# Best seasonal lures for SW Ohio rivers



## QueticoMike (Sep 25, 2008)

With all of these debates going on with my lure is better than your lure I thought I would take a general poll and find out what people think is the best lure to throw during each season of the year in rivers located in SW Ohio. So I will list each season and the lure I like to use the most, NOT the top 5 lures for each season but the ONE lure I like to use the most ( I know it is hard to name only one ). So here it goes:

Spring - Pearl colored zulu
Summer - Ditch colored wee rebel craw
Fall - Pearl colored zulu
Winter - I typically only use live bait in the winter but have used the zulu with success a few times.

OK, let us know what your best lures are! Thanks and have a nice day 

Fish on...........


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## CO_Trout (May 10, 2008)

Good idea. I hope to get some other ideas to try for the next season.

Spring - Tubes, pumpkin colored or brown colored
Summer - Rebel wee craw, Ditch or Moss colored
Fall - Gizz3 Green Pearl color
Winter - I hit the slope and go skiing.


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## hoosiertransplant (Apr 20, 2009)

(assuming the target is smallmouth):

Spring - green pumpkin tube jig
Summer - green pumpkin tube jig
Fall - green pumpkin tube jig
Winter - rapala x rap (walleye/hybrids, if any fish)

(at least when the water is clear)


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## DompStomp (Jul 10, 2011)

Spring: purple Zulu
Summer: med yellow rebel (cricket)
Fall: purple Zulu 
Winter: thick white spinner


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## yakfish (Mar 13, 2005)

Spring: Mepps, Blue Fox or Panther Martin inline spinners (white or chartruse)
Summer: Mepps, Blue Fox or Panther Martin inline spinners (white or chartruse)
Fall: Mepps, Blue Fox or Panther Martin inline spinners (white or chartruse)
Winter: 1/16 ounze jig head with a white twist tail grub slowly crawled along the bottom.


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## LMRFrank (Jul 5, 2009)

Spring - Green/brown tubes, blue/chrome rattle trap.
Summer - Green/brown tubes, black buzz bait.
Fall - Don't fish the smaller rivers in the fall. If not at my sons football practice/games, usually hitting the BIG O'!!!!
Winter - I am fair weather fisherman!!!!


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## Salmonid (Apr 14, 2004)

for smallies: 
Spring, I like a lot of Jigs early, then switch to tubes in late spring
Summer, Pop R's, Buzz baits, skitterpops, Rebel Cranks, swim baits
Fall, Swim baits ( minnow colors) skiterpops, cranks, small rapalas-AC Shiners
Winter, Jigs, rattletraps, tubes

So many variables to list it all here folks, my list is pretty generalized.

Salmonid


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## Globadoc (Jun 27, 2011)

Spring: Strike King Series 1, 3, or 4s crankbaits (esp. Baby Carp & Sexy Shad)
Summer: Yum or Rebel Craws
Fall: Strike King Crank Baits
Winter: Hot Chocolate and a lot of naps, dreaming about Spring.

All seasons: Live nightcrawlers and wax worms with the kids.


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## QueticoMike (Sep 25, 2008)

Salmonid said:


> for smallies:
> Spring, I like a lot of Jigs early, then switch to tubes in late spring
> Summer, Pop R's, Buzz baits, skitterpops, Rebel Cranks, swim baits
> Fall, Swim baits ( minnow colors) skiterpops, cranks, small rapalas-AC Shiners
> ...


I knew there would be people who couldn't resist mentioning just ONE lure  If you could only throw ONE lure during each of those seasons, which one would you have to go with?


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## fallen513 (Jan 5, 2010)

Spring - Chartreuse over White Clouser
Summer- Chartreuse over White Clouser
Fall - Chartreuse over White Clouser
Winter - Chartreuse over White Clouser


(Edit, all smartassness aside, I'll throw in a black bugger too)


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## LMRsmallmouth (Jan 10, 2006)

Late winter to early Spring - Tubes/Jigs/jerkbait
Mid Spring to Mid Summer - Tubes/buzzbait/Kelly J Prop bait/Senko
Late Summer to Mid Fall - Various Topwaters/Crankbait/tubes/Did I mention topwater?
Late Fall to Early winter - Jigs tipped with minnows or shiners/jerkbait/tube/live bait 
January and February - Winter TV/XBOX break, tired of braving the cold for 1 or 2 fish.

IMO, the aggressive nature of the smallmouth makes cast placement more important than what you throw MOST of the time. Knowing where they are lurking during certain parts of the year is what is important. As the saying goes, 90% of the fish are in 10% of the water. I know most of the time on a float that I will be floating right by most of the water without a need to even cast as they are not in those locations. Once you figure out where they are at it all becomes easy. Luckily I have had TONS of practice....hehe

OK...for Mike
Spring - tubes
Summer - Topwaters
Fall - Jerkbait
Winter - Live Bait, or catch up on HALO


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## fallen513 (Jan 5, 2010)

I completely agree. What you throw is much less important than where you throw it & how you retrieve it.


