Going to the New River the first weekend of October just outside Of Blacksburg in pursuit of bronze backs.  I have little river fishing experience.  I am looking for tips on presentation and types of lures.  I am thinking of using an xrap in glass ghost and fire tiger.  Also some different colored jigs and a shaky head.  Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated.  I will be using a jet boat.

Thank you

I fish the Upper James a lot which is similar fishing wise.  I usually fish weightless soft plastics.   I prefer Case Jacks worms and Case Magic Stiks(senko type worm).  Just fish them weightless in the current and around riffles and rocks.  You will catch them.  Jerkbaits will work well too above and below the rapids/riffles.  The state record smallmouth was caught on a spinnerbait in the New River.   Good luck.

I usually start out with a Rapala Husky Jerk, a sinko, a 3" grub and a white spinner bait. I will often start out early in the morning with a topwater prop bait. 

thanks for the info everone never even considered using a grub . Does any one know how the bite is now?

Caught 17 one day last week.  Most fairly small, but 3 or 4 over 15 inches. 

caught around 30 near the va/wv border.... biggest was around 3 and a half lbs. average was around 12-13 inches

I just fished on Wednesday in henton WV we had a group of 6 people all trying differant baits. we had the most luck with a 4" PB&J lizzard. Yum has stopped making them and they are very hard to find. we just added a split shot about 8" above the lizzard on the line and drifted it down the rapids.

Take a whole bag full of gitzit tubes 3.5 "  I like the brown craw new river bass are fun to catch I fish lower new and catch a tons of fish

:)Hey thanks for the info everyone keep it coming I need as much knowledge I can get. Will smailies pack up like bass this time of year? What do you think they will orientate them selves to this time of year? for example rocks deep pools rapids?  and thanks again

i had the best luck in 6-8 ft, with flowing water,,, not rapids, just s teady flow. also, smallies will gather at the tails of large holes, right before the rapids begin... this is a great place to target

Check PM

Add a pearl white 4" Fluke to your arsenal rigged on a 4/0 Texposer hook.

Heading to the New River on Wednesday. Going to Sportsmans and putting in. Just wornding how the fishing is down there and idea on what to use.

Went down to Sportsmans today and caught some fish.  Water was low in some spots and good in others.  They released alot of water from the dam at noon so it brought up the water level some. Fish hit on mainly 3in wacky rig senko type worms.  My fishing buddy did mange to catch a 2lb largemouth, and my biggest was a 1.5lb smallmouth.

Finally, the report from my new river trip. Small mouth fishing was not bad nothing over 12 was caught. Most fish were in slow moving water, deep pools and eddies. The water had quite a bit fluctuation to it. The fishing was best when the water was falling. The best presentations that work for us were small jerk baits and crank baits colors glass ghost, fire tiger and baby bass. Also wacky rig trick worm colors baby bass, pumpkin seed with and without red flack. Additionally free floating lizards pumpkin seed and black. One 2lb bass was caught with a white spinner bait Sunday around 8:30am. Sunday was the best day of fishing and the most fish activated. Landed my first musky 35 on a green spinner bait around 12:30PM. Had 3 more follow up. One musky was missed on a 7 bass swim bait this happed around 6:40pm. I was using it as a wake bait and he hit the bait and jump completely out of the water with the bait in his mouth and startled me being 20' from the boat and I set the hook way to early. All fishing done Sunday and Friday was at whitethorn right at the boat landing and down to the second set of rapids. Saturday put in just past Pembroke and went down river and fishing was terrible or we were just not doing the right thing but it was a beautifully day to be out. Thank you everyone for your contributions to my success on the new.