Wading creeks for smallies

[bassbum85]

I generally wade creeks for smallies here in TN and am about to do so this afternoon. I generally use zoom ultravibe speed craws and tubes. Do any of you have any other suggestions

[smashingsmallies]

If you only use two baits you are short-changing yourself on your catch rates alot. You may catch fish on craws and tubes but you won't catch fish regularaly, which will lead to frustratrion. Think topwater, think cranks, think football jig heads with twisters (my favorite by far), think straight worms... It's best to have a selection of different baits to work. You will get alot of suggestions on this site and alot of different kinds of bait names thrown at ya-just keep it simple at first and then expand.

I just went out on Sunday, small creek, dirty water, and I got 15 smallies, all 2 lbs or less, unfortunately, and I got them on 4 different presentations, topwater, crankin, twisters and a 4" plastic worm--I had to keep changing to get the strikes.

You will also get alot of info on here about the water you are fishing--know where the fish hold and attack.

Hope this helps a little--I've gotten loads of info from the guys on this site so just read what they've got to say and go from there. Fish on, John.

[bassbum85]

yeah thanks. I do throw worms and senkos(just recently) plus some other soft plastics, but crawfish produce the most for me. I appreciate the input because it just confirms to me to keep chunking new and different things at them

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

Consider trying some Small cranks and in-line spinners.

[GRiver]

I agree with smashing smallies....try different things, I fish for smallies all the time on the river in NC.   I change bait all the time until I start getting bites  then change when they quit.....he is right , know the river fish it regularly and know where the fish like to be and go after them.

[BassThumb]

3-4" finesse tubes on 1/16-1/8 oz tube jigs are still my #1 pick when it comes to smaller river smallmouth fishing.

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_15724____SearchResults

Buts sometimes the smallies want to chase. Here's a couple speedy lures to cover some water with if you need to locate fish.

There's no river smallie lure that's as fun as this one, and sometimes it's the most effective of all, which is a real treat:

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_58847_100006000_100000000_100006000_100-6-0

This will cover water as well as any smallie lure. The action is a little more subtle than most lipless cranks. but it's my favorite in current because it has less resistance and stays a little deeper:

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_2848_100005006_100000000_100005000?cm_ven=bazaarvoice&cm_cat=RLP&cm_pla=2848&cm_ite=productname_link

These are my 3 primary lures, and I fish them on a 7' 6" ML/F spinning rod and 15 lb braid. I also would recommend Super Flukes and X-Rap jerkbaits.

[SupraTT]

Have been wading a local river for smallies for years now and my top producing baits are a Zoom Trick worm Limetruse or White, 1/8 or 1/4 oz buzzbait, and believe it or not a Double Willow Spinnerbait boiled near the surface.  We have had luck with flukes as well but I prefer the Trick worm or spinnerbait.  I get some strange looks throwing a big willowleaf spinnerbait but it produces. 

My other two go to baits are a Senko either texas or wacky rigged and a yamamoto hula grub. 

I typically start with a spinnerbait or trick worm and switch over to the senko or hula grub. 

Last weekend, I caught my first fish of the day off my willow spinnerbait and it was a decent 2lber.  I had about 10 fish caught and swapped to the Senko and they were eating it like crazy.  I caught at least 20 more on the Senko and my buddy was amazed. 

If you haven't tried a Trick Worm, give it a shot as they eat it up and they hit my big spinnerbait just as hard.  Even the dinks will crush the spinnerbait.

Hope this helps.

[roadwarrior]

I generally wade creeks for smallies here in TN and am about to do so this afternoon. I generally use zoom ultravibe speed craws and tubes. Do any of you have any other suggestions

Rage Tail Baby Craw, T-rigged, 2/0 or 3/0 EWG

Offset Worm Hook, 1/8 oz bullet weight, #6

Yo-Zuri Hybrid on spinning tackle.

8-)

[VolFan]

Somebody change the record, it sounds broken  8-)

X2 on the trick worms. Roostertails in the Grasshopper color scheme cover alot of moving water. Begrudgingly, the baby rages are pretty good baits.

[wvbucketmouth]

I have been doing pretty good in the creeks using 3 inch senko's, rebel crawdads, yo-zuri pins minnows, x-raps, chrome roostertails, and the good ole original floating rapala.

Wading the creeks is one of my favorite ways to fish. I may just have to hit a creek this evening. ;D

[SupraTT]

Smashing Smallies,

I got your PM, but I am unable to send private messages as I don't have enough posts on the forum :-?

In regards to the Trick Worm, a lot of people refer to it as a floating worm but the Zoom Trick Worm doesn't actually float on top of water. 

It is a 6 inch worm and I basically work it anywhere from a few inches to a foot or so under the surface usually and they crush it just as largemouth bass do.  My normal retrieve is just working it side to side on a weightless hook, usually a EWG hook.  I have heard of some people wacky rigging it as well as using it with a weighted hook to get it down farther but I normally throwing it as a surface bait.  I am sure that I will eventually get around to trying it with the wacky rig or weighted hook.  I usually stick with white, bubblegum, metholiate (SP?) and my favorite is Limetruse. 

I typically throw a double willowblade spinnerbait in white but my favorite is a Stanley Wedge Willowblade in Bluegill.  I also raid the local Wal-Mart for the $1 spinnerbaits! ;D

Hope this helps.

Juston

If you only use two baits you are short-changing yourself on your catch rates alot. You may catch fish on craws and tubes but you won't catch fish regularaly, which will lead to frustratrion. Think topwater, think cranks, think football jig heads with twisters (my favorite by far), think straight worms... It's best to have a selection of different baits to work. You will get alot of suggestions on this site and alot of different kinds of bait names thrown at ya-just keep it simple at first and then expand.

