Whats Your Favorite Smallmouth Rig?

[zildjian]

Hey guys,

 

i want to start really targeting small mouth bass, whats every ones favorite or go to rig for small mouth bass? Also what do you guys look for in the water to target this beautiful species of bass?

 

-zildjian

[Dwight Hottle]

Prespawn & again in the fall as water temps approach spring prespawn temperatures the suspending jerkbait rules. You can cover water depths from 6 fow to 30 fow based on water clarity.

[zildjian]

thanks Dwight!

[EvanT123]

I dunno if I have a favorite but my go to baits are tubes, flukes, dropshot and topwater baits. Being on shore and not having a fish finder on my boat yet, I look for rocky areas and current breaks.

[djtrekker]

I'm strictly a river rat when it comes to smallmouth.

I kayak fish, though when wading I target the same type water.  I look for eddies behind boulders (smallmouth are more likely to prefer rocky areas than wood structure), seams dividing current from more still water, edges of grassy areas (particularly in evening and early morn).  I drop baits in fast, deep current to drag on bottom in rocky areas because bass will hold in eddy pockets on the bottom of such current, formed by large rocks.

I target bottom, mid-column, and top.  Most of my fishing is shallow 2-6 feet, but that's more a characteristic of the streams/rivers I run.  In evenings I have good luck with jerkbaits like the bass assassin or tubes thrown in flats of riffly water over rocks.

 

Go to baits:

senko = #1 for versatility.  Usually fish unweighted, Texas rig in faster water.  Best luck with 4 inch for numbers of fish, 7 inch caught my largest bass to-date, 22 inches, and I've caught a fair number of large bass on the larger senko. 

tube = #2, and it is also versatile.  Jig on the bottom or run like a swim bait, but mostly jig on bottom.

toss up between torpedo and super spook jr for top water.  I love throwing the spook jr, so that's my favorite; but have caught more fish on a small torpedo.

 

80% tube/senko pretty evenly split (I carry two spinning rods, one rigged with senko the other with tube).  15% top water, 5% crank, spinner, buzz baits. 

 

I try all sorts of things, but these are my go-to baits.  I have no luck with spinner baits or buzz baits, but of course these are good, I just don't use them enough to produce I suppose.  Buzz baits have really worked for me on largemouth, pickerel and northern pike, but again when fishing those waters I beat them heavy with buzz baits, whereas on smallie waters I just don't prefer them.  Habit.

 

This summer I plan to experiment with creature plastics on smallies; I've been doing good with largemouths and want to see if they cross over; they should.  A tube is essentially a creature bait.

 

2 spinning rods:  6'3" medium action St Croix Avid, 6' medium-heavy.  I love the lengths for kayak fishing, easy to maneuver and compact - I can cast them both extremely accurately.  I seem to prefer the 6' for accuracy and it just handles "right" in my hands.  I had a 6' Loomis GLX paired with Shimano Stradic C14 reel - it was a sweet combo; lightweight and sensitive - I mean I could feel every tick on the bottom.  I lost that one on memorial day when I tipped my kayak in a class 3 rapid.  I replaced it with an Ugly Stik ($42) paired with a back-up Shimano Saros reel I had on hand (budget doesn't allow me to replace the original rig yet - next year).  I am getting kind of fond of the Ugly Stik, it is much heavier than the Loomis and not as sensitive, but it's a good rod and I'm getting used to it and adjusting my feel for it.  Glad I got it.  The 6'3" can throw anything I have but is great for really light baits, plastic or hard.  The 6' will also throw anything, but is the go-to for heavy spinner and buzz baits.  Reels have at least a 6:1 ratio.

 

Line: 15# power pro braid.  I moved to it when I had trouble getting a good hook set with mono.  It seems to have worked.  No stretch gives me good leverage on long casts which I'm prone to.  I use a 6' flurocarbon leader on the braid (I think it is 8 lb; leader for largemouth is 15#, that is to compensate for dense cover not so much the fish). When I fished mono, I used 8 lb mono line, occasionally 6lb.  I prefer the braid.

 

I have a baitcast outfit.  I just started using baitcast this year and I love it, though I have a ways to go yet to get consistent with accuracy and avoiding backlash.  7'2" medium heavy fast action rod is good for the buzz baits and spinnerbaits, though primary use is worm and jig rod.  The reel is a fast 7:1 retrieve which is good for crankbaits.  I take it smallie fishing now, just for practice, but default rods for smallies are still spinning rods.  I met a guide on the New River in VA this summer who swears by baitcast personally, though provides spinning outfits for clients due to need for simplicity.

 

That's it in a nutshell for me ... I also do a lot of fishing on fly for smallmouth, but that's another story.

[djtrekker]

I'm strictly a river rat when it comes to smallmouth.

I kayak fish, though when wading I target the same type water.  I look for eddies behind boulders (smallmouth are more likely to prefer rocky areas than wood structure), seams dividing current from more still water, edges of grassy areas (particularly in evening and early morn).  I drop baits in fast, deep current to drag on bottom in rocky areas because bass will hold in eddy pockets on the bottom of such current, formed by large rocks.

I target bottom, mid-column, and top.  Most of my fishing is shallow 2-6 feet, but that's more a characteristic of the streams/rivers I run.  In evenings I have good luck with jerkbaits like the bass assassin or tubes thrown in flats of riffly water over rocks.

 

Go to baits:

senko = #1 for versatility.  Usually fish unweighted, Texas rig in faster water.  Best luck with 4 inch for numbers of fish, 7 inch caught my largest bass to-date, 22 inches, and I've caught a fair number of large bass on the larger senko. 

tube = #2, and it is also versatile.  Jig on the bottom or run like a swim bait, but mostly jig on bottom.

toss up between torpedo and super spook jr for top water.  I love throwing the spook jr, so that's my favorite; but have caught more fish on a baby torpedo.

