going for some big river smallies.

are these a good option this time of year???

I always have a suspending jerkbait rigged on one of my rods, every time I go out. They tend to be more effective in the spring and fall periods, but if you work them fast in the summertime, they can be a killer.

I've done really well with jerkbaits for smallmouth year round in rivers. Seems like if you fish them fast where there is decent current they work best.

They work very well year round IMO.

yeah the pointer is 100x better than the xrap. yeah it catches more fish than all other hardbaits.

Iv'e had more luck on the LC Pointer 78 Suspending this year than I have on the larger model LC's. Although I haven't used an Xrap much at all this year, I always have one tied on a rod just in case. I find the Xrap works better for me in the colder water than the LC Pointer. There has been a few times where the bite on an LC will slow down but I can switch to an Xrap and find a few more bites. Just like Crestliner2008, I also have one of the two rigged every time I go out. Right now though I find that a tube, fluke, topwater walk-the-dog type bait, and a crankbait are the hot baits in my area. The water is cooling down and i'm sure the jerkbait bite should heat up very soon.

Good Luck!!!

Depends how cool the water is. I personally don't start fishing a pointer regularly until the water gets down into the 50's, or low 60's. When it's warmer, they'll still catch fish, but IMO there are better options out there.