Smallmouth Bass are in my opinion the hardest fighting bass pound for pound. They do not quit, they jump, they pull hard and they hit like a ton of bricks. They are also one of the most aggressive if not the most aggressive bass there is. It will be hard to name just five baits. However, these five baits will cover all the seasons! Also, I am pretty sure every Smallmouth Bass angler will have one of these baits on their lines at any given time during the year. With all that being said let’s get started on the list!!
1. The Tube (with a secret twist)
ou guys knew without even seeing the list that the tube was going to be on here! So why not get this one out of the way first. However, I might be able to give you some tube hacks that will help you catch more Brown fish!!
The first hack for fishing the tube is the jig head that I use.
This Bite Me Goby Jighead is awesome. I prefer the version with the rattle. This jig head is a little harder to get inside the tube. Make sure you wet it first then push it through. This flares out the head of the tube to make it look just like a Goby.
Color can depend on so many different variables. To be quite honest sometimes I am not sure color matters as much with smallmouth. I catch them on a variety of colors. A great place to start is Green pumpkin.
I fish my tubes on a bait caster or a spinning rod. If I am fishing around a lot of grass I prefer the bait caster. I also prefer a braided line with a fluorocarbon leader. I never have any issues with Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon. Connect the two with a double uni knot.
Pro Tip 1: Use a Fluorocarbon knot when tying on your tubes. This knot does not break. It is a great knot for jigs, shaky heads, ned rigs, and tubes. Here I walk you through this knot.
Pro tip 2: If you are fishing around a ton of grass and you feel it on your bait, do not just reel in and pull it off. Point the rod at the bait and pull straight back. A lot of time that will clear the grass of your bait and you can keep working the bait back to the boat.
Last tip with the tube. You do not have to work this thing slowly. Smallmouth bass are very aggressive. They feed and hunt based on their vision. They are always looking for movement and they will come a long way to explore what’s going on. A lot of smallmouth bass are found in very clear water also. So do not be afraid to pop it in fast like a jerk bait. Of course, each day is different and you have to find what the fish want. Give this a try and see if it works out for you. Smallmouth have smaller mouths. DO NOT set the hook when you feel the first nibble. Wait until you feel the weight on the end of your line and then set the hook. Sometimes with the tube, they pick it up several times before they get it in their mouths. “wait for the weight.”
2. The Ned Rig
Alright, guys and gals, this may be the most popular Smallmouth Bass bait out right now. The ned rig looks like a tiny piece of poop and the smallmouth bass seem to love it. This is very much a finesse presentation. It catches numbers and it catches big ones. Nobody knows why haha.
I really like Reaction Tackles screw on jig head for the ned rig.
I use primarily green colors so the green head works just fine. I also like to have little bit more weight so I use the 1/4 ounce.
The ned rig for smallmouth bass is best if used on a spinning rod. Again I like braid with a fluorocarbon leader. I would use a 6lb or 8lb test on this presentation. Just remember you need to have your drag backed off if you are using the lighter line so you don’t break it off.
Make sure you retie often. Those teeth on smallmouth are like sandpaper. They wear your line out. I check my line after every fish I catch and retie if I feel anything wrong with it. I like to use that Fluorocarbon knot that I spoke of above because I can retie less often.
I like to drag this on the bottom. I really love the Googan baits Rattlin Ned in the Green and purple color. No matter where you go this color just straight catches them. I especially LOVE it in Lake St. Clair. I also like a little extra noise so the rattle feature is awesome. Do not forget to appeal to the Smallmouth Bass and their sense of smell and taste. I use the Bang Garlic Spray and I know first hand this stuff helps me catch more fish.
Pro Tip: If you miss a bass on the ned rig (get a bite and set the hook and don’t stick them) then simply let line back out and leave it in that spot. DO NOT REEL IN. They are aggressive and will bite multiple times. Do not take the bait away from them. There also may be multiple fish competing over it. Give them another chance and yourself to catch that Smallmouth.
3. Jerk Bait
As we mentioned before smallmouth bass are sight feeders. Another great option for smallmouth is a jerk bait.
Which jerkbait you chose is based on a variety of different things. I will say that smallmouth like loud and flamboyant colors. Chartreuse, green, orange and red are all great to get their attention. To keep this simple a Sexy Shad is a great option to start with. Pictured here is a Chartreuse Sexy Shad made by Strike King.
You can fish this on a bait caster or a spinning rod as well. Medium action with a fast action tip. Make sure you have a little slack in the line when popping your bait back to the boat. That will give you more of an erratic action. I like to use Fluorocarbon with this bait. You can still use a leader if you prefer just make sure it is a long one.
Pro tip: Consider changing your hooks to the same size hooks but the triple grip hooks. These hooks are designed to be a little stronger and keep fish pinned up better.
You will work this bait back to the boat with a hard aggressive twitch twitch pause action. Every day is different. You may have to pause the bait a little longer on some days or move it a little faster on other days. Figure out the cadence and experiment.
4. Drop Shot
I hate to even put this on here. I hate fishing a drop shot. However, it is a smallmouth catching machine.
This year Seth Feider smashed the smallmouth on Lake St. Clair. He caught them primarily on two baits. One was a deep-diving crankbait. The other was a drop shot rigged with a Fluke. Sometimes the fish like the bait six inches above the bottom. Remember, they are sight feeders so it helps them to be able to see the bait well. There are sooooo many things you can use on your drop shot to catch bass. You can use grubs, worms, twin tail grubs etc….
Pro Tip: Drop shots are usually fished with light line. It is important not to set the hook hard or you can break the line. You want to reel the slack and reel into them and keep constant tension on the line.
There are tons of different weights and hooks. Here is what I use and why!!
I prefer this hook. I tie a polymar knot and take the tag end back through the eye of the hook and use a snap on drop shot weight.
I prefer the teardrop style because they are less likely to get snagged. Furthermore, they cast further because of their design. Cast them towards your target such a rock pile (which smallmouth love). Once you start feeling the rock you will twitch it in that spot just lightly shaking the top of the rod. That action drives them crazy and they can’t resist.
5. Spy Bait/Spin Bait
So, guys and gals, this guy made the list because when Smallmouth Bass are not biting anything and they are very hard to catch this bait can change your day. This my go-to bait when fishing is tough.
Simply tie this thing on with 100% fluorocarbon or braid with a fluorocarbon leader. I like the braid because I feel like you can cast a little bit further. Let it sink to the desired depth and reel it in painfully slow.
You will want to have a light line on this as well because you want it to stay deeper in the water column. This is a great bait for those hard to catch suspended fish. It is very small and very subtle. You will have a bunch of missed strokes on this bait. It is important not to set the hook hard. The hooks are very small and you don’t want to yank it out of their mouths. With this bait wait until you feel the bite and there is the weight on the end of the line and simply lean into them. A lot of times they are barely skin hooked. You will want to make sure you have your net handy and keep constant tension on this fish.
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PS. Check out some of my favorite smallmouth Shots Below of yours Truly.
