Bdnoble84

Search Jimmy D river bugs. He has some really nice work. Personally, for smallmouth I stay 1/8 oz and smaller unless its a craft fur bass jig. I ussually tie those on 1/4oz and pair it with a small beaver trailer.

All the techniques mentioned shouldnt be that necessary, i would but a different buzz bait

I think I hit on this bluegill pattern.

Lift isnt a bad thing in current. Smallies will come up and slam it. But if you want to add speed, you will need smaller blades

Smalljaw had an awesome spinnerbait post a few years ago discussing building spinnerbaits for current. Unfortunately i wasnt able to find it. Its the best most influential post ive seen on here, thank you Smalljaw!

I go with a 4 and 3.5. Going heavier in wieght can help. Also, i like head shapes where the weight is focused below the center of gravity.

When i think chart/white, i think frog. Some of those ponds you talk of very likely could be stuffed full of them. This is the case with one of my streams. Thats why i do so well on toads.

I never did understand the right hand/ lh thing with baitcasters. Being a lefty ive always fished righthand reels.

Free

What size is that

I agree, im not really sure if there will be an advantage, especially at normal speeds. Where i really could see it shining is for slow-rolling compact baits for finicky/ cold water fish.

River data app in app store

My biggest smallmouths have came on chart willows w a white chart skirt, i usually dont fish a trailer unless its a gill pattern. For baitfish patterns i typically lean nickel willows but have been playing with copper more. Copper indiana ussually on my gill patterns. Im playing with some new colors. Caught a sixteen in smallie on the black colorado just testing it out. Impressive considering ive never caught a smallie on a big colorado before.

3/8oz, shad pattern, chart/ white pattern

Maybe not pulsing so much as having a flow to the material that you dont get with silicone. I think atleast from my perspective its a bit of a package deal. The silicone provides bulk and body while hair/ feathers give the bait a natural/ subtle flow that makes it appear more alive.

Agree, the one exception was when i was about 20, early april, a riffle that is known as the cattle crossing. I would throw out a bait into the riffle and let it tumble down with the current. I caught two pushing 4 lbs and another around 3. I started with a tiny crappie tube with a small spinner then switched to a strike king red eye chart bladed spinnerbait. It was probably the most day of fishing i have ever had. I havent been able to recreate that scenario since, but that spot has taught me alot about current and fishing the seam since. I had a day where i spent a couple hours casting across current before i got in the water and positioned myself so i was working my bait directly on the seam, caught three over two pounds, landed one northern and got bit off by another.

My biggest smallies typically come from a combination of the two. Current seams are certainly a factor, but i think even more so is ambush points as current seams are one of them. I catch alot of bass (and pike) running my lure parallel to the bank. I beleive these fish are using the bank as a trap point. Typically there is cover in the form of rocks, a quick drop or some sort of grass or wood close to the bank for them to lurk around and wait.

I do make these. Still working on improving finish.

Do you put a trailer on that?

I struggle with this as well. Do you use a band saw? I make an outline of the shape i want then cut larger than the shape. I then use the bench sander to try and get to the shape i want. I think for that it takes a good eye though, something i dont have.

That sounds kind of like how ive used both. I guess im kinda feeling like the boottail has more drawing power because it thumps. I definitely like them but as a trailer i think. Ive found largo shad really give swimjigs a nice secondary action pulsing the skirt.

I almost bought a shimano Clarus instead at the time because of the rod lock, but the fenwick felt better overall, and ive liked the fenwicks ive had better than the Shimanos

Just took it out. Granted water was stained so couldnt get a great look, but i felt the skirt was just right, i could see the hair undulating underneath. Also the top is clear hologram so that helped. that is the other one i tied. Zonkers need to be longer. Ended up cutting the skirt all the way up to the hook bend.

Watch smalljaw. He is the master. Its how i learned to tie

Made two hybrid hair spinnerbaits. (targeting river smallies) 1st one is hula style featuring the hair more. Should the skirt be more strands. I cant decide how i feel about it. I almost palmered in marabou instead of the chenille. Idea is to have flow and pulsation underneath the skirt. i also tied a full spinnerbait with zonker trailer. Kinda feel like the zonkers could have been longer. But it looks good.