Hands down a heddon tiny torpedo in natural leopard frog pattern is my first go to on a river in the slower holes. The lure is very versatile in that you can crank it along the top, jerk it, or let it sit and pluck your line like a guitar string to simulate an injured bug (cicada, beetle, etc). However, if the shallows are sluggish and not hitting on top I'll jump to a brown or dark green tube with a weighted jig head (gitzit) and bounce it across the bottom and stir up some dirt to mimic a crayfish which seems to really wake me up. In the summer heat I hit the trophy am allies hanging out under a tree in the shade in slower holes with a simple soft plastic and hook with a twitching action through the water near the top about 0 to 1 foot down as it seems to offer the least spook to the wary old lunkers. Midrange though anything rapala seems to do fine I try never to go too aggressive with crank baits as experience has taught me that anything that clicks or rattles underwater does catch am allies but can spook the larger wary bass when the water warms up.

All I fish lately is a small river for smallies although this year I've had a fly rod in my hands for it if the last month but I've used regular gear usually in the past. My go tos are white double tail grubs(mister twister, kalins,Arkie, rage, zoom) weightless flukes, manns baby -1, white spinnerbaits, rapala jointed J7 or J9, and husky jerks or pointers. Once summer hits I have a lot of luck with small buzz baits as well.

3.75" Back Room Bait's Paddletails, color appr. for water clarity. Juniata and Susquahanna Guides order them 500 at a time, they catch fish. Water gets a bit warmer, Spinnerbaits and Squarebills. Brian.

Tell me more about Back Room Co if you would. Maybe pm me, thanks.

 

I have messed up many smallie lips with a 3" avocado/red speck paddle tail when the water is clear. I like the black or smoke  3" sting ray grubs on a 1/4 head too. 

C22

If it's pre spawn,cranks tubes plastics they all work,if their spawning and just guarding their beds they will be reluctant to hit much,plastics (worms,shad color minnows,crawfish)usually will get some strikes and find they work best for smallies up here during spawn,then again I have seen both large and smallmouth brush a plastic bait run slowly across their bed with their closed mouth,just to get it off their spot,other times I will get a reaction strike or protect the nest hit and those are usually on plastics

When I first went fishing specific for smallmouth several years ago, I was introduced to the Fat Ika.   I have been using it with great success for large mouth.  I plan on using it again on smallmouth as soon as I can get to a good spot again.   I use to be a small mouth magnet. 

A good start would include twister tail grubs, tubes, some basic spinnerbaits/Crankbaits and some top water standards like spooks, pop-Rs, Skitterpops, etc.