Wiggle Warts and Smallmouth

[Vilas15]

How and when do you fish wiggle warts for smallmouth? Only grind them in the rocks or are they good for weedlines, or over the tops of weeds too? They're known as a colder water spring/fall bait, but does that prevent you from using them in the summer? Do you only use them dawn/dusk during summer when fish would be up shallower on rocks within the diving range of a wiggle wart? Im thinking about putting some lead strips on mine to cast better and get them down deeper. Do you prefer similar baits like Spro Rk Crawler, 6th Sense Curve 55, Major Craft zoner hunter?

[TnRiver46]

I usually troll them trying to tickle the bottom in 18-19 ft. Lots of guys get the boat up against the bank and grind it all the way back 

[WRB]

The big differences between Smallmouth and Largemouth bass is the tendency to be more agrresive and hunt prey in groups. Smallmouth roam during the day light to hunt prey, largemouth tend to hold tighter to cover during day light hours and roam more at night.

Before you catch bass you must locate them then decide what lure will work based on depth, cover and structure or any combination. Crank baits like Wiggle Warts are more effective in the 3' to 8' depth range with structure breaks and sparse or isolated cover.

I prefer The Zoner Hunter because it's a consistant out of the box lure with good hooks and colors.

Tom

[Paul Roberts]

SM seem to respond really well to such aggressive plugs, at least in the warmer seasons when I used them. I sort of lump WW, with other wide billed fat divers that have a wide aggressive waggle. Another favorite was the old Arbogast MudBud, and the original Bomber. I don't have smallies nearby anymore, but do remember how well they liked those hard-shaking plugs. 

[Vilas15]

8 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

Lots of guys get the boat up against the bank and grind it all the way back 

That's the plan this spring!

4 hours ago, WRB said:

Smallmouth roam during the day light to hunt prey, largemouth tend to hold tighter to cover during day light hours and roam more at night.

This is why I'm thinking I might only break the warts out at night during the summer when the smallies come shallower, otherwise during the day they'll be god knows where probably in 15-20'.

7 minutes ago, Paul Roberts said:

SM seem to respond really well to such aggressive plugs, at least in the warmer seasons when I used them. I sort of lump WW, with other wide billed fat divers that have a wide aggressive waggle. Another favorite was the old Arbogast MudBud, and the original Bomber. I don't have smallies nearby anymore, but do remember how well they liked those hard-shaking plugs. 

They make a deep flat wart, but I'm hesitant to try it. That's why I was thinking about trying the Rk Crawler since it dives deeper and would work better for me in the summer. I'll look into the two you mentioned.

[Paul Roberts]

32 minutes ago, Vilas15 said:

They make a deep flat wart, but I'm hesitant to try it. That's why I was thinking about trying the Rk Crawler since it dives deeper and would work better for me in the summer. I'll look into the two you mentioned.

Neither are made anymore. They are available on ebay, but, I'm sure there are plenty of new options out there, with plenty of magic. Some already mentioned. 

[Vilas15]

26 minutes ago, Paul Roberts said:

Neither are made anymore. They are available on ebay, but, I'm sure there are plenty of new options out there, with plenty of magic. Some already mentioned. 

Haven't seen a bill like those before.

[WRB]

Mud Bugs and Bombers came is several sizes; 2" to 5" and have metal square shoe diving bills and bouyant, today's lures are plastic bills, not nearly as bouyant and have rattles. 

Tom

[Paul Roberts]

WW's, MBs, and Bombers left an impression on me, bc they wiggled so hard and SM's could be really excitable. I guess this was my point in posting. I didn't mean to send you off on a goose-chase.

 

But, speaking of goose-chases... (It's 2F here this morning)... 

Years ago (1970s) I had a little knock-off Heddon Sonic shaped lipless. It even had the little lightning bolt on it. It was bright yellow and molded of cheap plastic. I think it may have been solid too. Anyway, it wriggled like mad, more than the real sonics do. And smallies went nuts for it. Another hard wiggler that had smallies in a tizzy was the Helin Flatfish. No one talks about those anymore, at least in the bass crowd. They're still made, but you'd have to look in the trout/salmon, and walleye aisle. They were/are shallow runners but man do they kick. I did find at times that in really warm water, in the summer, the Flatfish didn't provide enough horizontal speed, and smallies would frantically circle it, but not commit. Another one... Bladebaits. Its not just a winter lure. Warm water smallies love them, yo-yo'd intensely. Riiiiiippppp, drop, Riiiiiippppppp, drop, ... . They cast a mile and can hook at distance.

 

I think any hard wiggling thing will catch smallies when they're hot to do so. Depth, speed, and then... action!

[redmeansdistortion]

Wiggle Warts, and their cousin, the Hot n Tot are deadly on river smallmouth.  Any time I use either bait fishing for steelhead, I tend to hook into way more smallmouth to the point they can become a nuisance.

[Spankey]

58 minutes ago, redmeansdistortion said:

Wiggle Warts, and their cousin, the Hot n Tot are deadly on river smallmouth.  Any time I use either bait fishing for steelhead, I tend to hook into way more smallmouth to the point they can become a nuisance.

I agree with both lures mentioned. I fish WW’s and they are productive all season. WW’s have a great number of patterns to select from and they are well built and don’t break the bank. I know there is a lot of hype about the old ones. There is nothing wrong with the new style. I have older one and find myself throwing the newer one more often. 

 

I don't throw them exclusively. Admittedly I’m a Rapala freak. Why I don’t know. Got hooked on them when I was a kid. Also throw Bombers and Bandits. Throw CC Big-O’s. There are a few SK’s patterns I’ve been doing well with. 

 

Those smallies are not particular. 

[redmeansdistortion]

My favorite WW color is the hot pink, it works so well I keep triples.  I've probably gone through a couple dozen of them the last decade.  Logjams don't willingly surrender whatever finds it's way into their gangly clutches.

[Spankey]

7 minutes ago, redmeansdistortion said:

My favorite WW color is the hot pink, it works so well I keep triples.  I've probably gone through a couple dozen of them the last decade.  Logjams don't willingly surrender whatever finds it's way into their gangly clutches.

My personal favorite is black with a chartreuse tip tail. The body has silver flecks on it. I keep a few of them. 

 

But I find the natural and crawfish patterns to work well. You just have to believe. Doesn’t matter if it’s a Wiggle Wart or a Bomber 6A. Fish them hard and make it work.