Big walking baits for river fish

[Drew03cmc]

I just acquired a Vixen and a 5" Punker. Anyone else use big walkers like these for river smallies? I've had success with small walkers, Dog X Speed Slides and Damiki Dolphins.

[TnRiver46]

Absolutely! It’s almost that time of year for me when they start chasing threadfin on the surface every morning and will chew the paint off of those plugs. The predictable crazy action usually ends by 8:30 or 9 but they will continue to hit it all day if you are willing to wait a lot longer between strikes. I also like waking a bone colored bomber long A in addition to the big walking baits. I see a lot of shad cutting a v when fleeing so it makes sense in My mind anyway. Sometimes the fish also agree

[Drew03cmc]

17 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Absolutely! It’s almost that time of year for me when they start chasing threadfin on the surface every morning and will chew the paint off of those plugs. The predictable crazy action usually ends by 8:30 or 9 but they will continue to hit it all day if you are willing to wait a lot longer between strikes. 

The rivers in normally on get the smaller baits due to the overall size of the waters. There's a few that will definitely get these bigger baits, along with a Zara Spook and probably an Ima Little Stik. 

 

Now, do you use casting gear or spinning gear? 

[TnRiver46]

11 minutes ago, Drew03cmc said:

The rivers in normally on get the smaller baits due to the overall size of the waters. There's a few that will definitely get these bigger baits, along with a Zara Spook and probably an Ima Little Stik. 

 

Now, do you use casting gear or spinning gear? 

Baitcaster with 12 -15 lb mono. Sometimes 20 lb 

[Drew03cmc]

1 hour ago, TnRiver46 said:

Baitcaster with 12 -15 lb mono. Sometimes 20 lb 

Ahh, ok. I only asked because I can't walk baits with my off hand on the rod. It has to be my dominant hand.

[TnRiver46]

7 hours ago, Drew03cmc said:

Ahh, ok. I only asked because I can't walk baits with my off hand on the rod. It has to be my dominant hand.

Just keep practicing and you can be a ambidextrous dog walker! Haha. I have some RH baitcasters and some LH baitcasters, I like both 

[BassNJake]

11 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

Absolutely! It’s almost that time of year for me when they start chasing threadfin on the surface every morning and will chew the paint off of those plugs. The predictable crazy action usually ends by 8:30 or 9 but they will continue to hit it all day if you are willing to wait a lot longer between strikes. I also like waking a bone colored bomber long A in addition to the big walking baits. I see a lot of shad cutting a v when fleeing so it makes sense in My mind anyway. Sometimes the fish also agree

You have the light shining on you at 10:21 pm

I usually have a dark cloud over me

 

what's your secret?

[TnRiver46]

13 minutes ago, BassNJake said:

You have the light shining on you at 10:21 pm

I usually have a dark cloud over me

 

what's your secret?

Haha, had to go back in the archives to find a picture of the long A. I think that was early October 2016 or 17 on the french broad River. At daylight it sounds like largemouth sucking in frogs but it's smallmouth busting shad. A similar sound that I hear at daybreak when I camp on your lake at PT. 19 in June and July 

[BassNJake]

20 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Haha, had to go back in the archives to find a picture of the long A. I think that was early October 2016 or 17 on the french broad River. At daylight it sounds like largemouth sucking in frogs but it's smallmouth busting shad. A similar sound that I hear at daybreak when I camp on your lake at PT. 19 in June and July 

I'm nowhere near point 19 in June and July- that place is a madhouse

The whole Loyston sea area gets too much recreational traffic for my liking

I spend most of winter chasing smallie around there

 

I do spend a lot of time in lost creek as the ramp for there is private, less crowded and one left turn out of my driveway go about 5 miles and a right turn into the campground.

 

Ever fish the powell side of Norris?

[TnRiver46]

55 minutes ago, BassNJake said:

I'm nowhere near point 19 in June and July- that place is a madhouse

The whole Loyston sea area gets too much recreational traffic for my liking

I spend most of winter chasing smallie around there

 

I do spend a lot of time in lost creek as the ramp for there is private, less crowded and one left turn out of my driveway go about 5 miles and a right turn into the campground.

 

Ever fish the powell side of Norris?

Negative, except maybe a mile or so up once from Anderson county Park. It had an algae bloom or something so we turned around. I fit in well at a madhouse...... The smallmouth jump like crazy there 

[Turkey sandwich]

Zara Spooks were a go to for me on the Susquehanna for years. I've replaced them in most conditions with either a Whopper Plopper or a variety of poppers, but they still have a place either covering water during a hatch or anytime I need a change of pace when I see smallmouth busting baitfish near the surface. I like that Zara Spooks also tend to appeal to the occasional toothy critter. 

[Jleebesaw]

I will second the Zara spook. I've caught a lot of smallies on those.(LM too) I tend to use the super spook junior more though. It's a bit smaller. 3.5" I think, but it has a rattle/clicker in it that i like and i think it helps. But the smallies dont hesitate to grab the 5" spook, that's for sure. Even small bass hit it. Just like most species of fish, sometimes they hit lures that i dont even think they could actually eat. I think fish have eyes bigger than their mouths sometimes.

[Drew03cmc]

Guess I need to toss my Punker this week for lake fish. It's a mouthful!