who fished the LBAA), for fishing a Senko in fast moving water. She used it in the discharge of a water supply. I used it when the wind made our drift too fast for a tube. I have since thrown it and retrieved it just like a jig and it worked well. It's a 1/4 oz Gamakatsu Football head jig with a Senko rigged hook exposed. The football head jig walks on the bottom giving the senko a unique action. Very effective bait.
Glaucus reply :
I only target river smallmouth. I don't know of any smallmouth lakes around here. Good thing the rivers are loaded with them.
1. Ned Rig. It catches big ones in these rivers. Finesse TRDs and the relatively new Finesse CrawZ.
2. 75 & 90 Whopper Plopper
3. KVD 1.5
4. Bitsy Bug Jigs
5. Grubs
Will Wetline reply :
I'm a light line, clear water smallie guy whose favorite baits have changed over the years.
I've done a lot of business with GYCB 5" Hula Grubs, Gitzit 3 1/2" tubes, wacky rigged 4' and 5" Senkos and the original Duo Realis Spin Bait 80. I'd feel confident with any one of these on my line.
About three years ago after reading all the accounts of the Ned rig, I thought it would be great on my home water - and it is now my #1 go-to presentation.
haggard reply :
On 2/17/2019 at 7:59 PM, Will Wetline said:About three years ago after reading all the accounts of the Ned rig, I thought it would be great on my home water - and it is now my #1 go-to presentation.
Home lake here is also clear and this season I want to focus on smallies with light tackle, looking forward to using the ned more.
What jig heads are those? I haven't seen that profile before.
Will Wetline reply :
On 2/17/2019 at 9:41 PM, haggard said:
What jig heads are those? I haven't seen that profile before.
Those are mushroom shaped jig heads, commonly used for Ned rigging. I mold my own from the Midwest Finesse jig mold and use 88% bismuth/12% tin since Massachusetts does not permit lead under 1 oz. Siebert Outdoors offers them with the same, excellent Owner 5313 hooks. I would go with them if Maine has gone lead free and Mr. Siebert will make you a batch using the above mentioned alloy. Don't hesitate to PM me if you have more questions.
One more thing - I use 3/32 oz. on 6 lb. line 95% of the time.
WI_Angler1989 reply :
One of my biggest goals this coming season is to fish the situations as they come. To take my "favorite" presentations, small tubes, craws, grubs, Aglias... and branch out to what the day calls for and the fish want. Not what I like or enjoy.
Sure, there are the times when the go-to's are all I would even need. Theres a reason I have my favorites after all: they work. And can work AMAZINGLY. Typically I have memories of great days where it's been insane attatched to my favorite lures! Smallie after Smallie caught, making whatever lure did the deed feel pretty validated lol.
Obviously I can get married to a presentation because of those wonderful outings. I need to grow and learn to fit the technique and presentation to the situation on the water THAT day. Not have my favorite on the forefront; not get stuck wanting them to hit topwater; not using my best color, despite clarity because "it worked last time".
ww2farmer reply :
Last season the smallmouth told me that they liked they ned rig. Each year here they seem to like something else.
Arobb2012 reply :
The rivers I fish are pressured and get alot of canoe rental traffic. It's been finesse fishing mostly. Ned rigs, small swimbaits and a 90 whopper plopper. I have had luck on poppers and walking topwaters but they like the wp the most.
Jleebesaw reply :
Last year I had a lot of luck with typical dropshot rigs and tubes. I fish the st lawrence so gobey colors work great.
On a small lake I fished often, I was hammering them with a super spook junior. I used the baby bass color and bone color. Both colors worked awsome. This was in the fall. I'm fairly new to going fishing regularly so I don't have a ton of experiance, but I wasnt expecting to catch so many smallies in shallow water on topwater lures. It was so fun.
RyneB reply :
drop shot, evergreen shower blows, poppers, jerkbaits, spinnerbaits.
But if I only had to choose one, it would be a tube. Wouldnt even think twice.
bayvalle reply :
Swimming Kietech or twister tails on a 1/4 oz jig. Dragging tubes on tube jigs.
bowhunter63 reply :
Baby Rage craw or Swim jig with a menace trailer
BigTerp reply :
In my local river (Upper Potomac) I always have either a 2.75" Mizmo Teaser Tube rigged on a 1/8 oz internal tube jig head, or a 1/16 oz ned rig with a TRD tied on one of my two rods. I'm not shy to try other presentations, and frequently do, but the above far outproduces anything else for me.
Munkin reply :
On 2/25/2019 at 10:28 PM, BigTerp said:In my local river (Upper Potomac) I always have either a 2.75" Mizmo Teaser Tube rigged on a 1/8 oz internal tube jig head.
You and everybody else fishing the UP. The SM see so many tubes they can now identify the brand.
Allen
The Short Fisherman reply :
dropshot with a finesse worm style bait
BigTerp reply :
On 2/27/2019 at 11:34 AM, Munkin said:You and everybody else fishing the UP. The SM see so many tubes they can now identify the brand.
Allen
And they still out produce anything for me, in both numbers and size. The ned rig has been a close second though the last few years. I find the smallmouth in the UP shy away from larger profile baits. 3-1/2" tubes, pointer 100 size, spinnerbaits, etc. I get to fish the Susquehanna occasionally, and that's a whole different world. Although the larger baits produce well up there, we still tore them up last spring on 2.75" tubes.
