We’re officially into fall and all that this season means for chasing smallmouth.  As I was straightening out gear and packing up warm weather stuff, I thought about this year’s fishing so far, and which baits were most productive for me.   I spend 95% of my fishing time on the river in a kayak, and since April 1 have been 63 times.

My top 3 producers this year have been…

1 - Rapala Skitter Prop shad,

2- Rapala Flat Rap silver

3- Rebel Wee Craw stream

While I caught some very nice fish on a number of other baits, these 3 were consistently productive, and each of these produced a PB, with Skitter Prop producing the most recent at 21 1/2”.

What were your top 3 producers this spring/summer, and was it lake or river smallies?

 

1. Tube

2. Fluke

3. Hair Jig w/ craw trailer

14 minutes ago, PaulVE64 said:

1. Tube

2. Fluke

3. Hair Jig w/ craw trailer

Lake or river?

1)Spring: jerkbait 
2)Summer: Geecrack Bellows

3) Summer/Fall: Nerd rig

 

 

spring/summer?

for rivers:

4” swing impact

75 Whopper plopper 

wacky 4” senko 

honorable mention to vision 110 in the spring and spinnerbait in the summer in certain conditions. 

 

Flatworms

Swimbaits

Neds

I don’t know what third would be.  The top two are ZEROS and TRDs.

Zoom dead ringer 1/8 oz ball head and strike king bitsy tube on the same head 

River smallies for me.

 

1. Finesse TRD or 1/2 of a Zinkerz on a 1/16 oz head 

2. War Eagle Screamin Eagle Dbl Willow Spinnerbait 

3. A bunch of different brands' 3"-3.5" swimbaits on a 1/8 oz head

14 hours ago, OldManLure said:

Lake or river?

River smallies. Mostly 1.5# to 3# but you get some over 4 and up to 6.

Saginaw Bay and Lake St Clair, Rapala DT series, which one depends on depth, Strike King and Keitech swim baits in white, Strike King (3.5 in.) Coffee tubes, Ned rig.  Best colors are green, green, and green (with red flake on the soft stuff except swim baits)

Perch bait

Perch bait

 1.5" Rapala.....................With perch bait.

 

 ?

War Eagle spinnerbait sexy mouse

Rebel Crawdad 

Baby Zoom z craw or Rage Craw 

Hair jig 

Walking bAit

3 in keitech fat impact on an underspin or homemade safety pin spinner.

Tennessee River

1/8 oz Ned Rig Coppertruse Tickler

Mepps #3 White Dressed Aglia

Big Bites Swim Baits

Caught this 42-1.2 " Flathead on the Ned.

 

Worms

Grubs

Tubes

Craws and Crankbaits

 

Spring, Summer and Fall my river baits stay about the same. But have a few color patterns that work better in the fall. 

Hair jig & walking bait did some damage for me this summer. Spring was all about the shakeyhead & the jerkbait. 

On 10/1/2021 at 6:49 PM, PaulVE64 said:

1. Tube

2. Fluke

3. Hair Jig w/ craw trailer

You add plastic trailers to your hair jigs? What types? Interesting

7 minutes ago, PressuredFishing said:

You add plastic trailers to your hair jigs? What types? Interesting

Fathers raise their kids throwing fly n rind on the highland reservoirs here. I also think it accounted for most of @WRB’s monster bass 

In the spring and summer for smallies it was:

1 walking bait

2 soft stick bait

3 compact jig

 

Norris lake smallies

 

1. Moon eye jig - small shad shaped bait

2. drop shot - small shad shaped bait

3. tube

4 hours ago, PressuredFishing said:

You add plastic trailers to your hair jigs? What types? Interesting

For trailers i use a Pit Boss, Menace Grub, Rage Craw or just about anything generic if i like the colour of it.

Mostly black/blue, green pumpkin or watermelon in 3 to 4 inch lengths.

 

I tie on jig hooks and tiny 1/8 oz split shots.

 

Edit - i also use split tails, curly tail grubs and now im tying for dropshot baits to be used next spring.

I've been on a hard bait kick this year.. just gets boring fishing tubes / nerd rigs.  Mostly river fishing or Mille lacs.

 

1.  Berkley Choppo, size 120 matte black.  Smallies were going nuts over this in mid-late August.  Had one day with 6 18"+ on it.

 

2. Berkley Jointed Flicker Shad, size 7 crawfish color.  Got a bonus 28" walleye on Mille Lacs with this.  Downside is smaller pike seem to also love it, think I'm up to 3 lost from bite offs.

 

3. Berkley Wakebull, size 70 black/chartreuse.  Had no idea what a wake bait was until I randomly picked one up a couple months ago.  Quickly moving up to my #1 spot.  Can fish it anywhere from the surface to about a foot down.  Smallies will hit this thing like a freight train.

 

Not trying to be a Berkley ad here, I've just been using them more due to the lower cost compared to Rapala, but they aren't as durable.  Don't come with the greatest hooks, and the paint gets beat up pretty quick where the trebles hit the body.  

7 minutes ago, Standard said:

I've been on a hard bait kick this year.. just gets boring fishing tubes / nerd rigs.  Mostly river fishing or Mille lacs.

 

1.  Berkley Choppo, size 120 matte black.  Smallies were going nuts over this in mid-late August.  Had one day with 6 18"+ on it.

 

2. Berkley Jointed Flicker Shad, size 7 crawfish color.  Got a bonus 28" walleye on Mille Lacs with this.  Downside is smaller pike seem to also love it, think I'm up to 3 lost from bite offs.

 

3. Berkley Wakebull, size 70 black/chartreuse.  Had no idea what a wake bait was until I randomly picked one up a couple months ago.  Quickly moving up to my #1 spot.  Can fish it anywhere from the surface to about a foot down.  Smallies will hit this thing like a freight train.

 

Not trying to be a Berkley ad here, I've just been using them more due to the lower cost compared to Rapala, but they aren't as durable.  Don't come with the greatest hooks, and the paint gets beat up pretty quick where the trebles hit the body.  

 

My bone Choppo has alot of hook rash too

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