Home Forums Fishing Freshwater River Smallmouths

Looking for opinions on baits for river smallmouths. Please identify your favorite: A) Live Bait .... B) Artificial Bait.
I'll go first: Favorite live bait = stonecats .... Favorite artificial = bucktail streamer in crawdad colors.

Your turn,
GPA

Rooster Tail spinner, 1/8 oz, brown/black with gold blade.

Mudpuppies (illegal in some places, check your regs). 4" straight tail slider worm on as light as possible weedless spider lead head.

Another vote for a Rooster Tail, but orange flo with a gold blade or brown with a gold blade...

A. Live Crawdads. B. Articicial Crawdads.

Live bait nightcrawlers, artificial, lead jighead with a white curlytail grub. Everything above as posted will work great. If you've never fished the particular river, do a recon and find out what others are using.

What....nobody likes hellgramites? They are my second favorite live bait: easy to collect and deadly on most gamefish.

Some here like Rooster Tail spinners. I do, too, but have had more success with Mepps.

Whatever you catch them on.....nothing fights live a river smallmouth.

Kind of a generac answer, but what ever they're biting on. Here we have quite a few rivers with smallmouths in them. Minnows and crawlers would be my first choice under a slip bobber. The smaller rivers and streams I seem to have good luck with small mepps spinners.

Really like a #3 spinner and smaller. Usually the best one seems to be a plain gold spinner with the brass weights on it with no tail or feathers. Second place would be the #3 Mepps with a gold spinner and yellow feathers. For some reason with the yellow feathers I seem to catch a lot of northerns too, but it seems to work when they are not biting anything else.

In the WI River, which is pretty big, minnows and crawlers are still #1 on the live bait. But for artificials craw colored Shad Raps and jointed craw looking baits that bang off the bottom. When the craw type baits don't work, which is not very often, I throw minnow type baits usually on the smaller side 2-4".

In the small rivers and streams I like the deeper pools off of a good rapids, they seem grab the minnows and grubs that race down them. In the larger rivers and lakes nothing beat a good rock bar. Trees and wood come in a close second.

Tom

Sorry, I went a little deeper than what I think you were asking for.

My favorite live bait is live minnows hooked through the lips using circle hooks.

As for artificials, I have caught more smallmouth bass on a 1/4 oz blue/silver Little Cleo spoon than any other lure I've used.
In fact, I must be the only person to do so as most smallmouth anglers seem to chuckle when I mention the Little Cleo spoon and smallmouth bass.

I also have good success using Zara Spooks, small Rapala Husky Jerk and 3 inch Berkley Power Grubs(Pumpkinseed and Pumpkinseed/Chartruse) on 1/8 oz jigheads.

I grew up fishing Maryland and Virginia rivers for smallmouth, and Dad still fishes a couple times a week. For MD/VA/WV smallmouths, tube jigs in some version of green or pumpkinseed, usually on a 1/8 jighead. Second choice would be a Rebel crawfish.

No you didn't. Your input is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
GPA

I, too, like the Little Cleo....though I like the Wobl-Rite better. Zara Spooks are among my favorites as well.

Thanks,
GPA

Not my favorite, but a buddy uses a 6" "Zoom" Lizard (pumpkinseed color) with 1/8th oz worm sinker and worm hook.

Fished where there is enough current to cause the bait to tink, tink along the riverbed as one raises and lowers their rod tip.

I have seen him take black perch (never would have guessed that they could get it in their mouth) with it when searching for Smallies.

My favorite does really well and did account for the biggest Smallie I have ever seen alive. You know how long it takes to land a 27 inch fish on 4 pound test line?

Best part is he is still there unless someone else has caught and kept him. It is a great fishery and I have enjoyed many hours there.

Where is this section of water many ask. I am always quick to share my favorite fishing waters with each and every person that does ask. Hey it is right there, below the dam . . . somplace

So....What IS your favorite??

YUP....My favorite smallmouth water is just below (relative term) the dam, as well!

[quote=JRaw]I grew up fishing Maryland and Virginia rivers for smallmouth, and Dad still fishes a couple times a week. For MD/VA/WV smallmouths, tube jigs in some version of green or pumpkinseed, usually on a 1/8 jighead. Second choice would be a Rebel crawfish. [/quote

The green pumkin tubes are still catching smallmouths in the Potomac...especially this year.

Doc

OK.....Different slant on this topic: How do you guys fish those tube jigs? My jigging experience is practically nil (Been known to kick up my heels in a gin mill after a couple of beers, but that ain't what we're talking about here.), and every time I do try jigging, I end up catching bottom more than anything else. Got any tips for me?

Thanks,
GPA

a 27inch smallie,i have to see that to believe it.

BS meter is going off big time. The world record for a smallmouth bass is 27 inches and 11 pounds. The somewhere this fellow mentions is "in his mind."