Trevlee reply :
Swimbaits, Jerkbaits, Squarebill crankbaits. In that order for that past couple years.
rayrock99 reply :
3.5 tubes, jertbait, ned rig, swimbaits
billmac reply :
Mr. Twister Meeney Spin. 1/4 oz. Yellow
Ksam1234 reply :
1. Jerkbaits 2. Spinnerbaits 3. Squarebills or lipless cranks , those 3 kill it. And if I have to slow down I use a tube or a senko
kroberts9 reply :
I have a few favorites that I always gravitate to for the SMB's
1:spybait (g-fix 80 in the ghost minnow color)
2:dropshot (nose hooked minnow baits)
3:jerkbait (ito vision 110 &110+1)
4:top water (whopper plopper loon and bone)
5:neko rig / ned rig
6:tubes
these are in no particular order, it all depends on the day and conditions.
Dangerfield reply :
- Z-Man 4" Swimmerz in Shiner
- Shallow diving squarebill
- Lucky Craft Pointer
- Micro jig with a SB, craw or creature
- SK Rage Swimmer 2.75" on a Owner Ultra Round Head 2/0
Just read about this thing called a Fat Ika, I'm giving those some quality time this season.
flat reply :
For river fishing, a Texas rigged 4 or 4.5" tube for pitching, a skitter pop or chug bug for top water, a 100 series bandit for cranking, and a 1/4 oz. cleo for schooling/busting or top water wise fish.
NYWayfarer reply :
Ned rig, tubes and dropshot Roboworms are my go to favorites.
GeekFisher reply :
On 2/17/2019 at 7:59 PM, Will Wetline said:I'm a light line, clear water smallie guy whose favorite baits have changed over the years.
I've done a lot of business with GYCB 5" Hula Grubs, Gitzit 3 1/2" tubes, wacky rigged 4' and 5" Senkos and the original Duo Realis Spin Bait 80. I'd feel confident with any one of these on my line.
About three years ago after reading all the accounts of the Ned rig, I thought it would be great on my home water - and it is now my #1 go-to presentation.
Love those heads, what are they ?
Edit : was already asked but still mines are called mushroomz by zman but are more cylindrical than yours.
GeekFisher reply :
I so much use a tube I forbade myself to use one this season unless its a tournament ! I wanna get efficient with other baits/presentations.
Will Wetline reply :
On 5/25/2019 at 7:25 AM, GeekFisher said:Love those heads, what are they ?
Edit : was already asked but still mines are called mushroomz by zman but are more cylindrical than yours.
I cast them from Do-it's Midwest Finesse mold with the Owner 5313 hook, size 1.
https://www.barlowstackle.com/Do-It-Midwest-Finesse-Jig-Mold-with-Wire-Keeper-P3414.aspx
GeekFisher reply :
On 5/25/2019 at 2:32 PM, Will Wetline said:I cast them from Do-it's Midwest Finesse mold with the Owner 5313 hook, size 1.
https://www.barlowstackle.com/Do-It-Midwest-Finesse-Jig-Mold-with-Wire-Keeper-P3414.aspx
Would like to find them readily available !
PS: I'm in Canada.
haggard reply :
Lately it's been this 4 inch paddletail in green/white on a jig head, on a ML/XF spinning rod. Nothing but smallies.
When the head of the soft plastic gets worn down, snip off a quarter inch at the top and thread it back on the jig head and keep fishing.
Smallies love it.
TnRiver46 reply :
On 5/27/2019 at 9:21 AM, haggard said:Lately it's been this 4 inch paddletail in green/white on a jig head, on a ML/XF spinning rod. Nothing but smallies.
When the head of the soft plastic gets worn down, snip off a quarter inch at the top and thread it back on the jig head and keep fishing.
Smallies love it.
That looks like a weapon of bass destruction for sure
BassNut reply :
I Love my Small Mouth Bass, my main go too bait.
1/8 or 1/4 jig head with a 2 1/2" paddle tail on it...deadly!!
I do love top water fishing too, I throw a whooper plopper, best top water bait
since the jitterbug!
THE_Vue's reply :
They smashed this the other day.
umckibben reply :
On 2/13/2019 at 11:59 AM, WI_Angler1989 said:My go-to for river smallmouth is a 2.5" Cabin Creek Salty Critter Jr tubes, green pumpkin blue, rigged on a black Cadman's Custom Jigs "Smallie Crawlin" jig.
I love fishing small tubes (craws and little creature baits too for that matter) for smallies. Getting to know the river bottom, finding where the fish are, and the "Thump!" Of a tube hit.... just can't be beat for me.
Maybe a Wisconsin thing, hard to beat a tube rivers or lakes!
Skeeloco reply :
On 2/13/2019 at 11:59 AM, WI_Angler1989 said:My go-to for river smallmouth is a 2.5" Cabin Creek Salty Critter Jr tubes, green pumpkin blue, rigged on a black Cadman's Custom Jigs "Smallie Crawlin" jig.
I love fishing small tubes (craws and little creature baits too for that matter) for smallies. Getting to know the river bottom, finding where the fish are, and the "Thump!" Of a tube hit.... just can't be beat for me.
I'd like to try out those Cadman's jigs...but do they really expect people to mail a check/ money order this day and age? Hoping there's somewhere else I can buy.
Topwaterdog reply :
Ned rig, jerkbait and drop shots are my go-to's.
Pickle_Power reply :
Only river smallmouth here for me. My all time best is a Bomber Square A (1 5/8") in firetiger.
Kdizzle reply :
I have 2!!!! 4 inch Big Bites Finesse grubs, and 4 inch stick baits. In the Ozarks power fishing for Smallmouth in rivers really doesnt have much success in my experience. The Smallies always prefer finesse baits around these parts.
scaleface reply :
Texas rigged crayfish , tubes , hula grubs , creature baits , ned rig , jigs ,poppers ,buzzbaits , spinnerbaits. Pretty much the exact same thing i use for largemouths except I use more crayfish imitators and colors.
I didnt use a true Ned rig just half a stick worm on a jig head . Was doing that years before I heard of a Ned rig .
dupert reply :
My current favorite is the Strike King Baby Rage Craw.
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