River and Creek spawn baits

[gall]

So everywhere I read about the spawn mainly seems to be largely about largemouth and either lake or reservoir fishing and using white baits anyone on rivers or creeks chasing smallmouth do you use white lures or. More natural match the hatch colors 

[Turkey sandwich]

River smallmouth fishermen just get no love, man.

 

So, I like a few different approaches.  Some of it depends where in the spawning process I'm finding the bass, but I generally will throw finesse jig and craw combos, football/shaky/swinging heads tipped with something like a craw or madtom/sculpin imitation near beds/where beds should be and between them and the closest change in cover or best available structure.  This on it's own can be killer and you don't need to stalk the fish, just kinda cover water slowly/moderately.  I do also like having white/pink/methiolate/etc tied on for bed fishing because it makes it so much easier to see the bait.  Generally, I prefer fishing the first way most of the time if I'm catching smaller males on the beds because I know the larger females are going to be near that cover or change in structure resting and feeding up for their next round of spawning.  This is an excellent way to catch fat smallmouth.

[gall]

11 hours ago, Turkey sandwich said:

River smallmouth fishermen just get no love, man.

 

So, I like a few different approaches.  Some of it depends where in the spawning process I'm finding the bass, but I generally will throw finesse jig and craw combos, football/shaky/swinging heads tipped with something like a craw or madtom/sculpin imitation near beds/where beds should be and between them and the closest change in cover or best available structure.  This on it's own can be killer and you don't need to stalk the fish, just kinda cover water slowly/moderately.  I do also like having white/pink/methiolate/etc tied on for bed fishing because it makes it so much easier to see the bait.  Generally, I prefer fishing the first way most of the time if I'm catching smaller males on the beds because I know the larger females are going to be near that cover or change in structure resting and feeding up for their next round of spawning.  This is an excellent way to catch fat smallmouth.

You're absolutely right no. Love at all but your first technique sounds similar to what I do and a few stretches of a creek near me moat of the beds are huffing. Shore so starting on. It and dragging it in usually gets bit or casting past a certain bed and landing in another bed ha also when they set up. In the grass I usually see the females just held off the beds in. The grass 

[WillBass24]

For me I fish year round for creek smallies and I found that white and natural colors both work, I would say I have more luck on a orange and black craw then anything. Smallies are aggressive so anything on there bed should work.

[Spankey]

Great post. Great responses. I've been a river rat my whole life. I've never figured the spawn out. Tuff time for me. A lot a variation from year to year. I'm not a huge fan of white in general. I believe every word you guys are saying of white I've mostly stuck to the darker colors as pumpkinseeds, smoke, black, black and blue, oxbloods. I've never given white an honest go. 

 

[Scott F]

When the spawn begins, me and my fellow rivers rats who wade stop fishing the creeks and rivers. While wading, it is so easy to walk right through the beds. They stop feeding anyway, so we leave them alone. 

[gall]

Willbass there's nothing more exciting then hooking into a toad in waist deep water can't say the same for musky that's all sketchy  and spankey I'm the same as you I night have to try white this season 

[bowhunter63]

I wade alot,Rage craws ,Traps and spinnerbaits.For traps and Spinnerbaits like 3/8 ounce size.Rage craws in a river cant be beat.

[RoLo]

 

The female bass may do a little housecleaning during the spawn, but she loses her interest in food.

'Lure color' is never less important than it is during the actual spawn.

 

Roger

 

 

[BigSkyBasser]

I used to swear solely by fishing texas rigged Zman lizards and craws with a double pegged tungsten bullet weight because those baits all float and it looks like an extremely aggressive presentation. This does work extremely well in any color and will often prevent you from having to work a bed extensively to get bit. 

 

Another technique that I learned while fishing Lake Mead last year is to get a keitech or eco pro swimbait hooked weedless and cast it past the bed, then slowly bring it back towards the bed. If the fish is acting finicky you can cast and swim it by the bed several times first, but usually the first time you drop it straight on the bed the male will destroy it. Another benefit of casting past/around the bed is that you can sometimes get a bonus fish if the female is hiding nearby and ambushes the swimbait.

[smr913]

Before and during the spawn I do better with minnow type baits. Once water hits in the 70s it seems to transition to a more crawfish diet. A lot of the fish I'm catching right now have craws in their throat. Despite the presentation I do best with natural colors. I hear a lot about firetiger, chartreuse, or pink but just don't have the confidence in it.