how big should my smallmouth bass lures be?
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i have cranks ranging from one 3inch crank and alot or 4 inchers and 5 inchers but it includes the bill that makes it dive otherwise the painted main body part would be 3-4 inches and a few 6 inch cranks. not to mention 8 inch slim worms 6 inch senkos and a few 4 inch senkos. will all these work for a smallmouth bass? any recomendations? and how can i possibly cast with a baitcaster with small inline spinners and small cranks? looks hard to do with my cheap baitcaster (its a quantum response 50dallor baitcaster)
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When using bait it is not the size that matters but how you do it. I cheat all the time. Reason I work too much and fish very little. And I live with in walking distance of the lower cheat in WV. I always catch fish=I use scent on my lure. And my most effective one is Pam cooking spray garlic flavor. But when using it I need to move around a lot. Due to scent in water.
Lures are made to mimic natural food sources i.e. minnows, crawfish and even small fish. Knowing what food source exists in the waters you fish is key to productive catching, so match your bait/lures accordingly. In otherwords match your lure size with what lives in or near the water.
Now on to the reel; for smaller size lures under 3/8 oz you are better off using spincast or spinning reels because baitcast rigs with larger line just won’t give the accuracy and distance. Even backing off the spool brake will likely cause birdnesting or backlash so go get a $30.00 spinning combo for the smaller lures and enjoy the experience of catching.
Generally you’ll want to downsize your baits a bit for the Smallmouths. Take a look at your Largemouth lures and consider dropping a couple of inches in each style of bait. I very rarely catch Smallmouths on anything bigger than 4 inch baits, 3 and 4 inch baits seem to do pretty well for them. Stick with your 4 inch Senkos, I’ve caught loads of Smallies on those things.
You should be able to throw the small crankbaits without much of a problem as long as you don’t have wind blowing in your face although throwing them with a spinning setup definitely won’t hurt. I don’t like throwin small inline spinners with a baticasting setup at all. You’ll be able to cover much more water with a spinning setup. Consider picking you up a decent spinning setup if you haven’t already.
Also, I’ve never heard of that particular reel but even the cheaper Quantum stuff is normally pretty good for their prices. It’s very important to have your baitcaster adjusted right for each bait you throw. Check Youtube out for guidance on how to do so.
As with any fishing the conditions dictate lure selection. First, consider the forage in the area and try to match it. Early in the year you will find small crayfish and medium growth shad (i.e. forage fish from last year’s hatch). Look to match their size. If the water you are fishing is dingy to muddy, you might want to increase the size to create more turbulence in the water to allow the fish to find the lure in low visibility conditions. Also look to using darker colored lure to contrast the water color. In heavily pressured waters I look to downsize to present a more finesse presentation for smallmouth.
It is possible to use a baitcaster for smaller lures, but it always isn’t easy. I sometimes use 6″ plastic worms with 1/8oz weights with a baitcaster, and I can get the lure a fairly good distance. Weightless senko’s can be used with baitcasting equipment, too, they are quite heavy. If you are really having trouble tossing lighter lures (and have tried adjusting your tension knob AND brake) then it would just be best to use a spinning rod/reel combo that you have or picking up a cheap one just to use until you can get something better. Heck, $30 – $40 can get one that will last more than a few trips if cleaned properly.
Those 4″ senko’s will work excellent, and the 3″ crankbaits may work as well. Heck, if one of these fiesty smallmouth’s are hungry enough, they will hit even the bigger crankbaits. Just keep trying different lures until you find one that the smallmouth’s are liking. I personally like crayfish colored baits for them, crankbaits, tubes, plastic worms, plastic lizards, are in a color with a lot of brown, red, and black included. A 6″ Culprit “original” plastic worm in crayfish color may work excellent for smallmouth’s.