What Is Best Lures When Smallmouth Are Hitting Baitfish On Top But Wont Touch Anything In Your Box ??

[flyfisher]

Tiny Torpedos have done the trick for me in these situations.

[wuchr20]

I like the weightless zoom super fluke in pearl.

[retiredbosn]

The situation u described I would first try a rebel popr, if that didn't work, what ever size fluke matches the size and color of the bait rigged weightless. Cast the fluke into the swarm and do nothing, no twitches or jerks let it flutter, start counting if you get to a long ten count work it back with long pauses.

[A-Jay]

Can someone please help me on this situation I have alot of times fishing for smallies when they are dialed in on the shad and small minnows they wont touch any lure I throw at them and I have tried everything in my taclke box which is any and just bout everything a bass will eat any help would be greatly appreciated

 

Tons of great options presented so far.

 

A bait that gets little fan fair but has worked for me in this situation many times is the Rapala Sub walk.

 

When bass seem unwilling to commit to traditional surface offerings and a regular jerkbait is clearly going under the bait & the bass, being able to present a lure with a walk-the-dog style technique just below the water surface (and right in their face) can be the deal.

 

 It has been especially effective on smallies, who love to chase this bait down & hammer it.  I'd recommend changing out the stock trebles.  That VMC dressed treble on the back has not worked for me.

 

A-Jay

[tgat77]

Thanks a jay I will try it for sure thanks man

[retiredbosn]

Tons of great options presented so far.

A bait that gets little fan fair but has worked for me in this situation many times is the Rapala Sub walk.

When bass seem unwilling to commit to traditional surface offerings and a regular jerkbait is clearly going under the bait & the bass, being able to present a lure with a walk-the-dog style technique just below the water surface (and right in their face) can be the deal.

It has been especially effective on smallies, who love to chase this bait down & hammer it. I'd recommend changing out the stock trebles. That VMC dressed treble on the back has not worked for me.

A-Jay

Man I completely forgot about that bait. I went to buy some when I first learned about them, then completely forgot. How long have they been on the market now 10 years?

[A-Jay]

Man I completely forgot about that bait. I went to buy some when I first learned about them, then completely forgot. How long have they been on the market now 10 years?

 

I don't exactly Boats, at least 7 or 8 anyway.

 

It's such a sleeper of a bait.  Especially early season as it doesn't have a ton of action. 

 

But what it does have is a subtle but killer little roll right before it comes to rest on the pause -

 

Smallies just Can't Stand it.

 

A-Jay

[bigbill]

A Rapala f7 original floater match the color of the baitfish. Blue or black.

Joesfly firetiger apache 1/4oz inline spinner.

[BigSkyBasser]

An old infisherman smallmouth special showed Al Lindner swearing by techniques to apply towards this for cold and warm water conditions. 

 

In warm water he would toss the classic popper or when endorsed by Rapala the "Skitter Pop." (Great lure but I prefer spooks.)

 

In cold water they were throwing little elk hair jigs about 8-14" under a large float and getting stupendous amounts of bites.

 

 

Note I have never tried the latter mentioned but would like to. Probably could supplement a senko and get the same reaction.

[Joycer81]

When I see smallmouth feeding at the surface I start trying to catch them from the top of the water column down.

I will start by fishing the Zara spook anytime I can especially when bass are active at the surface. I do most of my fishing on either Lake Ontario or the St Lawrence River though so surface lures aren't always an option.

If the fish won't hit at the surface I will try and finesse them with light fluorocarbon and jerkbaits, tube jigs, a spy bait or the good old drop shot. In these situations where I've thrown everything without luck I try and focus on how I'm throwing the lure instead of what I'm throwing. Some days the trick is just to pick up the fairy wand and down size my line to the lightest possible.

Another thing I've learned after reviewing gopro footage of myself is that on these tough days often I get caught up in changing lures to try find the magic one. As a result of this I get locked in to one style and speed of retrieve with every lure. After noticing this I started to focus more on not being so static by changing speed and concentrating on varying styles of retrieve on these days and did see some improvement.

If they still won't touch anything in my box, I try not to get to frustrated because it gives me an excuse to buy more tackle!

[Brewerbass]

Swim jig with a paddle tail trailer like a grass pig.

[hawkoath]

It's trout stocking season over here and one multi-purpose lure that has been working really well when there is bait around, the bass are flying but you can't seem to get a hit is modified Kastmaster. 

[Dave Hull]

Try a fat Gitzit (a tube bait) of the magic size & color needed on the original flat shaped jighead. Fish it like a jerkbait. I like the subwalk and the flukes as mentioned above too as topwater, although the preference for fun, isn't always as effective on schools herding fish to the surface.

[masterbass]

Super fluke jr or the good ole grub/jighead.

[MIbassyaker]

In cold water they were throwing little elk hair jigs about 8-14" under a large float and getting stupendous amounts of bites.

 

 

The Float 'N Fly! 

 

http://www.worldfishingnetwork.com/tips/post/winter-float-fly-bass

[egladding]

Try throwing a double fluke rig(donkey rig). It has a better action than a single fluke.

[dropshottah]

INLINE SPINNER

[k3bass]

If smallmouth are busting the surface and won't touch anything I'm throwing on top I'll tie on a slow falling jig-n-pig usually with a double tail grub. Let it fall down below the commotion and pop it a few times. This usually catches bigger fish for me than a topwater when they're chasing bait fish to the surface.