Try a Reins Bubbling Shaker or Ring Craw. They are pretty hard to find at local tackle shops but if you can find them they work great for smallmouths on a micro-jig. The floating action gives them alittle something extra to attract the bass. I also like to use a devil spear in slightly stained water.

does the ring craw have a thick body to it?

Rage baby craw or a 2" chunk

The ring craw does not have a real thick body. Its light enough to float. The rings lighten it up alot. They do rip pretty easy. 

Ditto

Mike

 

x3

Baby Rage Craw

Super Chunk Jr

Twin tail grub

The ring craw does not have a real thick body. Its light enough to float. The rings lighten it up alot. They do rip pretty easy.

I'll stay away from those because they are so pricy.

I use the paca chunk a lot, but if I want a rattle to change things up I will put a tiny paca craw with a tiny round tube rattle in it

Rage craws and grubs

Netbait tiny paca chunk, zoom creepy crawler, and the smallest yum craw pappy.

Net Bait makes a color in the small Paca chunk sold locally called Table Rock red that works well for me. Also for the 5/16 and 3/8 jigs my old stand by is to use a speed craw and tear off the first section before threading it on the hook. The profile is just about right for a finesse jig.

how about when the water cools down?

 

Year around.

for a finesse jig, zoom z hog jr

Erie darter jr's are becoming one of my favorite jig trailers for river smallies when the water temps are in the 30's.

Baby Rage Craw or Zman Batwingz. 

Anyone ever use a strike king river bug as a finese or small profile trailer? They are almost like a baby version of the rodent I believe. I'm trying to find a finese jig trailer for a shallow clear water river that will pair with a strike king bitsy bug jig.

Zoom Ultravibe Speed Craw

Twin Tail Grub

Baby Rage Craw

Baby D-Bomb

Biffle bug Jr

Yum boogee tail (it's a spinnerbait trailer but works great on a jig as well)

Anyone ever use a strike king river bug as a finese or small profile trailer? They are almost like a baby version of the rodent I believe. I'm trying to find a finese jig trailer for a shallow clear water river that will pair with a strike king bitsy bug jig.

I've used those strike king river bugs as trailers and they work great. Only problem is they are a walmart exclusive bait (which in my opinion is stupid) and can be hard to find. Janns netcraft sells the identical bait called the sweet craw jr.

Try an erie darter jr as a trailer on your bitsy bugs. Awesome little finesse trailer!