I fish a few small rivers here in western PA and probably my best overall bait is a Mepps Dressed Aglia #3 with black dressing with a hot firetiger blade.  This bait alone has accounted for more 4+ lb fish than any other lure in my "river" tackle box.  They are hard to find in the stores though (at least around here) so I recently stocked up.  Gander Mountain seems to have the best prices.  In fact on my last float trip of the season I lost mine on a snag early on in the trip... my buddy who was throwing the same bait caught a 19 incher and a 22 incher later on in the day.  If I didn't have the Mepps then I'd probably go with a tiny tube, a 1/4 to 3/8 oz swim jig, or a Keitech swing impact swimbait (the smallmouth magic and bluegill flash work best for me).  Best of luck to you guys.  

try a fly rod with a olive woolybugger

this ^

or, you could drop hair jigs behind big rocks. I've done well pitching weightless tubes into the overhanging stuff and the undercuts.

I prefer to wade fish, but also float a lot. I've caught my best fish on cranks and jerks like the XRap 8 and Jointed Shad Raps. I've caught the most smallmouth on soft craws fished on a football head.

+2 On The 1/8 oz Buzz Baits , There Killer.

 

Mike

I'd throw a strike king elaztech finesse worm rigged weedless in the pockets of pools, bends, and fallen trees. Most of my youth was spent wading 3 feet deep rivers fishing for smallmouth.