Topwater lures for smallmouth bass

[Tmoyer10]

I fish a lot of low/clear water small mouth bass on rivers. I have been messing with different topwater lures and have had better luck with subtle presentations. I was wondering if there was suggestions for kinda of soft/hard plastic top water walk the dog type lures that didn't rattle and were subtle for high pressured bass?

[Nattyboh74]

How come you're against rattles? Curious.

[fishindad]

Fluke-type bait rigged EWG weedless is great in smaller streams and rivers. Basically, it works any time you're fishing smallies in current!

[A-Jay]

Hello and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ 

Checkout the Sebile Stick Shadd and the Rapala X-Rap Sub Walk ~

Both subtle & effective and may suit your needs.

A-Jay

[38 Super Fan]

Clear Zara Spook, super subtle.

 

Also, welcome to the forum!

[BuzzHudson19c]

River smallies? BUZZ BAIT!

 

Walking style, Kvd sexy dawg. In my opinion if smallies are hitting top water, don't worry about being subtle.

[Tmoyer10]

I'm not totally against rattles. It just seems as of late because of all the pressure and how clear low and clear the river is. Less noise is working better. I tried the savage soft plastic mud minnow and I do like that. I was just curious if anyone made a hard plastic walk the dog that didn't rattle. I generally use lucky craft gunfish and they work well but like I said seems like lately you need something  with less noise. 

[Bluebasser86]

3 hours ago, Tmoyer10 said:

I fish a lot of low/clear water small mouth bass on rivers. I have been messing with different topwater lures and have had better luck with subtle presentations. I was wondering if there was suggestions for kinda of soft/hard plastic top water walk the dog type lures that didn't rattle and were subtle for high pressured bass?

Drill a small hole in the back of a Super Spook Jr, add drop or two of superglue in the hole and roll the ball around so it gets in the super glue. Add a thin coat of epoxy to the hole and you should have a silent spook.

[A-Jay]

Forgot to mention - for what you've described, it's tough to beat the Original Rapala Floater Minnow ~

Been catching fish for a Long time.

Balsa rules.

A-Jay

[Tmoyer10]

I will give that a try. I would like to be able to go out with loud topwater and just nail them every day but lately it seems like they want it in more of a quiet approach. 

[Gundog]

3 hours ago, fishindad said:

Fluke-type bait rigged EWG weedless is great in smaller streams and rivers. Basically, it works any time you're fishing smallies in current!

^^^Took the words right out of my keyboard. The erratic action definitely draws smallies.

[papajoe222]

Like A-Jay said, an original floating Rapala, I like the #7 for river smallies, in gold/black back twitched down a seam equals smallie on the hook most anytime.

[Frenchman83]

14 hours ago, fishindad said:

Fluke-type bait rigged EWG weedless is great in smaller streams and rivers. Basically, it works any time you're fishing smallies in current!

Try nose hooking as well.  Nice thing about a fluke is you can run it on the surface or subsurface pretty easy

[fishindad]

1 hour ago, Frenchman83 said:

Try nose hooking as well.  Nice thing about a fluke is you can run it on the surface or subsurface pretty easy

Agreed! Most all the rivers and streams where I live have grass both emergent and submergent, which is where the bass hang out. I try to use poppers, props and walkers but it gets too frustrating clearing weeds every other cast. Open water the walking bait is sure fun though.

[Turkey sandwich]

If I want something a little more subtle than the bigger, noisier topwater stuff, I usually switch up to a Skitterpop or X Pop.  The Skitterpop is awesomely versatile in that you can pop it a bunch of different ways, and it walks reasonably well.  Conditions dictate everything, but poppers are really under-used these days and they flat out catch fish when bigger, louder presentations are just a little too much.  

[Neil McCauley]

When I want subtle topwater I use my fly rod and a little panfish popper. You'd be surprised how hard they'll hit this but ignore regular topwater hardbaits. Also a ton of fun landing them. 

[Wee Hooker]

Excuse for jumping right in with my first post here, but I'd vote with Short Fish. A topwater bug can be delivered via fly rod with minimal disturbance and can be fished at any pace you like (including dead drifting.). Even their smaller size/profile can play in here.  In particular , I would vote for foam terrestrials and mice patterns but any number of top water bugs in the size 2-6 range can be effective.

Try it and you might get hooked yourself.

Dave 

[J Francho]

Luck Craft made a 100 size solid wood Sammy that was perfect for smallies.

[Further North]

[Turkey sandwich]

In addition to the immediate surface stuff, since we've gone fly tackle, a Deceiver or Clouser Minnow stripped just under the surface can be absolutely thrilling.  They don't quite cast a mile like a Zara Spook, but once you get the hang of them, man, they're hard to beat. 

[scaleface]

I use to catch quite a few on a five inch grub fished as a top water . I used a  worm hook and 1/8 ounce weight . I t-rigged them with the hook ran all the way through ,exposed much of the time .Its subtle and the strikes were viscous .

[moguy1973]

Horny Toad with a 4/0 1/16oz weighted swimbait hook with screwloc keeper.  Smallies love those.  Very subtle buzz action

[Nicholas Frederick]

Whopper plopper 90 or 110 caught many its my go to top water smallie lure.

[Crestliner2008]

Myself and a few fishermen I know always carry a few #7 original Rapalas in their boxes for just such a situation. Hard to beat that old lure! I also would try nose hooking a 4 fluke-type plastic (Zoom makes a good one). That kinda subtle, sub-surface, erratic action will sometimes out do the Rapala. Good Luck!

[FryDog62]

I will echo from above the fluke (I prefer a white Caffeine Shad and Owner screwlock hooks for smallies), also Subwalk and Skitterprop.  The Lindners have done several shows on river fishing for smallmouth with a variety of top waters but frequently tout the Skitterprop.  More subtle than a buzzbait but very effective (I get better hook up % with this lure than other topwaters).  Wired two fish has a video circulating with Kyle Peterson throwing the Whopper Plopper for river smallies too -- not so subtle but the 110 comes without rattles.