Recently, I have been spending time on a lake with a main forage of extremely small shiners/minnows. I should know what species they are, but at this point I don't, all I see is what is coughed up on my boat deck, usually half-digested. Most of the anglers who have experience on the lake have unique, smaller than average baits that they use because of how conditioned the fish are to eating smaller prey. I normally don't think the size of a bait is extremely important, particularly when considering something like an average sized bass lure vs a downsized version of it, but at this place, there is definitely a difference.

 

I have been around enough fish to do side by side comparisons of a normal sized bait vs its downsized counterpart, and the smaller baits are consistently more effective. I am curious to see how many other people fish in places where bass feed primarily on small baitfish year-round, not just during a particular season when the forage is small. I am curious about what baits or tricks can be used on fish that behave like the ones I have been targeting!

 

I have fished a 3/8oz war eagle spinnerbait interchangeably with a 3/8oz molix spinnerbait that is tungsten and has the same profile as a 1/8oz spinnerbait (a 2.8" keitech is a fitting trailer, the spinnerbait is itty bitty!) the smaller bait outperforms it 10-1 at least. Another bait that has shown this is a whopper plopper 110 vs a 90. Usually, the 110 is plenty small enough, and the 90 is too small and too subtle, but even in choppy conditions, the bass there prefer the 90. I have also done better on 2.8/3" swimbaits over something in the 4-5" range.

 

One thing I forgot to add is that the little baits catch larger fish as well, using a larger bait gets fewer bites but they are not better sized, which says a lot.

 

Anyone have some cool tricks up their sleeves?

The smallmouth here have been keying on brook silversides instead of shad for some reason. Normal bigger fall baits like Bullshads and spooks aren't working, but fishing a Duo Realis Rozante 77 jerkbait or a Ned rig with a white lightning TRD or one of the new TRD MinnowZ fish really quickly less than a foot below the surface has been smoking them. 

We have a lake in WV where the smallmouth eat brook silversides, it's where I caught my recent PB brown fish! I was fishing a super spook jr instead of a super spook with that in mind.

They won't even eat anything as big as a spook jr right now. A 3.8 fat impact is pushing it, a regular 4" swing impact is way more effective right now because of the thinner profile. The water isn't even that clear, amazing how they seem to be able to tell the difference. 

Zara puppy?

Thought about it but they're so hard to walk in any kind of chop, and you know how the wind is here. Kind of a double edged sword, if it's calm enough to fish a puppy, it's too calm to catch a smallmouth on topwater ?

 

Those goofy rebel hard frogs they're 3/8 oz and less than 2 inches long, just paint bone colored.  I have some custom done to look like an Alewife.  Smallies crushed them during and just after the Alewife spawn.   I also Drop Shot little Crappie sized bass assassins.  Alewifes have dramatically changed the feeding habits of the bass on Champlain and going tiny helps.

I have several of the 65 pointers, but they just don't do it in the wind. Great when it's calm though. The little Duo has a weight transfer system that cast like a bullet and the smallies are just chewing it. Just over 3", so it certainly fits in that small bait category. 

 

There is a lake in Wisconsin I only fish in the spring for pre-spawn smallmouth. More often than not, those bass show a definite preference for Pointer 65’s. Fish the lake with larger jerkbaits, and you will not do well on smallies. 

Keitech 3.3” Swing Impact Fat for smaller forage on a Keitech Tungsten Super around Jig Head 

@Logan S bait monkey is coming after you

Nah...I already own a few of those Duo's .  Plus MB X-80Jrs, LC Bevy 60s, Pointer63's (yes that's a thing), and 06 X-Raps.  I take my tiny jerkbait game seriously! ?

 

I find the Pointer65 to do OK in the wind with an appropriate spinning rod and 6lb FC...But wind in KS is probably more of a concern than wind in MD.

Gunfish 95 ....practically all you have to do is say "walk"....lol...walks like a dream