We all have favorite baits that are our “go to” smallmouth bass lures when the fishing gets tough. To be a more productive fisherman it is important we keep an open mind about all the various lures, and baits available for snagging smallies. To this end, we have listed the top 5 lures for smallmouths, and invite you to see if you agree or not with our selections. We realize it is nearly impossible to break this down to only 5 but we’re gonna do our best!
Top 5 list
Number 5: Spinnerbaits
Number 5 on our top 5 lures for smallmouths is the spinnerbait. These versatile lures come in a plethora of designs and colors that will often get finicky smallmouth bass to bite when nothing else is working. What I like so much about fishing spinnerbaits is they can be fished deep if this is where the fish are located, or noisily burned across the top of the water for hard hitting action. Another big plus is when fishing in clear water the smallmouths see the spinners better than most other baits and will give chase.
Number 4: Top water
Number 4 on the list are our favorite top water baits. These are so much fun that I couldn’t choose just one. You can’t go wrong with a Zara Spook, Sammy produced by Lucky Craft, Pop R or Buzz Bait. Whether it is walking the dog or popping a Rebel Pop R, who can resist the excitement of SEEING those smallies slamming your bait. The biggest thing here is to wait a half a second before setting the hook after you see the splash so that you can have a higher hookup ratio.
Number 3: Suspending Jerkbaits
Number 3 on the list is the suspending jerkbait. This lure is a mystery to some people because they try to fish it like a Rapala Minnow. you have to remember to jerk, jerk, pause. Don’t swim the bait! The length of the pause may need to be a few seconds to 30 seconds. In cold water, you can just leave the jerkbait out there and give it a little action, now and then. When the water temps are in the 40s and 50s, sometimes this is the only thing smallies will eat!
Number 2: Swimbaits
The swimbait has really moved up for me in the past year. Once I learned how to fish it properly, I found how productive it can be. It is extremely versatile, can be fishing like a jig, a minnow or even burned through the water. Soft plastic swimbaits such as Reaction Innovations Skinny Dipper or Keitech FAT Impact are amazing. There are a lot of baits like this right now to choose from!
Number 1: Tubes
When fishing for smallies anywhere nothing beats a tube for day in, day out success. You can fish a tube in almost any conditions, any time of year if you just change the color and retrieve based on conditions. I have caught more smallies on tubes than any other bait and if you aren’t using them, you are missing a lot of action. They will catch bronzebacks when all other baits are being ignored. Tubes that I use right now I get from a supplier in PA, called Wacky Worm. Check them out and give them a call. Tell them Chris from Everything Smallmouth sent you. Strike King Coffee Tubes are also a favorite and the fish find them very much to their liking.
Get all your favorite lures at Tackle Wareshouse!
These top 5 lures for smallmouths are just a small sample of what we have as smallmouth fishermen to use, but I think if you match these baits up to the waters they should be used in, the chances of going home having not caught a few smallies are slim.
What do you think of our list? Please leave comments below.