 

80% tube/senko pretty evenly split (I carry two spinning rods, one rigged with senko the other with tube).  15% top water, 5% crank, spinner, buzz baits. 

 

I try all sorts of things, but these are my go-to baits.  I have no luck with spinner baits or buzz baits, but of course these are good, I just don't use them enough to produce I suppose.  Buzz baits have really worked for me on largemouth, pickerel and northern pike, but again when fishing those waters I beat them heavy with buzz baits, whereas on smallie waters I just don't prefer them.  Habit.

 

This summer I plan to experiment with creature plastics on smallies; I've been doing good with largemouths and want to see if they cross over; they should.  A tube is essentially a creature bait.

 

2 spinning rods:  6'3" medium action St Croix Avid, 6' medium-heavy.  I love the lengths for kayak fishing, easy to maneuver and compact - I can cast them both extremely accurately.  I seem to prefer the 6' for accuracy and it just handles "right" in my hands.  I had a 6' Loomis GLX paired with Shimano Stradic C14 reel - it was a sweet combo; lightweight and sensitive - I mean I could feel every tick on the bottom.  I lost that one on memorial day when I tipped my kayak in a class 3 rapid.  I replaced it with an Ugly Stik ($42) paired with a back-up Shimano Saros reel I had on hand (budget doesn't allow me to replace the original rig yet - next year).  I am getting kind of fond of the Ugly Stik, it is much heavier than the Loomis and not as sensitive, but it's a good rod and I'm getting used to it and adjusting my feel for it.  Glad I got it.  The 6'3" can throw anything I have but is great for really light baits, plastic or hard.  The 6' will also throw anything, but is the go-to for heavy spinner and buzz baits.  Reels have at least a 6:1 ratio.

 

Line: 15# power pro braid.  I moved to it when I had trouble getting a good hook set with mono.  It seems to have worked.  No stretch gives me good leverage on long casts which I'm prone to.  I use a 6' flurocarbon leader on the braid (I think it is 8 lb; leader for largemouth is 15#, that is to compensate for dense cover not so much the fish). When I fished mono, I used 8 lb mono line, occasionally 6lb.  I prefer the braid.

 

I have a baitcast outfit.  I just started using baitcast this year and I love it, though I have a ways to go yet to get consistent with accuracy and avoiding backlash.  7'2" medium heavy fast action rod is good for the buzz baits and spinnerbaits, though primary use is worm and jig rod.  The reel is a fast 7:1 retrieve which is good for crankbaits.  I take it smallie fishing now, just for practice, but default rods for smallies are still spinning rods.  I met a guide on the New River in VA this summer who swears by baitcast personally, though provides spinning outfits for clients due to need for simplicity.

 

That's it in a nutshell for me ... I also do a lot of fishing on fly for smallmouth, but that's another story.

[WIGuide]

If I had to pick just one type of presentation, I'd have to say a dropshot is my favorite for smallies. If you know they're there, it's tough to beat. If you can find rock/ gravel with patches of grass, you might just find the mother load.  

[zildjian]

Thank you guys very very much

[Jar11591]

4" Senkos and Hulagrubs have worked the best for me. Also a Storm Chugbug.

[webertime]

Carolina Rig for summer smallies. 3/4 to 1oz weight, 3-6 ft leader.

Zoom Ultravibe Speedcraw

Smokin' Rooster

2.8" Keitech Fat Impact

Are all killer baits on a rig.

[WeekendWoodsmen]

I dunno if I have a favorite but my go to baits are tubes, flukes, dropshot and topwater baits. Being on shore and not having a fish finder on my boat yet, I look for rocky areas and current breaks.

How deep of water do you fish your top waters in?

[EvanT123]

How deep of water do you fish your top waters in?

Honestly, I don't know.

[massrob]

I've caught them on senkos trick worms spinnerbait. Today almost everything I threw out there I was catching them.The last two days have been the best I've had.

[Driftb]

The Number 1 easiest lure for the beginning smallmouth bass angler on the Delaware river has to be a smoke or watermellon wacky rigged 4" Yammamoto worm .  If the water is up or you are dealing with a lot of current, try a 3.5 or 4" green pumpkin tube Jig, swimbait, or grub with just enough weight on it to hit bottom on a slow drop. Stickbaits work well all year, but especially in stained water spring and fall.  If water is coming up or down, high and muddy, try a white or chart 1/2 oz spinnerbait.  Summer evenings and fall try topwater.  Small lures work in summer, but don't be afraid to go big, especially in Fall.  The smallmouth go totally nuts for walk the dog type topwater lures in the fall as the shad exit the river. 

  

Please practice catch and release, especially for the big fish!  If you want to eat fish, go for walleyes, which Pa and NJ stock like crazy into the river.

[Driftb]

If you are fishing a river, Like the Del, look for current breaks.  If the fish are on baitfish (shad), you may find the fish on weedy flats.  If they are on Bugs, craws, stonecats, you'll find them in the current, especially where there are lots of current breaks, like big rocks, logs or sudden changes in depth. If the water is high, fish the banks.  If it's low, fish the current.  Sometimes you will also find them in shallow gravel areas near heavy current.  I usually fish shallow in Summer, deep in spring and Fall.

[NathanW]

I would be pretty deadly if all I ever used was drop shot roboworm and crankbait. Drop shot will catch them any day of the year, and when they are eating a crankbait you'll catch good keepers in a hurry

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