I walk a creek where people swim the fish are skiddish because of people swimming all the time. They will hit whopper ploppers    

If they strike a Whooper Plooper nearly every smallie lure should work😎

Tom

          They won't hit anything else and it's hard to get a whopper  plopper under overhanging trees       

I like to skip T rigged, 4 inch Senkos under overhanging trees. Probably my favorite method of fishing small rivers for smallmouth.

T-rigged trick worm, gp with gold flake. Weightless unless you’re over 4-5 ft of depth. Fish it like a jerkbait/fluke.

T-rigged soft plastics, and I also love Rebel's Wee crawfish:

 

#3 inline spinner, Rapala original floating minnow, 1/4 oz black hair jig.  Is all I need for fishing small streams.  some small streams, the #3 inline is all I bring.

Don't forget a Tiny Torpedo for topwater.

 

6 hours ago, Jack15 said:

  I walk a creek where people swim the fish are skiddish because of people swimming all the time. They will hit whopper ploppers    

Can't be too skiddish if they will hit a whopper plopper.

1/8 oz. spinnerbait and buzzbait with small trailers, weightless flukes, 4 inch Dingers and 4 inch ribbon tail worms.  Shouldn't need anything else.

Weightless Fluke 

On 5/24/2025 at 8:01 PM, king fisher said:

#3 inline spinner, Rapala original floating minnow, 1/4 oz black hair jig.  Is all I need for fishing small streams.  some small streams, teh #3 inline is all I bring.

 

Yep! And add a few small jig heads with twister tails.

1/16 and 1/8 oz. Beetle and Cajun Spins. 

Good Fishing

Thank you everyone I've caught a ton more fish since this was posted thanks for all of your help!!!

9 hours ago, GreenTrout said:

1/16 and 1/8 oz. Beetle and Cajun Spins. 

Good Fishing

 

I fish the Susquehanna a lot. The Beetle Spin and Rebel crawfish are always in the boat on the river. I never used the Rebel in small streams but maybe I should. 

Mepps inline spinner