bassnleo

I know someone out there is or has tried glidebaits for river smallmouth. I predominantly fish clear, shallow (like 8ft or less), rivers and it just seems that a glidebait should work. I've recently purchased a couple 6th Sense Speed Glide 100's to try. Anyone care to offer up some tips, or other baits to try? Most of the talk I can find online deals with lakes and largemouth, and some limited info on smallmouth and glidebaits, but mostly in a lake environment.

The discontinued Booyah Pro Boo Bug in 3/16 was a fish catching machine for me. I now make my own much cheaper than what I paid for them. I order finesse ball style heads from Lure Parts Online, they come already painted and ready to go. I buy skirt material from Drop Zone Fishing and make my own skirts. Put the skirt on the jig and go fishing. I can knock out 25 jigs in less than an hour, and they flat out work. I also make 1/8 and 5/16 sizes.

I absolutely loathe fishing a ned. I do it, but I hate it. If I'm throwing a ned (or any stickbait for that matter), it'd downright tough and I'm grinding for bites.

.......a river smallmouth addict! It's been some time since I've been terribly active on these forums. Back when I was, I was deep in the federation and club tournament scene. Gone every weekend. Came within 3 ounces of qualifying for the national federation championship in 2009, then in 2010..... I flamed out. Following our 2010 state championship and doing poorly after a stellar practice on a lake I know very well, I was so mad..... It was about a month later that I realized that it was time for a break. A step back. A reevaluation. I shouldn't end up mad over a hobby I enjoy so much. I took a break from the tournament scene. About 8 years ago I began to jump back in to a few. Won some, lost some, the usual. What I realized is that my absolute favorite waters to target are free flowing shallow rivers and smallmouth bass. So now that's what I do. Even run a tournament circuit on one river and regularly attend one on another 3 hours away. My wife often joins in as well. I'm enjoying it once again, at my own choosing. I like to consider myself experienced, but no expert by any means. Let's talk some river smallmouth! BTW, I wrote a Tube Fishing 101 post which is still pinned under the Best Of Bass Resource thread. I still add to that! Love me some tubes!

We've got plenty of grass like you decribe and that gives me some ideas! Thanks!

One of my all time #1 big smallmouth producers was a Booyah Pro Boo Bug in 3/16. That jig has been discontinued by Booyah, so I make my own now. Using that jig is one of the factors which prompted me to make up swim jigs. The Pro Boo isn't great for swimming, but, I've gotten bites while reeling it in. When you have a livewell packed with crawfish parts at the end of a tournament day, which is just about every time on the rivers I fish, it's time to come up with a moving presentation imitating a craw. Ironically, most of the time when this happens, we were fishing moving baits like cranks, spinners, chatters, flukes, etc and couldn't get bit on a bottom bouncing application, even though the bass were clearly gorging on craws. Last event I had 4 basically whole crawfish in the livewell. I took pics of their colors (and the parts) and those colors are what inspired my current color choices on the swim jigs.

I'd venture that the spring smallmouth in Presque Isle Bay (and largemouth for that matter) would probably like one of these. I don't get up there much anymore. I've become more addicted to the shallows of the Allegheny and Susquehanna.

I've recently began building swim jigs which I intend on using in our free flowing rivers for smallmouth. The pic is what I've made so far. Too many times I've been fishing a small skirted jig and when reeling it back in a fish will overtake it and eat it. So, if anyone casts swimming jigs for smallies, throw up a pic of what you're tossing. I'd like so ideas for other color combos and trailers. I will mostly be using these in clear to slightly stained water.

Been a Kistler user for about 15 years now. The graphite and magnesium series would fit it your price range. I have numerous models in both series and love them.

I've been a straight 30 lb braid guy for many years on my chatterbaits and spinnerbaits, which I *mainly* fish in dirty water, but at times did also use the same in clear water with vegetation. To this day, I still have braid on my reels. The spinnerbait and chatterbait bite has been pretty good for me as of late. Our rivers are up and dirty, prime time for moving baits. Two things have bothered me: 1. I often land smallmouth that would easily come off if they simply jumped and/or shook their heads. The combo of braid, current, etc sometimes causes the hook to tear the softer areas of the mouth (mainly the sides). 2, am I missing bites because of line visibility? So, I've set out to experiment a little. I'll be trying a few different fluorocarbon lines after doing a little online reading. First up is Sunline Sniper in 16 for the spinnerbait and 20 for the chatterbait. I've also got GAMMA Edge in the same sizes to try, although generally the Edge is a bit stiffer and not as castable as Sniper. I'll try to remember to report my findings.

Where in Pennsylvania will you be? If you'll be in Erie PA, check out Captain Danny Jones of Erie Bass Charters. He will put you on fish if the Erie waves cooperate. He has Facebook and Instagram pages.

