fast moving rocky stream baits??

[Dreveal]

4" white fluke has always paid off for me in the fast water. Lots of fun to watch them hit it too!

[Looch]

On 6/29/2017 at 9:35 AM, Zach Winn said:

I fish a stream that's super clear, rocky and has a water fall so it's a strong current. Smallmouth are in the 8-14" range. They love the Ned rig and 4" senkos. What else would you guys throw? 

Hair Jigs and tubes is what I'd start with. 

[Cranks4fun]

All of the baits mentioned above have their loyal users because they generally work: grubs, spinners, Rebel Wee Craws, tubes, jigs, etc. The last two years I have caught my biggest stream smallies on crankbaits, craw colored or brownish crankbaits. I had some great days on those SK Bitsy Bug jigs last year too! 4 inch Senkos have worked great in the past for me too. Someone mentioned that the fish in the larger deeper pools don't bite often. They will bite in those pools if you hit them early in the morning and late in the evening. I had about a 20-fish evening trip recently and most of my fish came from those large pools in the last 1 1/2 hours before dark. about three weeks back, I caught a 17 incher (big around here) on an H2O Xpress CRUL crankbait in bluegill. He was in faster water behind a boulder with current flowing over it. When you catch one in or near that current, they feel like they are three times bigger than they really are! I included a picture of the 17 incher below but my phone camera lens was dirty or something. Sorry!

 

[PatrickKnight]

I would drift a curly tail on the lightest weight jig I could use to hang close to the bottom and do my best to hit every rock I could.

[HookRz]

22 hours ago, PatrickKnight said:

I would drift a curly tail on the lightest weight jig I could use to hang close to the bottom and do my best to hit every rock I could.

If you caught the Smallie in your profile pic that way I'm not gonna argue! 

All about what works for you! Nice fish!

[BuzzHudson19c]

I've been having new found success with swim jigs for smallies. I cast past the current break, reel into it, and let it fall. A couple twitches followed by a steady reel. Basically if something is there I let them see it then start the retrieve. River smallies make up there mind pretty fast and are usually on it quick.

 

1/4 or 3/8 jig with a fluke or craw trailer.

[Further North]

I put this in the topwater topic...but it works great in fast moving rocky streams as well.

I'll cast it above calm areas and let it drift in, twitch it, and hang on.  In faster water they don't have a lot of time to think about it, so if a strick comes it'll be fast, usually right after the twitch.