What would you guys consider your go to smallmouth baits?

More specifically, when fishing rivers for smallmouth, NOT DEEP WATER

Wacky senko or drop shot

Pink tube, t-rigged.

small Tube

LC 78 pointer Jerkbait

Shakey Head /w baby rage craw or roboworm

Depends on the river, but a 4 inch senko and a #4 Mepps are what was killing them for me the last 3 days on the shallow rivers I was fishing.

nose hooked 4" stick bait will always produce.  Next would be your pic of craw plastic on a draggin' head and then of course there are the top waters of which i prefer buzz baits myself.

 

On the fly rod i am chucking poppers, gurglers, rabbit hair leeches, claw dads and some type of minnow imitation like a clouser or EP baitfish fly.

I like using a black / blue finesse jig in my local smallie rivers, which tend to have lots of rocks and faster current. Something with a round head, trailered with a plastic that has limbs.

 

Funny you should pose this question today - I just caught these three this morning on that exact jig (5/16 oz) with the back half of a GrandeBass mutant for a trailer:

 

On the rivers that I fish I like 3" Twister Tails on a 1/16 or 1/8 oz. jig as a go to bait. Mepps and Panther Martin spinners are an excellent choice too. Sizes 2 or 3 work well.

Heddon Spit' N Image, Shad Rap, Rapala J-11.

Green pumpkin Yum dinger, wacky rigged on a 1/2oz football head jig

3" green pumpkin or watermelon tube and a 1/2oz open jig or split shot (mojo rig).

 

Done.

Smallie beaver

Fluke

4" senko

Slider worm

Bandit 100 in a craw color

 

Allen

River for me is the upper Niagara. Has a bit of current. Go to is a white spinner, then a hot pink x-rap xr08. If that fails then I'll head out off of the 3-12ft. Water to about 15-20ft and try a silver or watermelon tubejig.

Gold spinners seem to produce very well for me. A split shot rigged wooly bugger fly is also a great technique.

Rapala flat Rap, Manns baby 1 minus, Cotton Cordell Big-O are the hard baits to use. For plastics, anything will work but 2.75" to 3.5" tubes, 3" Senkos fished on a small 1/16oz to 1/8oz jig head with a size #1 hook, 4" flukes and of course, 4"and 5" Senkos fished wacky or Texas rig weightless.

if there was only one lure.  The Fat ika destroys, even the senko.  But with smallies the little guys will destroy the bait easily too and baits are expensive at 8 bucks a pack.  This pic actually a kinami palm tree just an idea of how it looks

Green pumpkin Yum dinger, wacky rigged on a 1/2oz football head jig

3" green pumpkin or watermelon tube and a 1/2oz open jig or split shot (mojo rig).

 

Done.

Wow, you sure do fish different rivers than I do. A 1/2 oz football head jig wouldn't last 3 casts in the shallow, fast, rocky rivers I'm used to. And by shallow, I mean it's hard to find water more than 4 feet deep. 90% of the river is less than waist deep. Even kayaks often have to be dragged through some areas. More often than not, anything with much weight just snags on the bottom.

I fish heavy current.  Downsize as needed for slower current.

It's been brought up that rivers can vary... 
As general use which covers clear and dirty rivers all remaining somewhat shallow...

Small red/orange crankbait (kvd 1.0 or 1/8 oz speedtrap)

78 or 100 size Lucky Craft Pointer usually something with chartruese on it
1/8-3/8 oz darthead with chartruese or off-white 4 or 5 inch yamamoto grub

1/4-1/2 oz spinnerbait in white and chartruese with silver gold blades

Fat Ika or small bright crankbaits (Big O, Yo Zuri, Strike King 1)

Punisher hair jig 1/8 or 3/16-

3.8" Fat keitech on a 1/2oz football head-

Tube(don't throw them as much as I should can't recommend one)-

Senko

buzzbait or prop bait on top - z-man finesse worm on 1/16 - 1/8 jighead for bottom fishing.

I'm a late arrival, but I fish shallow rivers too and stick to a handful of proven winners.

My absolute go-to is a 1/8 or 1/4 oz confidence baits draggin head with tubes and sometimes craws. I also use "birds" from the same company.

Others I use a lot are Mepps Aglia #3 in gold brown or white silver, 4" Husky jerks in various colors, 4" kalins grubs on 1/8 jig heads. 

I've had success with wacky rigged 4" stick baits (Yamamoto and yum) but haven't used them a lot. Getting vetter with that setup is goal of mine for next season. 

I know I'm way late with this but it's never too early to get excited for spring!

 

Tubes, grubs, jerks, and spinners.

Locally, senkos, flukes, and hellgrammites.

Rage Craws,Wacky rig worm or Power Team Lure tubes.Swim jig with swimbait trailer.