Several years ago, in an effort to learn to catch smallmouths better, my father in law and I went fishing with a guide who also was a tournament pro. The first thing he taught us was using a tube. His favorite was Old Ugly from Dry Creek. We had a blast catching larger sb then ever before. I've since been successful with several different colors and sizes, also other lure types, but always keep a couple packs of Old Uglys on hand. It's my go to, when nothing else is working.