rapala x-rap subwalk...works great in upper james for smallies! walk the dog action just few inches under surface! killer explosions on this thing!

I like spooks the regular sized one worked steady with a walking the dog retrieve. Also like number 11 or 13 original floater rapala cast it out let the surface calm down twitch it and real in the slack then twitch it again vary the time between twitches to find what the fish want. Devils horse and other prop baits are also good as are poppers.

Hey guys what is walking the dog retreival

I'll have to watch later I am at work

i live right along a river and i had alot of good nights fishing jitterbugs  but in the day i found that the zell pop and heddon tiny torpedos does the best

Do you live alone the Delaware I would love to find a local fishing buddy. I have just gotton The Torpedos and a Hula Popper I live in Phillipsburg NJ 5 min from the Del.

Walk the dog is making the bait walk across the surface in a zig zag pattern. Spooks do it almost on there own with a little practice.

Tiny Torpedoes are a favorite top water bait for nearly everything that bites- I caught a catfish one afternoon on a frog colored one.

Earlier in the thread there was a question about torpedo colors

1)  Bullfrog

2)  Black shore minnow (can be hard to find but shouldn't be)

3)  Baby Bass

Shadrac

Hey I Shark I know your asking about topwater. But my buddy Denea and I have both had 30+ smallie days on our local creek/river fishing from the bank. He had his 30+ a couple weeks ago and I had mine on Saturday in a span of 4 hours.

The ticket? 5" Gary Yamamoto Grubs. Denea was using Chartruse colored ones and I was using Green Pumpkin ones. I was rigging them texas style weightless with a 2/0 EWG hook. You can swim them or jig them back to shore.

If you can't catch smallies on them than there not there.

Top water hard baits can be good for smallies but if you want to slay them than I would stay with the plastics for now until you get the hang of it.

Another tip....a lot of my bass where being caught in less than 3 foot of water next to rocks and small ledges. A ton of smallies were on gravel beds either still spawning (suprised me) or just finished up. Hope this helps in your conquest to kick some smallie rump.