Alright guys, when you go fishing for Smallies what's your absolute FAVORITE way to catch them??? 

I don't wanna know the "best" or what has worked recently, but what you personally like to do the most.

Me, I love me some tube fishing! I love the slow and steady retrieve and the feeling of a big fat Bronze back slamming my tube jig when it's sitting still. Nothing beats the thrill of a solid hooksets after coaxing a big bite! It's a great combo of patience and thrill at the same time for me.

Well, let hear 'em!

My favorite way is working a craw around the rocks on the bottom,Bouncing it along and then they slam it.Sometimes they pick it up on the set.Love those Smallies

12 minutes ago, bowhunter63 said:

My favorite way is working a craw around the rocks on the bottom,Bouncing it along and then they slam it.Sometimes they pick it up on the set.Love those Smallies

Easily my second favorite plastic for smallmouth. It's hard to beat a craw in my WI rivers.

Yea same here in Missouri,That old rebel crawdad crankbait probably caught as many as anything else.

5 minutes ago, bowhunter63 said:

Yea same here in Missouri,That old rebel crawdad crankbait probably caught as many as anything else.

I've been wanting to try one of the rebel craws for years. May as well buy some now haha fight the winter blues a bit.

I caught a lot of them on it when i lived up north.Great bait for sure.Still works great today.

Topwater is my favorite busy far. I love watching. Them explode on a little tiny torpedo 

8 minutes ago, WillBass24 said:

Topwater is my favorite busy far. I love watching. Them explode on a little tiny torpedo 

Sweet! Idk why but I've had very little success with topwater smallies. I hope to change that this year though! 

Right here ~ Morning, Noon & All Night.

A-Jay

2 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

Right here ~ Morning, Noon & All Night.

A-Jay

Very nice, that's a walk the dog bait, right? 

Fly fishing with poppers in 1-2ft water early Spring. Nothing better than battling smallies on a fly rod. 

27 minutes ago, WI_Angler1989 said:

Very nice, that's a walk the dog bait, right? 

Yes - and it's the easiest walking bait I know of -

A-Jay

1 hour ago, WI_Angler1989 said:

Very nice, that's a walk the dog bait, right? 

I believe that's a Duo Realis Pencil 110.  You can walk it, pop it, make a ruckus with it to stir up smallies.

I love throwing 3 to 5 inch paddle tail swimbaits. I can throw them all day with out a bite and still have confidence in them. Caught my PB smallie on a 3.5 inch swimbait.

Let's see . . . Top water's a blast, Duo's Spin Bait 80 has been extremely productive, but I'll say walking a nose-hooked, weightless Super Fluke Jr. a foot under the surface is my favorite because I can see the smallies zoom in to smash it!

To me there is nothing like a smallie crushing a spinnerbait or exploding on buzzbait!

Tie:

1) On top of the water it's a Jitterbug

2) Below the surface its the stealthy targeted presentation of a 5 inch wacky-rigged Yamasenko 

1 minute ago, FryDog62 said:

Tie:

1) On top of the water it's a Jitterbug

2) Below the surface its the stealthy targeted presentation of a 5 inch wacky-rigged Yamasenko 

I've had some awesome jitterbug bass too. Lots of good ones on a black right before sunset 

 

Hard decision. I love a jig bite,usually 1/8 oz  black .

3 hours ago, WI_Angler1989 said:

I've had some awesome jitterbug bass too. Lots of good ones on a black right before sunset 

 

It's a long forgotten about bait for many but still works awesome!!  Black is my favorite color --

Jerkbait

 

My favorite would be a jig.

 

With that said Jerkbait is probably my best producer due to being able to fish faster.  A jerkbait and I have a love/hate relationship.  I hate when I have to fish them but they flat out produce.

Although my favorite technique is the jerkbait, over the years my best producer has been the Gitzit (baby diaper yellow).  Next would be the Fat Ika, followed by the Sworming Hornet. Next is a GYCB Kut Tail rigged on the ShakE2. Last year a Siebert Outdoor Grid Iron Jig (3/8 oz PBJ)/ Rage Tail Craw (PBJ) and most recently the Rage Tail Menace: 

My favorite is a drop shot with a finesse shad lure.  When they hit that thing they hit it.

#2 is topwater

#3 is a spinnerbait with a Keitech trailer

My favorite technique for catching my river smallies is a finesse jig.  My most productive is a t-rigged 4" YUM Dinger.