Need help with deep water with a good current.

[Scorcher214]

I tried an area that has a very steep drop. It goes from 2.5 to about 30 in a few steps. The other night my step dad and mom went out and saw several smallies hangin around on the ledge. He wasn't fishing for bass though he was fishing for muskie (caught a 43incher!).

Anyways, we went there today and anchored in the shallow area. I threw lures into the deep and fished it back over the ledge and back into the shallows. I tried lipless cranks, 1/2oz jigs, a few spinnerbaits and worm t rigged with a 1/2oz bullet weight. I couldn't get nothing. The current was a real bugger because i would cast to my right and by time it would be on the bottom it would be right in front of me.

Any tips?

[NateFollmer]

Need more weight to get it to the bottom more quickly (or too the strike zone). Make sure you are casting up current and bring it down current (smallies will face into the current and watch for prey to drift by). If they are feeding on the bottom, get a craw imitator like a jig or t-rig in their face and they won't refuse it. My favorite for smallies is a Bitzy bug jig in black with a rage chunk. If they are feeling really aggressive, I'll give them a bigger jig with a whole rage craw. Try and work your lure SLOOOW because of the heat, smallies are a cold water species by nature (actually they are classified as a cold water transitional species) and they don't like heat.

If they are suspended, try smaller cranks, spinnerbaits or jerks. Usually I will just throw these out and let them drift down river with a twitch now and then. Swimbaits in the 4 inch range are also killers for smallmouth. SLOOOW roll them though. 

[WRB]

You might want to try a slip bobber rig; Eagle Claw rubber bobber stoppers and a slip bobber that will float whatever weight jig or drop shot worm rig you use. Set the stopper at a depth (10 feet for example), cast a few feet beyond the ledge and let it drift parallel along the break line. Keep changing depths until you get a bite. Live night crawler in a 1/4 oz drop shot rig should get you started. Use a jig for the drop shot weight.

WRB