I just went out on Sunday, small creek, dirty water, and I got 15 smallies, all 2 lbs or less, unfortunately, and I got them on 4 different presentations, topwater, crankin, twisters and a 4" plastic worm--I had to keep changing to get the strikes.

You will also get alot of info on here about the water you are fishing--know where the fish hold and attack.

Hope this helps a little--I've gotten loads of info from the guys on this site so just read what they've got to say and go from there. Fish on, John.

[smashingsmallies]

Aaaah, Gotcha--work it/fish it like a sluggo-I've thought about that but I haven't really gotten into it that much--your one of the few that I've heard mention the color of bubble gum pink--has been one of my favorite colors for dirty water.  I too have not used the wacky style hardly at all, and I think it's 'cuz I don't have that much patience to fish slowly-makes me think I'm wasting "critical" time in the water--stupid, I know-I've got to work on my patience aspect alot.  Thanks for the response-the light just keeps clicking "on" in the head.  Fish on, John.

[LoudounFisher]

I hit up a shallow medium size creek yesterday where the smallies were hitting my firetiger Strike King bitsy minnow. I caught three of them, one 9", two 10". They weren't interested in the white bitsy minnow. I'm thinking my firetiger Bomber A ought to do the trick to catch some bigger ones when I fish some deeper and wider areas of that creek.

< -- The Bomber A is what has worked for me in the past in a reservoir.

[green]

Mister twister, tubes, and beetle spins work great for me

[SupraTT]

Actually,

I fish the Trick Worm at various speeds but similar to a spook in that I am constantly working the rod and getting the bait to dart side to side and keep it moving.  I probably work the bait faster than most but it works for me.  Grab a pack and give them a shot as I don't think you can go wrong with them.  Since I am fishing shallower pools usually less than 6 feet deep, I keep it right under the surface so I can see it.  And the majority of the time, they rise and crush it and it is gone.  I have caught 6 to 8 inchers on the worm which is crazy to me. 

I usually use white or limetruse but will experiment with the four colors I mentioned. 

I also did try the wacky worm on the Senko two weeks ago and it blew me away.  I was catching fish left and right and my buddy was looking at me like I was crazy.  I had caught about 10 - 12 smallies on spinnerbait and a fluke and then switched to the wacky senko and caught about 20 in 2 hours or so.  Crazy!

Aaaah, Gotcha--work it/fish it like a sluggo-I've thought about that but I haven't really gotten into it that much--your one of the few that I've heard mention the color of bubble gum pink--has been one of my favorite colors for dirty water. I too have not used the wacky style hardly at all, and I think it's 'cuz I don't have that much patience to fish slowly-makes me think I'm wasting "critical" time in the water--stupid, I know-I've got to work on my patience aspect alot. Thanks for the response-the light just keeps clicking "on" in the head. Fish on, John.

[smashingsmallies]

Thanks Supra-great tip.  That works for my style of fishing-I like to keep moving and work a bait--my patience is limited, something I gotta work on, but I see what your saying and I will give it a try this week--rain here in Ohio has finally stopped, the hot muggy junk is gone for the week--another day and the water will clear up and drop and I'm gonna get on it.  I will be getting that limetruse color, along with the light brown and chartruese and start throwing it.  Thanks again, John.

[jrobi007]

I've been using Smallie Beaver's from Reaction Innovations in Sprayed Grass and Corndog for the last few weeks.  Its the only bait Iv been able to catch them on consistently here in Ky.

[Bassin_MO]

I carry a few different inline spinners if all else fails. They almost ALWAYS catch something. It's definitely a goto lure for me. Mepps, Rooster Tail, Panther Martin, etc...

Fyi, Panther Martin is by far my personal favorite. Rooster Tails are alright but the blade seems to get stuck and not spin a LOT more than they should, imo

[culprit71]

I wade my local creek and flyfish for stocked trout and catch probably 60:40 trout:smallmouth on very small flies (eg. beadhead caddis, cj's, soft hackle wets) the smallmouth seem to inhabit some of the same lies as the trout.  Except the big ones were not looking. I switched over some of my tackle and painted up some jig heads with twirltail grubs and landed some bigger fish on spincast and I've had even more success dropshotting Yamamoto's tiny ika squids.

Anyone have a problem with the Yamamoto twirltails getting the tails bitten off by sunnies? the bait is soft and this seems to happen quite a bit.

[S h o c k e r]

Always have good luck on 3" power grubs with road runner heads for flash. Adjust color according to clarity.

[SissySticks]

Rebel small Pop-R and Yo Zuri Pop n Splash poppers are favorites of mine as well as 1/8 oz. spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, and cranks, and a plethora of small 3" plastic baits.  The tube is a last resort for me as SO many people throw tubes to stream and river fish. 

When looking for big fish or in early spring/late fall/winter I also throw a 1/8 oz. finesse jig.

[HOFFMAN]

Hello all!  1st post,  figured I would represent IL and what we're throwing.  A lot of great baits listed, most of which I throw as well. 

Jig and twisters: Cheap ball heads with Producto or Kalins in 3".  5" in the fall will get the big bite

Swim jigs: Warrior or Brovarney, same trailers as above or crawbug

Cranks: Daiwa peanut can not be beat, ghost olive (must change the crap stock hooks though) Bandits, normans, anything square billed

Shad or glass raps if you want to dig in a bit more.

Stick baits: floating Raps in size 3-7, yozuri pins minnow is great bait, gold flame. 

Double willow spinners:  War Eagle or Picasso

Inline spinners:  Panther Martins seem to vibrate more than rooster etc. baby bass or brown trout

can't forget Topwater:  Heddon spook and jr., chugbug, pop R,

hot colors: olives, pumpkin, baby bass, smoke, black, orange and black / craw patterns