# Spring Smallmouth Lures



## SMBHooker (Jan 3, 2008)

What's your go to lures for spring - the gotta have in the bag lures. 

Spring lures:

1.) Hard Jerkbait
2.) CrawTube
3.) Spinner bait.

Really wanted to put the C-Shad on my list but it's always late to the spring party. I used to throw a spinnerbait a ton but ...the C-shad just might be taking over. My 3rd spot on my list is kind of a toss up.

I used bring enough tackle to sink two kayaks. Over time I've learned there's a difference between carry alot of "just in case lures" and "would like to have gear" with me vs the go to gonna throw lures that I rely on. Can't think of many situations where I brought everything and the kitchen sink and needed to use the sink. 

What's everyone's Spring time tactics?


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## fishing on credit (Mar 16, 2010)

what are your preferred jerkbaits? X-Raps are a my go to very brutal rod snap and stop retrieve. Caught several fish Saturday on shadow rap thanks for the heads up on the colors from your earlier post. Also had some luck on Yo-zuri 3-DS lures. Anyway

1. X-Rap
2. Lead head and grub 
3. haven't caught anything but have thrown some square bills


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## BuzzBait Brad (Oct 17, 2014)

1) glow perch or sugar big joshy

2) chartreuse rebel craw 

3) keitech swimbaits 

I have never caught a smallmouth on a spinnerbait no matter how hard I try. I always use them early spring for the green bass but never for smallmouth. That is something I want to get better with in the river.


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## 9Left (Jun 23, 2012)

Hard to beat a 3" grub...but This year i do have a new found confidence in Rapala shadow rap jerkbaits.


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## Fisherman 3234 (Sep 8, 2008)

What is your favorite spinner color to throw? Black, white, chartreuse? I usually have my best luck with black...


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## gLoomisSR781 (Aug 8, 2012)

3" fat bodied grubs 
3"-4" swimbaits 
Stick baits/Rogues & Husky Jerks


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## SMBHooker (Jan 3, 2008)

Fisherman 3234 said:


> What is your favorite spinner color to throw? Black, white, chartreuse? I usually have my best luck with black...


I've always thrown chartreuse or white/chartreuse. Double Willow.


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## Specgrade (Apr 14, 2017)

You know...I just plop a nightcrawler on a hook, chuck it out there and what will be will be. I did pick up a pouch of Berkly Power Bait (on sale) just to experiment a little. Bacon, hot dogs, shrimp, and even chewing gum (?) have netted some results in the past. Kinda new to the whole plastic bait deal.


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## tylerd1994 (May 11, 2009)

I've been using the C Shad with some of those weighted swimbait hooks. It seems to work well with the flows being up.


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## Aaron2012 (Mar 26, 2014)

I bought a couple of underspin jig heads and going to put a fluke,paddle tail swimbait on it and try it out this spring. 

I've had more luck with flukes in lakes than rivers but seeing how many smallies are caught on them around here I'm going to use them more this year.


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## SMBHooker (Jan 3, 2008)

Aaron2012 said:


> I bought a couple of underspin jig heads and going to put a fluke,paddle tail swimbait on it and try it out this spring.
> 
> I've had more luck with flukes in lakes than rivers but seeing how many smallies are caught on them around here I'm going to use them more this year.


I picked some of the same up over winter. I want them to work but don't have much confidence. Let me know how your applying these in the water and what's working. I think it has great potential for smallmouth....and even for saugs!


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## SConner (Mar 3, 2007)

1) Hard floating minnow
2) Big Joshy swim bait
3) Chartruese double willow spinner bait.


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## dytmook (May 3, 2015)

*takes notes*

Looks like I may be trying the wrong things at the moment but it's my first real spring fishing the rivers so it's still a lot of trial and error so I started with what I was most comfortable with.


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## SmallYak (Apr 6, 2017)

Same as above but also busting them on Chatterbaits with Crawl trailer


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## FishermanMike (Nov 28, 2012)

Maybe more of a late spring lure, but I really like the bone colored Zara Spook Puppy. Seems to produce better than a Pop-R in spring for some reason...at least for me


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## MoeFishin (Feb 24, 2017)

Besides a live bait setup, all I have in the HD is an OSG box with grubs and jigheads and a Hooker box with c-shads and poppers. These will have to do for now.


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## BaitWaster (Oct 25, 2013)

1. Keitech swimbaits 
2. Flukes/Cshad
3. Senkos


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## SMBHooker (Jan 3, 2008)

fishing on credit said:


> what are your preferred jerkbaits? .


I've tried everything. My box is full of every brand Huskies, X-Rap, luckycraft, and so on. 

Hands down. The shadow rap family has the best action. 

Here's my box


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## fishing on credit (Mar 16, 2010)

SMBHooker said:


> I've tried everything. My box is full of every brand Huskies, X-Rap, luckycraft, and so on.
> 
> Hands down. The shadow rap family has the best action.
> 
> Here's my box


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## fishing on credit (Mar 16, 2010)

Discount cabinet and cork board did the trick for me!


