Time To Catch Some River Smallies!!!

[KY Outdoorsman]

First off I'd like to apologize for my absence from the forums for the last couple of weeks. I began working at the local mill and the 50 hours a week were getting the best of myself. However we had a huge layoff and I found myself one of the unlucky ones so now a couple of friends and myself who found themselves with the same bad luck i experienced at the mill are planning on going wade fishing for some east ky smallies.

This is my first trip of the season. I have been wade fishing for several years but I'd like to have some suggestions for baits to use. Temps for last week were around 80-90 degrees but a cold front moved through Saturday night into Sunday bringing alot of rain. The trip is planned for Wednesday to allow the river to clear up and the water to warm back up. I plan on using the faithful fluke and possibly a 3/16 oz. jig if the bites are slow with the fluke.

Does anyone want to share some of their favorite baits to use when fishing for river smallies? I will fill everyone in on how the trip goes.

[NEjitterbugger]

Nothing beats a brokn back rapala for smallies in a river with some current! The one in the pic below was small but caught using a broken back rapala... We caught some real nice smallies prob in the 2 to 2.5 pound range... T

 

[38 Super Fan]

That sucks about the lay off, good luck going forward. Middle Fork River huh? I think I've heard of that.

[Snakehead Whisperer]

Hope the work picks up for you (after you get some quality fishing in, of course )

 

I like to go with tubes on a split shot rig, slider heads with 3" senko, bucktails, and the old jig/grub. Rapala broken backs and crankbaits have been taking good fish here on the Potomac as of late. My friend just caught a 5lber. on a Kastmaster in gold/perch this evening. Spooks and buzzbaits worked in mid river riffles can also be really productive, even in mid-day.

[Hogsticker]

Original floating raps, Pointer 78's, tubes, senkos, poppers, Joe's inline spinners are really good too. Oh yeah, River2Sea standn Yabbies can be fantastic as well..

[smalljaw67]

I agree with what everyone else has told you, the selstiion will work great, for me, well I'm partial to 3 floating style jerkbaits that are shallow divers and can be used as surface baits and they will attract the biggest smallies. If the bite is on and you are looking to get bigger mallies look at the Rattlin Rogue, you want the ARB series in clown or tiger minnow which really looks like musky fry. If the fish are hesitant to hit you can use the Rapala Flat Rap, it is a more subtle bait and it gets down to about 3' to 4', the subtle action with no noise is deadly for finicky fish. And finally, if the fish are around and you find they will chase a little bit but seem in more of a neutral mood, well then try the new Bagleys Bang-O-Lure in the 1/4oz size or the 3/8oz if you have bigger fish around. That bait has no rattles but does it move water, bright colors like hot tiger and chartreuse crayfish have been killers, you need to be prepared as the smallies hit those really hard!! Good Luck!!

[Crestliner2008]

I've caught hundreds of river smallies on a simple 1/8 oz. ball head jig, dressed with a 3" curly tailed grub. For many years, that's all we use to fish with. Never failed us.

[wademaster1]

Lately, all I've thrown is Rapala Cranks.....but I do also use, inline spinners and regular spinnerbaits.....jigheads and grubs have been great too but I snag a lot......

[THE_Vue's]

Fat ika or 1/8 jig heads with a 3" crawdad green pumpkin produce most for me.  I use the owner ultrahead finesse head weedless around grass with SK baby rage craw, 3.5 fluke Or else keitech mono spin jig with zman finesse shad.  Cheaper route i do split shot with a crawdad i find on sale like the yum f2 crawbug.  But i really like these jig heads

[Backwoodsbasser]

Jitterbug what river did u catch that in and wht size rapala?

[Capt.Bob]

Jigs & tubes are go to's with soft plastics on the jig's I like grubs and craw's in clean water (which we haven't had most all spring and into summer) I like the wee teeny craw in slower water eddies and holes. but about all that has been mentioned here will work when they are cooperating!! Good Luck, fishing and with work!!!!!