Smallmouth bass tackle

3geese4me

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Alrighty, I am looking to chase smallmouth a little more this year rather than casually running into them. I have tubes, jigs with gulp minnows, paddletail baits (my favorite way to fish), and number 10 husky jerks. Is there anything else that I may need to help round out my tackle selection? Or, is what I have sufficient?
 


Bfishn

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I use two lures for Smallmouth....topwater in the summer and rattle baits through the ice
 


luvcatchingbass

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Lipless cranks and a couple topwaters lures are good additions, I always like having a few spinnerbaits handy
 

KDM

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You have the subtle bait covered (jigs), the loud bait covered (husky jerks), all you need is an obnoxious bait. Something really loud and boisterous. A prop bait comes to mind. Something that really throws water, churns things up, and makes a statement. Good Luck!!
 

sierra1995

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used to have good luck on then in the canals with rattle traps and bomber long a's along the rocks.
 


luvcatchingbass

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I have a few x-raps that have done me well, minnow and shad bodies. One thing I think is the feathered back treble gives it just that little something extra for action
 

LBrandt

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I'm listening...
3/4 inch or 1 inch propeller blade 3 or 4 colored beads and jig head of your choice tipped with tube of choice. Troll or cast they work great on smallies or crappies. Here in the se on Dead colt (large mouth and crappies) Lake Elsie for small mouth and about everything else.
 

3geese4me

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So I just did a tackle inventory... I have have hair jigs, live bait jigs, curly tail grubs, paddletail jigs, chatterbaits, rippin raps, and husky jerks. Im thinking top water is my missing key. Or a prop bait. Does anyone have any suggestions for topwater or prop crankbaits?
 

5575

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Lead head jigs and plastics, catch all the smallmouths you will ever want for practically nothing.

My mom and my youngest love fishing for them. When we are walleye fishing they always ask
"when are we going to go fish for fun?" ha ha ha

smallie mom.jpg
 


Bfishn

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I personally like "walk the dog" type top water because they tend to cast a mile and you can work a lot of water, but poppers, prop baits, and soft frog type baits have their place.

For me pretty much the whole point of smallmouth fishing is catching them on top water. Nothing like big smallies crushing big loud top water baits.
 

luvcatchingbass

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I like having a few choices of spinner baits as well with different blades (willow leaf and colorado). Gives lots of options to work different parts of the water column for just barely under the surface to even 20ft down, one of my biggest largemouth was in 25fow and my spinnerbait was probably running at 20ft
 

Tillerman2095

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Top water buzzbaits, and poppers work well. I'm going to try whopper ploppers more this season as well. Spinner baits in different sizes and blade configurations. Mainly willow leaf blades on spinner baits have worked the best for me. My all time favorite is a some type of jig. Swim jig styles for craws, chunks, creature baits, or tubes. Dart jigs are my go to for paddle tail swim baits. Stand up or football jigs can't be over looked either. I don't fish a lot of crank baits or jerk baits so I'm a bad recourse for information there. I'd have to say now that my interest has changed a lot more to bass; its just as expensive of a habit as walleye fishing.
 

3geese4me

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Top water buzzbaits, and poppers work well. I'm going to try whopper ploppers more this season as well. Spinner baits in different sizes and blade configurations. Mainly willow leaf blades on spinner baits have worked the best for me. My all time favorite is a some type of jig. Swim jig styles for craws, chunks, creature baits, or tubes. Dart jigs are my go to for paddle tail swim baits. Stand up or football jigs can't be over looked either. I don't fish a lot of crank baits or jerk baits so I'm a bad recourse for information there. I'd have to say now that my interest has changed a lot more to bass; its just as expensive of a habit as walleye fishing.

For some reason, I've always struggled to catch walleye. However, smallmouth have turned a frustrating day of fishing into an eventful day.
 


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