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## SMBHooker (Jan 3, 2008)

fishing on credit said:


> Discount cabinet and cork board did the trick for me!


Love it....thats


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## Cat Mangler (Mar 25, 2012)

1. Silver or chartreuse grub on jig
2. 3.75" tube in green pumpkin or watermelon.
3. Top water plugs are quickly rising in rank!


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## Flannel_Carp (Apr 7, 2014)

1.) 3" topwater plug
2.) 2.75" topwater plug
3.) 3.25" topwater plug



But also a white fluke and squarebill are favorites!


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## walleye28 (May 13, 2013)

1. Road runner jig with power shad. 
2. Very small floating rapala.
3. Here's an odd one, 3 hook do nothing worm. 

Last year I caught 5 smallmouth in one spot in the 14"-16" inch range on the 3 hook worm. Purple and pink. All the expensive lures I have and 90% of the fish I catch are on road runner jigs and 2 dollar plastic worms. I am up to 10 different species on the road runner, largemouth, smallmouth, green sunfish, rock bass, carp, walleye, pike, white bass, hybrid striped bass and crappie.


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## ChuckD (Sep 17, 2016)

I used small rapala
3" grub with a plain hook
Anything topwater


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## thedudeabides (Apr 13, 2009)

1. Mepps spinner (color according to water and weather, mainly gold)

2. 1/8 oz. Jig and grub (chartreuse)

3. Spinnerbait (chartreuse)


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## SMBHooker (Jan 3, 2008)

Well, topwater is working its way up the order. Was out today and even with cold temps they were coming to the surface.


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## SMBHooker (Jan 3, 2008)

Spring is the n full swing...what's the hot lures this year? 

I've been experimenting with a new Craw Imitation set up. 

Also trying to get good with a small swimbait on an underspin. 










Sent from my moto z4 using Tapatalk


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## bank runner (May 23, 2011)

TUBE Berkley Havoc grass pig jr pearl white  Kalins bucktail black


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## BuzzBait Brad (Oct 17, 2014)

Keitech fat swing impact on 1/4 oz wicked weights underspin, jackhammer chatterbait, TRD, and worm have been my go to’s this spring so far.


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## CincyFishDudes (Sep 17, 2019)

Yesterday, I had luck creek fishing for smallmouh using these lures:

Berkely Powertube
Black and blue, squarebill crank bait
Here's video of all the catches if anyone is interested:


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## JOSH gets2fish (Aug 16, 2018)

Im noticing the last few years and confirmed this year that when the water is clear the bigger fish want the natural colored baits. The bright colors seem to just get mostly numbers unless its murky. 
Also don’t usually throw anything with a blade real often but clear water and blades like spinnerbait, underspin, chatterbait just does not seem to work well for me at all.


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## 3 dog Ed (Apr 25, 2014)

Black humdinger buzzbait
Chigger craw
4” worm slider or roboworm


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## Leedude (Mar 10, 2010)

I tried to use a pop'r today but no luck.
The winner for me today was a Crappie magnet white grub looking thing.
1 Rock Bass ,6 Crappie, 2 bluegill , and several nips from Crappie. 
No luck on smallies today. 
All fish were caught in the Stillwater North of the dam.


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## Aaron2012 (Mar 26, 2014)

It's been all ned rig for me this year. Not much to the size of fish but haven't lost them like I do swimbaits.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk


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## 3 dog Ed (Apr 25, 2014)

Black humdinger buzzbait
Chigger craw
Spinner bait in higher/stained water


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## SICKOFIT (Feb 23, 2014)

SMBHooker said:


> Spring is the n full swing...what's the hot lures this year?
> 
> I've been experimenting with a new Craw Imitation set up.
> 
> ...


Where can a guy purchase those underspins? Thanks


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## Mickey (Oct 22, 2011)

I had lots of luck in the Tuscarawas River with white spinner baits and craw colored beetle spins.


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## SMBHooker (Jan 3, 2008)

SICKOFIT said:


> Where can a guy purchase those underspins? Thanks


I believe I got these at BassPro/Cabela's:

https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/owner-flashy-swimmer-with-twistlock

Sent from my moto z4 using Tapatalk


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## Lil Crappie (Jun 17, 2013)

Small skirted jig with small Berkeley crawl
3” tube bait
Jig and grub


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## Craw-dad (Aug 29, 2019)

Keitech easy shiner
Soft plastic craws on jig
Rebel craw is my goto and most used up here on the darby creeks. I see one hanging off of alot of other peoples rods up here. Only seen it mentioned once on this thread are they not as productive in that area? 
GL


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## SICKOFIT (Feb 23, 2014)

SMBHooker said:


> I believe I got these at BassPro/Cabela's:
> 
> https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/owner-flashy-swimmer-with-twistlock
> 
> Sent from my moto z4 using Tapatalk


Thank you


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