smallies OMG HELP!!!!!

[king123]

this is my second fav fish

yet i havent gotten a nice football sized one for a looong time

anyone have any lures, baits, ideas or spots to recomend???!??!?!?!?!

[roadwarrior]

Spend a little time looking through this section. There are many

threads that you will find very helpful.

8-)

[LVLDVL]

Rapala Skitter Pop #7 (2.75") in lime (frog) or fire tiger. This season, I've caught all my 17"+ smallies on either of these poppers; I got my personal high 19.25" just this past weekend along the Chippewa River (Wisconsin) with the lime. I've thrown XCalibur Zell Pop's, Rebel Pop R's, Rage Tail Shads, and they won't eat them - they just keep waiting for the Rapalas. There must be something to the profile of the balsa wood.

Cast very slightly upstream and left it drift for a few seconds while keeping your rod low so the water takes your line. Bring your rod slightly high and pointed towards downstream, work a cast and pull technique to make a spit-spit-stop technique. With your line underwater, the lure moves in a way that makes the smallies go nuts.

[bigbaitfisher]

Spend more time on the water.  Find the fish.  Catch the fish.

There's no magic lure out there, although some are more productive than others.  It's all based on opinion.  I catch 95% of my smallmouth on 2.5 and 4 inch tubes.  My buddy catches 90% of his smallmouth on a senko.  Jerkbaits, crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and flukes will all work.

[smallieking]

If targeting bigger ones generally in lakes try bigger football head jigs around bolders and bluffs. Rivers try the lucky craft pointer or a 4inch swimbait.

[retiredbosn]

I grew up fishing smallies here in WV.  From my observations, the absolute best big smallie bait is a crawfish imitator.  I've caught numerous 3+ pounders all on a texas rigged craw, paca craw, chigger craw, also a double tailed grub fished like a craw.  I finally broke the four pound barrier on black blue jig with a vibracraw trailer.  You can bet every time I'm fishing I have either a jig and craw or a texas rigged craw tied on.

[goose775]

well i cant help ya for spots, considerin ur in illinoise. as for baits ill share my favs with ya. prespawn and spawn i throw tubes in 3-4" size, usually green pumpkin with red and purple flake. also like retiredbosn say a t rigged craw. post spawn early summer ill toss out a luckycraft gunfish95(or ya can find somethin similar) in aurora ghost or bloody table rock shad. but ya gotta have the featherd tail. late summer and fall ill bringem in using a jerkbait for open waters or super fluke grass bed n weeds. for the jerkbaits its a rapala x-rap in glass ghost in sunny weather or a silver or olive green in cloudy windy weather. so for the super fluke its alway been albino weightless t rigged with 3/0 ewg. with the fluke it gets them all largemouth and smallies, u can thrown it anywhere any time. thats my fav really. zoom super fluke albino.

[Northern Strain]

well during the summer I caught a five pounder on a all silver metallic rattle trap, but now that it is getting cold I would use a jig, or a senko.

[Gregory25]

If your looking to catch a football size Smallmouth March and April are great months to catch one that is full of eggs. Most important is the body of water you fish. Generally, the big clear water lakes have the bigger Smallmouth. Bait selection for me would be grubs and hairjigs. I caught one in March that the girth was about the same as the length. She was a Great big Toad.

[A-Rob]

Just keep fishin' bro.

Sometimes those monsters hit when you are least expecting it, my personal best this last season was on the last cast before going home with a spinnerbait when I was 1/2 packed up.

Up here in the north, fall time is pretty good, even the short ones fatten up and look like footballs.

You don't need to upsize lures, unless you are in a tournament trying to find that kicker fish and no others, I have had my big bass hit the same size baits as little bass, best part is I catch more fish that way!

[slonezp]

You're in northern Illinois. Take a long weekend an drive to Door County Wisconsin. Smallie fishing is good most of the season, but pre spawn and late fall would be best times for big fish. Spring tournaments consistantly have 4lb average sizes but there are fish topping 6lbs swimming around. Try white on white spinner baits, and cranks early and late in the year, gobie and crayfish immitators during the summer months

[Eternal Angler]

Gitzit jigs are just dynamite on Smallmouth.  Also either the beetle spin or Bomber crankbait.  I do like using Berkley Powerbait on smallmouth too.  You really have to be at a good lake to catch these strong fish, as certain lakes aren't very populated with them.

[RyneB]

I fish a small river for smallmouth. I fish it at least 3 days a week during the summer. Never once have I caught fish on the same bait on back to back days. One day its a jig an pig, another day its a Rogue, next day a spinnerbait. But, if you told me i HAD to catch a trophy smallmouth, i would throw a jig an pig.

[Big Al23]

A deep diving Rebel Craw works well here in Mass. I've had a lot of success with 4" tubes also.

[Eternal Angler]

Two favorites are bomber crankbaits or beetle spins for smallmouth

[steely dan]

Sturgeon Bay and Lake Winnibago continully produce lots of monster smallmouth . Tubes, grubs, spinnerbaits, and jerkbaits will almost always catch fish .Try main lake points or isolated rock humps and you will eventually run into a toad.