Whats working right now for SMB (in dark water)

So not going to ML-going to a lake about a mile west of the metro-So what’s working? Top water, plugs? Plastics? Something else?

Whopper Ploppers are great for smallies if you can find some hitting topwaters. Plus they are crazy noisy so it will help in the dark water. That being said, I would go with a tube jig, Black/Blue flake or Black/Red flake. As long as it’s a dark plastic I don’t think the dark water hurts too much. I caught a smallmouth off a dock in a tournament two weekends ago with a texas rig rage bug, black/blue flake in straight up chocolate milk water.

Just go dark and your normal smallie techniques should work.

Thanks 14!

I don’t know if your going to a lake or a river, but I would HIGHLY recommend a river right now. The river bite is hot and its not hard to catch them. A fast moving topwater, crank bait, or other power tactic is very effective. No finessing em at the moment.

I’m opposite of mahto. I think whopper ploppers are over priced crap. They wont swim right after a few big hits and pike hit.
But yes top water action for sure. Plus some buzz baits.
Tube jigs tube jigs tube jigs

If in mid-deeper depths in/near rocky/ hard bottom areas without a lot of weeds/wood, consider a naked football jig (like below) along with a white twin tail Hula Grub. Smallies love white no matter the water color.. and you can cover a lot of water with these. The hook size is ideal for smallies, whereas a lot of traditional football jigs are better for largemouth.

Once you find them consider Ned, drop-shot, wacky, etc…

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Yamamoto_Football_Jig_Head_w_Weedguard_4pk/descpage-YFBHW.html

Caught a few nice ones the other day on td-10’s casting parallel to the weed line.

Fry, what weight for 15′ or less? Thanks

tim hurley wrote:

Fry, what weight for 15′ or less? Thanks

If you’re not dealing with river current or on a lake without a lot of wind, in 8 feet or less I’d throw 3/8 oz. 10-15 fow would be 1/2 oz and 18-25 I’d go 3/4. Important to be in contact with the bottom. Hopping or grinding along.

If there are weeds present, I would switch from football jig to a Strike King Structure Head 1/2-3/4 oz with a pearl white 4 inch Rage Bug and scoot it along the bottom like a Biffle Bug (only better):

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Strike_King_Jointed_Structure_Head_2pk/descpage-SKJSH.html

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Strike_King_Rage_Bug/descpage-RGBUG.html

Fry have you noticed that pike also like white?

tim hurley wrote:

Fry have you noticed that <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>pike also like white?

They like pretty much anything Smallmouth like unfortunately..!

FryDog62 wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>tim hurley wrote:</div>
Fry, what weight for 15′ or less? Thanks

If you’re not dealing with river current or on a lake without a lot of wind, in 8 feet or less I’d throw 3/8 oz. 10-15 fow would be 1/2 oz and 18-25 I’d go 3/4. Important to be in contact with the bottom. Hopping or grinding along.

If there are weeds present, I would switch from football jig to a Strike King Structure Head 1/2-3/4 oz with a pearl white 4 inch Rage Bug and scoot it along the bottom like a Biffle Bug (only better):

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Strike_King_Jointed_Structure_Head_2pk/descpage-SKJSH.html

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Strike_King_Rage_Bug/descpage-RGBUG.html

Rage Bugs are $$!!!! Put them on just about any type of jig/rig and you will catch fish. Love those things!

You have stock in Tackle Warehouse Fry? Gotta buy more stuff now! Do you use white grubs on Mille Lacs too?

tim hurley wrote:

Do you use white grubs on Mille Lacs too?

Honestly I haven’t but it would most likely work. I don’t typically fish real deep on ML and I wouldn’t classify it as very dark water… So I’ve used more natural colored plastics, tubes, grubs, craws…

Ya I agree, natural colors are a better option on ML because the water is definitely not classified as “dark” out there.

I get that ML is not dark, he said white works everywhere (how I feel about black) thats why I asked, seems like everyone is using earth tone stuff out there-thanks.

tim hurley wrote:

I get that ML is not dark, he said white works everywhere (how I feel about black) thats why I asked, seems like everyone is using earth tone stuff out there-thanks.

Black with Blue flake and Black with Red flake produced 5 over 4 lbs (and several 2-3 lbers) for us two weeks ago on the pond in a little less than 3 hrs of fishing. I get the match the hatch mentality but you can’t deny that Black/Blue flake catches either type of bass in any water clarity.

When I’m going up to ML for smallmouth I’m trying to best imitate crawfish. Football jigs, or tubes with a little blue or red is a must for me, whether it’s in a green pumpkin color or black.

“When I’m going up to ML for smallmouth I’m trying to best imitate crawfish. Football jigs, or tubes with a little blue or red is a must for me, whether it’s in a green pumpkin color or black.”

One craw imitator I’ve liked using up there and similar lakes of late is this in Okeechobee blue fleck. Heavy shrimp scent. Good around rocks and unbelievable skipping lure (it doesn’t skip, it waterskis!)

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Biwaa_Armored_Craws/descpage-BIWCR.html

Fry, that Biffle Bug approach is fast-does that work in October? Thanks

It can if they’re on the bottom eating cray, but depends on water temp and depth… have to go a lot slower in Oct. When Keith Combs won Bass Elite on Mille Lacs in 2017 he was steady dragging a 1 oz jig in 20-24 fow, but that was a month earlier than when you’re looking to go. You might have to reel/pause more.

How Keith Combs won the Mille Lacs AOY tourney