What are your top 3 lures for clear water smallies and/or color/weight/size?

 

Mine would have to be:

 

Jerkbait - chartruese and purple

Grub - clear smoke with black flakes

*don't have a 3rd, which is why I'm asking you guys.  Looking for some suggestings.  : )

 

Thanks!

 

I would definitely add dropshot. Tubes and senkos are also good. Anything finesse on light line is ideal for clear water smallies.

spinnerbait

crankbait

jerkbait

 

if I could have a 4th it'd be drop shot. but honestly i have best luck on those three.

Once the water temps dip below 55 here ~

 

It's all about the Blades Baits.

 

They all seem to work ~ Sliver dominates in the sun and gold rules when it's cloudy.

 

A-Jay

 

Dropshot with a minnow color, a perch jerk bait, 3/8 oz football jig and trailer with a green pumpkin and brown combo.

1 - Tube

2 - Drop Shot

3 - Spinnerbait

I've been reading that blade baits are great.  Seems like A-Jay feels the same way.  I gotta get some Silver Buddys & Heddon Sonars.

american shad pointer 78-100

3/8 chart spinnerbait

4" green pumpkin tube

Jerkbait

spook

grub

Jerkbait

spook

grub

 

 

Hey Blue, What colors/sizes work best for you?

I like working all of those.

Hey Blue, What colors/sizes work best for you?

I like working all of those.

Jerkbait-RC Stix in French Pearl or Lucky Craft Slender Pointer 97MR in Gun Metal Shad 

spook-Super Spook Jr in bone

When I said grub I meant a Ned rig-3/32oz 1/2 a PB&J Zinker

Blade bait 1/4 oz. - 1/2 oz. in silver or gold

Jerk bait - ^ same as above + bone w/orange belly

Bucktail jig - 1/8 - 1/4 oz. in black, brown, dark olive or combinations of these colors.

 

Tom

Fluke

Tube

Gunfish

Jerkbait  Megabass Ito Vision 110 (Walkin Ayu) http://www.megabassusa.com/products/vision-110

 

Rage Tail Baby Craw (Watermelon/ Red Flakes) http://www.ragetail.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/babycrawtest22.jpg

 

BPS 3 1/2" Tender Tube (#71)

 

 

 

~15' clear water, boulders with sparse weed smallmouth fishing, 50+ degree water temp, above the Mason-Dixon line... Lunker City 4" Swimmin' Ribster (ayu); Pointer 78 (ghost sunfish/ghost bluegill); Gunfish 95 (ghost bluegill)

 

 

oe

Jerkbait  Megabass Ito Vision 110 (Walkin Ayu) http://www.megabassusa.com/products/vision-110

 

Rage Tail Baby Craw (Watermelon/ Red Flakes) http://www.ragetail.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/babycrawtest22.jpg

 

BPS 3 1/2" Tender Tube (#71)

 

 

Hey RW!

I have the baby craw and the tender tube.  Going to try them out for the 1st time this weekend on a clear lake in East TN!  Wish me luck!

Agree with what was said but a tiny torpedo in clear can be deadly

No surprise here:

1.)swimjig in bluegill 5/16 with Kalin 3" watermelon grub. (only if there'ssome grass)

2.) 5/8 1 knocker in royal shad. I use 7'11" H mod. With 17# fc. 6:3 ratio reel.

3.) Wiggle Warts in ghost colors. 7' MH Mod on 12# fc. 6:3 reeled faster.

4.) If any cover I always throw an older w/blue Terminator tandem. 6'6" MH on 17# fc.

I don't slow down much and sometimes I live and die by this habit success wise.

This is in creeks and rivers - in lakes I have much less success with the broken back rapala for some reason, but small cranks pick up.  If it's really clear I think line becomes a huge part of the equation and a 4-6lb clear floro can really make the difference over my standard 10lb green Ande.

 

J7-J9 Rapala in Silver and Black

4" Ribbon tail worm in Tequila Sunrise by Riverside (what few I have left) - fished on the drop or swam.  I've used some roboworms in a similar color but not nearly as effective.

2 1/2 - 3" Tubes in Browns / Pumpkinseed (Especially effective in the River)

 

 

Bonus -- If I am fishing shallow rapids with the sun shining I have great success using any small (less then 3") minnow bait in chrome.  I had a ribbed Yo-Zuri knock off that worked great.

top three for me would be

 

1.) Drop shot. 6lb test  with a jackall crosstail shad (green pumpkin candy. )

2.) 3 or 4 inch Tube 6-10 lb test (Green Pumpkin)

3.) Jerkbait with 10-12 lb test i like the rapala (moss back shiner) and Luck-E-strike RC STX Jerkbait (Purple Green Apple)

 

For the most part the DS and the tube should be tied on at all times if your fishing for Smallies, you can adjust them both easily for any depth and are great for clear water fishing and tough conditions. Jerkbait fishing is very effective when then bite is on which can be any time of the year. Jerkbait fishing is an extremely fun way to fish for smallmouth bass here in Lake Erie in the spring. Just twitch twitch Pause and hang on!!

 

Jerkbait, reapers, hair jigs

I have caught large smallies only when I find them.  Anything will then get a couple.  I have switched off of my preferred lures to totally different ones & still caught them consistently.  I catch fish that are catch & release ones.   The school WILL take off quickly if a couple are hooked .  If I catch & release in the same spot ??

 

  1 fish & they are moving AWAY from my low profile boat. I laugh about their ability to move away from my approaching boat sounds.

 

They DO learn from experience & that is passed on in their Daytime Genes. I have to range out farther in a different boat if I want a bunch of them.

 

I do some odd ball stuff to catch the "  caught & released "  fish.  Very odd.

 

All the above applies ONLY to lures.

Whatever you do, don't try a blade bait. They absolutely do not ever work.  

I don't know if they are the "best" but what works  best for me when the water here is clear are: 4" finesse worms wacky rigged on a 1/16th or 1/8th oz. wacky jig, 3" and 4" Gulp products nose hooked on a drop shot, and small creature baits on a shakey, football, or biffle type head.

1. TUBES

2. DROP SHOT (WACKY RIGGED)

3. CRANKBAITS

4. JIGS