Smallmouth Lures

[AJMichigan]

I've been catching a few smallies with a white spinner, but can't seem to catch smallies on anything else. I really want to target them hard this fall, so I was curious what you guys use for STRICT Smallmouth fishin. No topwaters please.

 

Thanks,

AJ

[flyfisher]

why no topwaters?  And if you give us a little more info on the water type you are fishing that would help.

[AJMichigan]

why no topwaters?  And if you give us a little more info on the water type you are fishing that would help.

 

It's the Grand River in Michigan. And I've never had luck with topwaters around here and i've tried a bunch of them.

[moguy1973]

Tubes, Rage Rigged Craws, jerk baits.

 

Walk the dog lures, buzzbaits (top water)

 

[EvanT123]

Can't go wrong with tubes, grubs on a ball head jig, flukes, senkos, and I know you said no topwater but a popper.

What's worked pretty well for me lately has been to start with a white fluke and if that doesn't get bit switch to a black senko. Kind of opposite ends of the spectrum and lets me know what kind of mood they are in. Plus I don't have to re-tie.

[AJMichigan]

I have a few flukes (I think that's what they are) sitting in my tackle box that I never use. They have a hook in them along with a big metal plate (not sure why) They're about 8 inches long and black with a red tail.

[moguy1973]

Nah, you need to get some regular super flukes and rig them weightless texas-rigged.  Or you could get some swimming flukes and rig them with a swimbait hook.

[AJMichigan]

Nah, you need to get some regular super flukes and rig them weightless texas-rigged.  Or you could get some swimming flukes and rig them with a swimbait hook.

 

Got it. Fish them like a senko?

[fishguy613]

i use crankbaits big and small, soft plastic crawfish, tube jigs, spinnerbait sometimes, lipless crankbait

[EvanT123]

Got it. Fish them like a senko?

You can certainly do that and have success. I prefer to twitch twitch pause. You really can't work a fluke wrong. Check out bassresource's YouTube channel. Sometimes I let them sink 10-20 seconds then twitch and pause or start as soon as it hits the water.

[wnybassman]

Over the last couple years, when the water drops below 50º, it has gotten awfully hard to pry a Silver Buddy out of my hands.

[Scott F]

I adapt the lures to the type of water the river.  I don't know the Grand River. How deep it the water? How much visibility? How much current is there? Are you fishing eddies? Are there riffles, or rapids? In relatively clear, shallow, slow water like eddies or in behind rocks or wood, I throw un-weighted plastic stick baits. In deeper flats with slow water, I'd go with a weighted plastic like a tube or a crankbait that runs a tiny bit deeper than the bottom so it bumps along the bottom. In fast water, where I'm finding them now, I use In-line spinners or spinnerbaits. 

[AJMichigan]

I adapt the lures to the type of water the river.  I don't know the Grand River. How deep it the water? How much visibility? How much current is there? Are you fishing eddies? Are there riffles, or rapids? In relatively clear, shallow, slow water like eddies or in behind rocks or wood, I throw un-weighted plastic stick baits. In deeper flats with slow water, I'd go with a weighted plastic like a tube or a crankbait that runs a tiny bit deeper than the bottom so it bumps along the bottom. In fast water, where I'm finding them now, I use In-line spinners or spinnerbaits. 

 

Depth varies depending where you go, Where I usually am it's not too deep at all, i'd say maybe 20-25 feet in the middle, but I'm fishing from shore. Visibility is usually always low, 2-4 feet at best. Current is always pretty fast even when you're not close to dams or rapids.

[Scott F]

More important that the lure you chose is the water you choose to fish. If there are no bass there, no lure is going to work.  A little research on the Grand River shows me that most of the river up stream from Grand Rapids is wadeable which means If the water is 25 feet deep, which is VERY deep for a river, you must be fishing above a dam. It's the only place where the water could possibly be that deep. Are you sure about the depth? Are there a lot of power boats that run that area of the river? If you are looking for smallmouth, you should be below the dam. Water above a dam has little oxygen and a lot of silt. Not good habitat for smallies. If there is a lot of current, you need to find a spot where the fast water is blocked by rocks, trees or a point of land. The bass will hold on the edge of the fast water waiting for the current to bring food to them. 

