If I could only have one lure to catch smallies: 4 in green pumpkin tube on a 1/4 oz. jighead.

But my favorite, as far as the "fun factor" is involved, would have to be a popper!

Tiny soft plastics on a drop-shot rig because if you do it right, they can't jump out 5' and throw your bait back at you

Jerkbaiting on windy days is a close second.

Tubes are still my hands down go to when i want to put fish in the boat. Id rather catch every smallmouth on top water, but for some reason they dont want to hit a buzzbait in 30 degree water here in WV.

Top water baits are fun for all kinds of fish, but when it comes to smallies, I start out with a good colored tube, then drop shot a goby.  If on St Clair or Lake Erie that is....lol.

On inland lakes, tube, top, then wacky a gulp worm, in that order...lol

It's hard to beat a jerk bait any time of the year for size and numbers...but when it gets super tough you have to go with the drop shot.

3" *** Trick Sticks on a lead head jig, The LD Smallie Slammer in my waters ;D

Tough choice since I love them all...I'll go with jig-n-pig.

Living on Lake Ontario I find drop-shotting a finese worm is my favorite in deep water.  Nothing like hooking up with a 5 lb smallie on light line and tackle.  In the shallow water flats I had a blast last year wacky jigging them with the same finesse worm I used drop shotting.

In line spinner here as well.  In the river in front of my house you can tie on a rooster tail and figure at least to land a couple of smallmouths of varying size.

Super Spook, clown color or the saltwater one, silver body with a red head.  Get BIG fish.

Living on Lake Ontario I find drop-shotting a finese worm is my favorite in deep water. Nothing like hooking up with a 5 lb smallie on light line and tackle. In the shallow water flats I had a blast last year wacky jigging them with the same finesse worm I used drop shotting.

My results echo yours - the wacky jig rocked during prespawn.  My best baits though, were the typical tube, with a wrinkle (PM me if interested) and DS with a 3" Gulp! minnow.

Full size tube (4-4.5"). I fish smallies mainly on Lake of the Woods and full sized tubes, because of the diameter, become snagged much less in the rocks. Used to use grubs on jig heads. Too many snags.

Fish them with an open tube hook or if pulling tubes a lot from over the back side of big boulders texas rig them with an internal weight.

Fish the tube both as a swim bait and a drop bait. Deadly from a foot of water down to 10 plus feet.

A wicky bug. My own creation.

My favorite would have to be an x-rap, they aren't my most productive lure but i sure love to use them.

I love to fish craws for smallies. They work great!

In one river I fish I've had the most luck with Rat L Traps.  In Saratoga Lake I've had most luck with T-rigged soft plastics.  On the upper Hudson river I've had the most luck with top water baits...spooks, torpedo's, poppers, etc...

Many will sneer at this. It is necessarily delivered on a spinning rod and requires a line you can see. I use Stren Fluorescent Blue with a 4/0 off-set shank hook. Pinch a white 5" Senko in half and texas rig the half. Thro it out. Don't jerk. Don't twitch. Just let it be on a slack line. It is absolutely deadly on SM.

Unless the water is murky, nothing beats grubs and tubes for all around effectiveness usually.

Green pumpkin ...worms and craws

x-rap...best lure everrrrrrrrrrr

I just had to vote other because "All of the Above" wasn't a choice.

In the fall, I usually have 7-8 rods rigged up.  A topwater (with a front runner tossed in), a jerkbait, dbl willowleaf spinnerbait, a Rattlin' Rap, a T-Rig 5" grub, a tube, and ALWAYS a Hopkins spoon.

Fall smallies means you are going to run across schoolies, and nothing reaches out better than a Hopkins spoon.  This is the one rod that is always close at hand with the lure reeled up to the tip ready to cast.

Topwater is, no doubt, the most exciting, but I had to go with jig-'n'-pig. Or, alternatively, jig-'n'-critter. I just love feeling that subtle tap, or suddenly seeing the line start off on a tangent - the fight's on!

Tom

The best I've ever done with smallmouth bass is with nothing on the list above.

I was gliding a 1/8oz ballhead jig dressed with a 4-inch segment of live worm (threaded in a straight line).

According to the lodge owner, our smallies were the largest he'd seen in 17 years

After bottom contact, I'd crank the reel two or three times then allow the jig & worm

to glide naturally back to the bottom. At no time does the rod move, only the reel.

While the jig arcs slowly back to the bottom, the worm segment never stops writhing.

Roger

Spinnerbait for me, I use the beetle spin and it's just dynamite for all types of fish.  I use it in spring, summer and winter and always catch fish on it.

gotta love the topwater smallies. I had about a three pounder launch 4 ft in the air chasing my lc sammy doesnt get better than that