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## QueticoMike (Sep 25, 2008)

LMRsmallmouth said:


> Late winter to early Spring - Tubes/Jigs/jerkbait
> Mid Spring to Mid Summer - Tubes/buzzbait/Kelly J Prop bait/Senko
> Late Summer to Mid Fall - Various Topwaters/Crankbait/tubes/Did I mention topwater?
> Late Fall to Early winter - Jigs tipped with minnows or shiners/jerkbait/tube/live bait
> ...


Do you throw pop r's much during the summer?


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## LMRsmallmouth (Jan 10, 2006)

occasionally, but I have had better success with the pop'n image. similar but larger profile and rounder robust body. THe feather hook is higher quality as well. Heck, maybe I just dont like rebel lures...lol


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## Salmonid (Apr 14, 2004)

Quetico, depends on which stream Im on..LOL ( seriously though) some of my best waters are minnow streams, some are crayfish,some are mud and wood patterns and some are rock and others are weeds, makes all the difference in the world. 
Swimbaits year round are probably the one lure I can always count on to catch some fish.

Salmonid


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## boonecreek (Dec 28, 2006)

i know this is off the wall, but i do really good with water leeches under small bobber. lure wise ; grub, white, peach, char. or light blue silver flake.tipped off with minnow some off the time. late fall and all of winter is about the same to me. summer; do a lot of dead stick,in. lure wise it will be crank baits. fall;in-line spinners. but man those leeches are hard to put down.smallies is about my favert fishing.


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## Dandrews (Oct 10, 2010)

I&#8217;ve edited my list a couple times now but this is what I usually hit the stream with first. 
Spring: 3&#8221; twister tail (white) on a ¼ or &#8539; oz lead head (depending on where I am) 
Summer: Rebel craw (ditch)
Fall: Super Fluke (blue pearl) - weighted or unwaited (depending on where I am) 
Winter: 3&#8221; twister tail on a ¼ or &#8539; oz lead head, sometimes tipped w/minnow sometimes not.


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## Big Joshy (Apr 26, 2004)

I agree about the leeches ive had some amazing days using only leeches. Forgot about those bad boys. As for lures id say 

In general like salmonoid said swimbaits are hard to beat all year long, especially since i pour my own im pretty partial to them but aside from them id say. 

Spring - suspending jerkbaits
Summer- buzzbaits, the cheap wallmart ones that squeal. Real loud, usually in black
Fall - swimbaits, 3 inch on a standard jig in baitfish colors if the water is clear.


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## Pastor John (Jul 22, 2011)

Hello everyone, I'm new to the forum. It good to find fishermen in the Cincinnati Area. I moved up here from Atlanta GA. 

I found a few guys who have a tackle company called Smack Tackle. I have used their lures and I have caught more different types of fish on these lures than anything else I have ever fished with. They are shad imitations. 

I caught large mouth, small mouth, striped bass, hybrid striped, walleye, catfish, crappie and carp on the "Flitter Bait". This is the one lure I use all year. I fish on Lake Lanier in Ga, Norris and Cherokee in TN, and I have been fishing East Fork and Brookville in this area. 

I caught two 7 lb hybrids out of East Fork using the Flitterbait. If you do not have these lures, do yourself a favor and get some. They are my go to lures now. smacktackle.com


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## QueticoMike (Sep 25, 2008)

Pastor John said:


> Hello everyone, I'm new to the forum. It good to find fishermen in the Cincinnati Area. I moved up here from Atlanta GA.
> 
> I found a few guys who have a tackle company called Smack Tackle. I have used their lures and I have caught more different types of fish on these lures than anything else I have ever fished with. They are shad imitations.
> 
> ...


Welcome to the board!


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## fshnjon (Feb 25, 2008)

1/8th oz Rooster tail ,Damn it ,I cant get away from the rooster tail ,LOL


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## samfishdyt (Sep 15, 2010)

fshnjon said:


> 1/8th oz Rooster tail ,Damn it ,I cant get away from the rooster tail ,LOL


Hey I caught 7 smallies 1 pike with my white rooster tail over my last two wades. Lost my wee craw back yonder and switched to the rooster tail. Not to mention they do wonders for trout in the fall through winter. Also have been throwing some spoons with luck.


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## dmaphukn (Apr 3, 2009)

Pastor John said:


> Hello everyone, I'm new to the forum. It good to find fishermen in the Cincinnati Area. I moved up here from Atlanta GA.
> 
> I found a few guys who have a tackle company called Smack Tackle. I have used their lures and I have caught more different types of fish on these lures than anything else I have ever fished with. They are shad imitations.
> 
> ...


 wow if you are going to do a commercial just be honest and say its your company


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