[AJMichigan]

More important that the lure you chose is the water you choose to fish. If there are no bass there, no lure is going to work.  A little research on the Grand River shows me that most of the river up stream from Grand Rapids is wadeable which means If the water is 25 feet deep, which is VERY deep for a river, you must be fishing above a dam. It's the only place where the water could possibly be that deep. Are you sure about the depth? Are there a lot of power boats that run that area of the river? If you are looking for smallmouth, you should be below the dam. Water above a dam has little oxygen and a lot of silt. Not good habitat for smallies. If there is a lot of current, you need to find a spot where the fast water is blocked by rocks, trees or a point of land. The bass will hold on the edge of the fast water waiting for the current to bring food to them. 

 

Scott, Do you mean I should fish east of the city or west of the city along the river? I've fished both sides and have caught smallies on both sides.

[Scott F]

Like I said before, I don't know the Grand River, and I don't know what part you are fishing. Here is a link that I found that might help you with location. http://www.flyanglersonline.com/features/greatrivers/grand/

[AJMichigan]

Like I said before, I don't know the Grand River, and I don't know what part you are fishing. Here is a link that I found that might help you with location. http://www.flyanglersonline.com/features/greatrivers/grand/

 

THANKS SO MUCH!!

[Cgrinder]

4 inch Green Pumpkin Senko, but you probably knew that already.

 

Green Pumpkin or Pumpkinseed Zoom Tube with a jighead stuffed inside. The bigger the jighead, the better. It imitates a craw or goby. Gobies are like Smallmouth Powerbars.

 

Baby Rage Craw in Hard Candy with a bullet weight of your choosing.

 

Those are my picks.

[roadwarrior]

Sworming Hornet/ LFT Live Magic Shad.

 

Cast and let the lure sink to the bottom. Keep you rod tip up, do not pump the lure.

Reel fast, then allow the Hornet to fall back to the bottom on slack line. Repeat until

you feel you are "out of the zone". All of the strikes will occur on the drop. When

ANYTHING feels different, set the hook!

[ww2farmer]

I have caught smallmouth on every single thing I have caught largemouth. But when I am targeting smallmouth specifically, it's typically very early in the season, or very late in the season. And my best results have been with downsized versions of my standard largemouth gear, fished on light line, in deeper water, with spinning gear.

[mod479]

Sworming Hornet/ LFT Live Magic Shad.

 

Cast and let the lure sink to the bottom. Keep you rod tip up, do not pump the lure.

Reel fast, then allow the Hornet to fall back to the bottom on slack line. Repeat until

you feel you are "out of the zone". All of the strikes will occur on the drop. When

ANYTHING feels different, set the hook!

 

I gave the sworming hornets a shot this weekend, I thought pumping them off the bottom would work, but next time I'll try a straight retrieve and drop. I was impressed with the flash and action with a RI little dipper on it.

[J Francho]

Here is a whole suite of baits that work well for river smallies.

 

http://www.confidencebaits.net/

[Hanover_Yakker]

I've been catching a few smallies with a white spinner, but can't seem to catch smallies on anything else. I really want to target them hard this fall, so I was curious what you guys use for STRICT Smallmouth fishin. No topwaters please.

 

Thanks,

AJ

 

Check your PM!

[Snakehead Whisperer]

Here is a whole suite of baits that work well for river smallies.

 

http://www.confidencebaits.net/

Good recommendation. Jeff Little's YouTube page is a great too. I want to check out his river smallie DVD's. 

[Swampstud]

I got this girl swimmin a strike king white soft swimbait. Im not going to lie, im slowly becoming a SMB addict!