Smallmouth fishing in rivers: Cranks or soft baits

[Darrell660]

I like to use Strike King Lil MR. Money spinnerbaits and Buzz King Junior buzz baits when the water is warm. I recently bought a Tracker 1436 jon boat just to river fish with. Can't wait untill the water warms up a little more!

[CRSMALLJAW15]

1/16th ounce weight texas rigged baby brush hog

Internally weighted tube

1/16th weight jighead with a curly tailed gurb

they smash em all

[iceintheveins]

My best presentation for river smallies is actually an inline spinner like a Panther Martin. I like the sizes from #6 to the biggest, which is #15. Even a 9" smallie will hammer the #15.

Cranks work well though as well. Shallow to medium crawfish colored ones are great, as are lipless cranks. The spinner seems a bit more consistant though.

I catch almost all my river smallies on the following presentations:

1. Panther Martins (gold, chartreuse, black, orange)

2. Two and a half to 4" grubs and tubes in crawfish colors

3. Crawdad pattern cranks

4. Buzzbaits (LETHAL in shallower sections where current is slower)

5. Spinnerbaits

6. Soft Jerks

Carry a couple poppers and prop baits though too. That list should be enough for you.

[Brush Hog20]

I swim a size 2 black/white wooly bugger I tie myself on a 6 wt flyrod most of the time.  I have also caught them on a craw colored wiggle wart on spinning tackle.  

[SuskyDude]

How 'bout both? Seriously, river smallies are aggressive!! There isn't a lure you cant catch them with, if you can find them   Sure some days a crank will beat a tube, and others an inline will beat both, and a jerkbait won't get a sniff... but on the whole, if you're on them, your on them, even a t-rigged rock will get bit if you work it right!

Gotta find them first though.

[iceintheveins]

River smallies are a blast. I'm lucky to have a river as special as the Yampa nearby. Lots of 2 - 5 pound smallies and plenty of big pike as well.