In the early spring what do you think the best bait is for smallmouth in water temps from 46 to 55 degree water. Thanks

jerkbait

shallower water, a suspending jerkbait. if deeper, a hopkins spoon or some type of blade like a silver buddy.

...and the tube is always good.

Tim J

Suspending Jerks, absolutely. I also switch off to tubes and blades, depending on the structure I'm targeting. But if you're just beating the banks, you can't beat a hard jerk. Just make sure you employ long pauses between subtle twitches.

Nothing beats a little shaky head.

I wouldn't ever rule out live bait if you're into that sort of thing....

finesse jig w/small trailer when they don't look up for meal.

You can't beat a jerkbait, but don't rule out a spinnerbait. I catch ALOT of smallies with a spinnerbait in early Spring.

Falcon

You can't beat a jerkbait, but don't rule out a spinnerbait. I catch ALOT of smallies with a spinnerbait in early Spring.

Falcon

What kinda spinnerbait. Color?Weight? Fishing it on main lake points? What do you target with it.

I love yo-yoing a red eye shad.  Fish it eratic.  My second is a pointer 100.

I've had good success with a 5" Wild Eye Shad or River2Sea Live Eye Bottom Walker swimbait fished along bluffs.

jerkbait

#1 Live bait

#2 Fat Ika

#3 Jerkbaits

#4 Rage Tail Baby Craw, naked

     and as a trailer on hair jigs

#5 Bandit, Wiggle Wart

#6 Swarming Hornet/ LFT Live Magic Shad

#7 Grubs, Hula Grubs & tubes

#8 Topwater

#9 Ledgebuster Single Willow Blade Spinnerbait

#10 DD22

8-)

Old school (grub) smoke with just the tip of the tail dyed chartreuce for clear water--watermelon seed or rootbeer fleck if stained . use a bigger tail aka Kalin if water really stained I use as little weight as possible always spinning med-med light 6-8 lb fluoro wow am I ready

Two words ~ Hair Jig

Ask Dwight, oh wait never mind . . . .

A-Jay

Fat Ika! A finesse jig also seems to do quite a number on the brown guys in cold water.

Tube or Fat Ika

Fat Ika does really well here around the Richmond area on the James in cold water. 

Fat Ika does really well here around the Richmond area on the James in cold water.

It works in all conditions I fish. That's why I buy stock in them.

Fat Ika does really well here around the Richmond area on the James in cold water.

It works in all conditions I fish. That's why I buy stock in them.

I noticed in your bait monkey thread!

LOL yeah... Its a great bait; weedless, fairly durable and downright deadly.

It's similar to a tube which I also like. I've been messing with different rigging options so the smaller tubes and grubs will be part of the cold water assault on the smallies.

Just went this weekend at new river in wv sun was out so they wouldnt bite sun went down water temp was 50.0 deg caught 2 pounder on a 1/2 oz. tequila sunrise bleeding shad rat-l-trap tried pumkinseed 3in grub a no fale bait didnt get a bite so i threw on ol trusty tried 3in gizit watermelon no bite key is fishing slow cloudy or after the sun goes down and if on river fish them eddies them smallies wont be in the rapids that much also were i was fishing 1/4 mile up from were i was fishing 5 guys were in a 14ft jon boat flipped 3 died 2 swam to shore why 5 pp were in that small off a boat i dont know we actually fount their oars and a new boot that floated down river didnt know it had happened till after we left but like i said slow is the key also a cotten cordell big o crawl color works real well for me so try it!!

A-Jay wrote

Two words ~ Hair Jig

Ask Dwight, oh wait never mind . . . .

A-Jay Shhh! It was supposed to be a secret.

BLACK hair jig... DONE! No need to get anything else. Hair on a hook catches smallies!

Swimbait on pea gravel flats swam slow enough to tck the bottom evry now and then.