Dust off those tubes boys, things are thawing here and before long the brownies will be chewing. When the water climbs into the low 40's and clears up a bit, I'll be tossing a 2.5" watermelon or green pumpkin on a 3/16 - 3/8 internal head. Always love that first bite indicating tick and the swing of the stick that follows.

When the water rises and gets dirty, the fish do go into a funk for a bit, but let me assure you, they still feed. The rivers I fish are generally clear but if I had the choice I’d rather fish them high and dirty.....hands down. Why? You can power fish and the high water puts fish in very predictable locations. Behind ANYTHING that breaks the current causing a current break or downstream eddy. As far as bait selection goes, smallmouth are generally sight feeders in clear water, but throw that out the window in dirty water. You need to fish things that move water. Bladed jigs, spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, wide wobbling crankbaits, are my top 4. Target the current breaks and eddys. Just about all of my largest river smallmouth and heaviest tourney stringers have come from high and dirty water. The pics are of my last 2 events, both during high water periods, and both of which we won doing exactly what I’ve described. Hope this helps and good luck!

I was out both days last weekend on the Upper Allegheny, smallies, pike, muskies.......all were biting.

There is a webcam at the Erie Yacht Club. Go on the fisherie.com page, choose Weather and Waves, and the link for the cam is under Weather Conditions and Forecasts. Last summer the bay showed signs of a comeback for largemouth. It's not where it was 5+ years ago, but it was better. At least catching keeper largies was better, the numbers have always been there, but the average size had fallen off quite noticeably. I honestly believe more largemouth have moved to the main lake following the spawn. More forage and better habitat out there. If the weeds would make a comeback bay wide like they used to be, I believe you'd see better quality in the bay throughout summer. Most of the 4 and 5 lb largies I catch are now out in the lake where as they used to be in the bay. Nowadays, catching a 4 or 5 in the bay is somewhat of a feat, after the spawn that is. At least I caught more 3's in the bay last year where as the past 5 years catching even a 15 inch fish was hit or miss. I'm ready to get up also, won't be long!

I know the main bay is open. Not sure about marina bay, misery bay, etc.. I'll keep my eyes and ears open and if I hear I will let you know. Ironically, I fished the Allegheny River here this past weekend. The pike and muskies were biting, so were the smallies .

I mainly use 2 colors of soft pastics.......green pumpkin (and some variations thereof) and black (and some variations thereof). Those 2 colors will catch fish regardless of any water clarity you may encounter. I'm the same with cranks and spinnerbaits and mainly use the same colors as RW indicated above. IMHO, what is more important is choosing the right technique to match the given conditions. On lower light days and times, I tend to use agressive techniques such as the cranks and spinnerbaits. Given bright conditions, I slow down and put the bait to where the fish is rather than making them chase it, that's where plastics come in for me. Of course there are exceptions to that, but generally that line of action works for me. IMHO, color is way too overrated and many of the colors on the market are designed to catch fisherman.

Zoom Super Fluke fished eratically on top.......cast and hold on.

Here's the deal......smallies come to the area in front of Hammermill (smoke stacks) and to the bay to spawn. That area of the main lake is often flat when the bay is rockin (especially on a West, Southwest, South, wind). There are some humps and structure spots but generally you are fishing flats near spawning areas. Get out in front of Hammermill and cover water with jerkbaits, tubes, drop shot. You will catch fish. Frankly, at times it gets stupid easy when the pre-spawners are eating and a 50 + fish day is possible. You will also mix in a few that are 5lbs or over. The channel wall can be good also but at times it gets rockin in there depending on the wind direction and boat traffic. Hit the area that I and S Hovanec mention, you won't be dissapointed.

Looks like a perfect blade situation.

GAMMA Edge, strongest flouro on the market.

I sentenced one to death last week. Had a decent mess of crappies in the livewell when a 1.75 lb bass decided to bite the minnie, except he swallowed the small jig waaaay down. I decided that he was getting fried up right along with the crappies, rather than risk him dying later. I have never kept or ate a bass, but I must say, it was rather tasty and neither me nor my wife could tell the difference between the bass and crappie filets. I hate to say it but there may be a few more that make our table.

bugman, as you see above, they're biting. This past weekend was a little "off" because of the front and cool down, but get on over there! I caught LM on March 12th...........

Out of the 100 or so smallies I have caught thus far this year, probably 10-15% of them had black spots. We see fish with them every year at this time, then as the water warms the spots tend to disappear (or become less frequent).

It's been an unbelievable Spring. In three outings, each about 2.5 hours long in the late afternoon, I've boated nearly 100 smallies..........all from one spot. Dropped the anchor on each trip and left at dark. Tubes have been the bait of choice. Enjoy the smallie porn!