Topwater for smallies

[Rebel Angler]

what types of topwaters are good  for smallies in rivers this time of year?

Also how exaclty do you fish topwates in rivers, like workin with the current and all?

[Thai]

Why not use soft plastics? Esp in this time of year

[roadwarrior]

One of my best was caught on a full size Spook.

;D ;D 8-) ;D ;D

[Thai]

One of my best was caught on a full size Spook.

;D ;D 8-) ;D ;D

My biggest was on a buzzbait

but that was in June lol!

[singingdog]

You should check out the Riversmallies forum. Lots of folks over there that specialise in (drum roll) river fishing for smallmouth. I tried to post a link, but apparently I am on probation.

Topwater can work for smallmouth in fairly cool water. After about 50 degrees, it gets to be a low-percentage presentation, but always fun to try!

Some favorite river topwaters: spook, floating rap, buzzbait.

[roadwarrior]

You should check out the Riversmallies forum. Lots of folks over there that specialise in (drum roll) river fishing for smallmouth. I tried to post a link, but apparently I am on probation.

A newbie posting links to other fishing forums

is considered rude. On this website ten posts

are required before links or pictures can be

posted. The purpose is to reduce spam, like

guys coming here to post the link to another

site.

-Kent a.k.a. roadwarrior

Global Moderator

p.s.

Most of the smallmouth guys here know about

RiverSmallies and some of us are members over

there, too.

[Chris W]

Full size spook and Lucky Craft Gunfish 115 are my 2 favorites.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

I've had good luck throwing a jitterbug or Heddon's tiny torpedo both in dark color with a silver or gray belly. Cast upstream along seams in the current. I get most hits right after it hits the water or by giving it a twitch later in the drift.

[Rebel Angler]

Well if topwaters are a bad choice for this time a year, what's the best to go with?

But next time I hit the water I'll definitely try some of the topwaters yall suggested.

thanks

[jj2]

this time of year in the new river here in ashe county you will want something you can fish slow along the bottom like a jig or maybe a 3'' grub bounced along the bottom as far as topwater next spring when the water warms up try some pop rs or torpedos something you can stop and go with I've had more luck with these than baits that are moveing constantly

[VolFan]

I like to work a spook or popper down the current and let it wash into seams and eddies. Work it more slowly in the eddies and back into the current, washing it down to the next eddy or seam. This time of year, a topwater fish is hard to come by. I'd follow the advice above and try a 3" grub in teh deeper holes below riffles, or wait for a few warm sunny days in a row.

[JDK.]

i fish tn river and maybe its i dont do it enough but dont seem to catch em on topwater much.. if you can find a reaction innovation vixen its the best spook i have used

[Rebel Angler]

thanks for all the tips an advice

I'll try'em all out

thanks!

[Crestliner2008]

I truly *** you guys down south of me. With water temps around here hovering just above the freezing mark, we've put away our top waters.

That being said, in the more moderate periods of our fishing calendar around here, I've been successful using a popper (Pop-R type). I don't work it very much. One or two initial pops....then I let it drift for awhile and pop it again. Has produced some dandy small mouths! 

[fishermantony]

Lucky Craft Sammy is my favorite top-water lure any time of year now. 

[GRiver]

I like to twitch a Popper or slow crank a wake bait is what I've had best results with top water.

[frogflogger]

My two biggest smallies 5lbs+ were both caught on phillips crippled killers (prop bait) one in the Elk r. in WVa the other on the mulberry in Ark. - both fish were positioned upstream of a submerged boulder at the head of large riffles. Not huge fish but big for where they were caught.

[zero]

puppy spook because it is 3 inches long and i did caught 6 lbs smallie on that so try that

[A-Rob]

I love topwaters for largemouth. For Smallies I try once in a while but all I get from it is a hit and miss. I follow it with a worm and pick it off sometimes. A lot of time it takes a swipe and I never see it again.

What I'm rambling on about is I do agree that it is exciting but not as effective or efficient as fishing other lures, ie a spinnerbait just below the surface, way better hook up ratio. So I'm in the same boat as you dude, I will be reading everyone elses answers haha

[jacobhookem]

I would recommend a spook jr. or some sort of walking type bait like the spook. Lucky Craft makes a bait called the gunfish I really haven't tried it for smallies but earlier this year I caught a five and a half pound largemouth on it.

[knappy]

a good old sara spook i would say ;D

[Blade-Runner]

River Smallies on Top?

L.C. Sammy (M.S. Shad), Rapala Skitter Pop (Clown), 1/2 oz. Lunker Lure, Original Floating Rapala, Bomber Long A (Bone). Pearl/Redeye Footloose sure works good too. As does a rapido-twitched soft jerkbait.

Topwater wouldn't be my first choice right now, but you never know until you try. I'm a northerner but I can tell you that there is no better time of the year to locate river smallies than now, though their activity level might be low. You don't have to search hard...

Sure, D.O. is inversely proportional to temperature which would lead one to believe they could be anywhere. But that cold-bloodedness is the bane, a kin to a buck in the rut. They will not be fighting current. Topwater twitch in slack water with excrutiatingly slow retrieve could work. I'd be throwing a jig or suspending jerkbait. Good luck.

[bassnleo]

If you are not trying topwater baits from spawn through fall your missing out.

I always throw a topwater and it produces some of my largest fish. Buzzbaits, poppers, walking, soft jerkbaits, all have their time and place. I choose a topwater based on water conditions and temperature.

In very clear and shallow river situations I lean to a popper. Murkier water is prime for a buzzbait.

Early fall shines for a walker. Soft jerkbaits work almost always.

My favorite spawn bait is a modified Rapala floater. I shave the bill so it does not dive, then weight the tail so it sits tail down at rest. Short and sharp snaps of the rod tip make the bait shimy and spit like a dying baitfish. I target shallow bedding areas. You'd be suprised of how many bedded smallmouth will rise from a bed to smoke this presentation.

I think the key to a topwater is first figuring out what type of bait then tuning in on how to present it. Once you dial in, stay with it. You may not get as many bites as other baits BUT the ones you do get will generally be larger, more agressive, fish.

[Big Al23]

I always have great luck with a 4" Rebel jointed minnow.

[JKarbo214]

My two favorite topwater lures for smallmouth bass include the Heddon Bill Dance Spit'n Image in Pearl/Black Back and a Cavitron Chartreuse/White Single Blade Buzzbait.