Top Smallmouth Bass Baits of 2013

By Andrew Ragas

In April, I put together a list of ten premier smallmouth bass fishing presentations that should be players in your boat. Now that my open water fishing season has concluded, we glance back at the dominating baits and presentations that screamed success for big fish in 2013.

It is within my belief that a diversified lure selection will not only make you a more versatile angler, but allow you to catch more fish. Prime patterns and favorite lures can be revisited each year, especially as the environment and behaviors of smallmouth bass dictate their locations and influence their feeding habits.

As any observant and scientific-minded angler can conclude, the success you have with your favorite lures and technique-specific methods depends on conditions, locations, and environments. On the lakes and rivers you fished throughout 2013, what were some of your favorite and most productive methods to catch big fish throughout the year?

Here’s mine….. in no particular order.

Matzuo Phantom Minnow – I refuse to spend more than $10 for a jerkbait as chances are it will break over time due to the sheer number of big smallmouths I catch with them….. or will be lost to rocks or other snags. Matzuo has given me the option of fishing with affordability and effectiveness. In May, the 4 inch Phantom Minnow put more big smallmouth bass in my boat than any other lure. The Matzuo Phantom Minnow’s erratic darting action and holographic color patterns appeal well to coldfront and staging smallmouth bass. Known to draw slashing strikes, enticed by its rattle chamber and suspending profile, the Phantom Minnow is an exceptionally versatile lure that can be used for pulling up fish suspended in deep water or shallow water. When staging prespawn fish are located in massive numbers, any suspending jerkbait with a rattle chamber has the potential of enticing strikes as good as the Phantom Minnow. Special note: Remove all factory hooks and replace with Lazer Trokar TK300 treble hooks. [ watch video]

Rapala Cranking Rap – I am a power fishing fanatic. Throughout 2013, Rapala’s Cranking Rap accounted for more big bass than any other lure I fished with. For reasons unknown, it excelled in early spring during the prespawn stage, early summer during the post spawn stage, mid-summer along major feeding shelves, and whenever I was in the presence of massive crayfish numbers. Under most circumstances I use a crankbait to search out cover and structure, looking for a reaction bite yet at the same time covering water in search for actively feeding fish. I don’t fish them slowly as one normally would with a fiberglass rod and a lower gear ratio reel. Rather, I power my way to ferocious strikes with speed and power. Special note: Remove all factory hooks and replace with Lazer Trokar TK300 treble hooks. Even if you get bumped by a fish, you will hook up regardless it seems. [ watch video]

Strike King Coffee Tube – I’m a dedicated tube fisherman. They work in all types of smallmouth water, but certain tubes work better than others. I fish tubes best with 1/16, 1/8 and 1/4oz tube jig inserts and if dealing with heavy cover I will Texas rig them with weighted worm hooks. Per the recommendation of friends and fellow smallmouth junkes I was turned to the Strike King Coffee Tubes for the first time in spring 2013. They caught fish throughout the season and fared best when targeting spawning fish, conditioned fish, and during my deep water pursuits. I’m not sure what makes the Coffee Tube so effective but smallmouth bass must be as stimulated by the scent of coffee as we humans are. My favorite color: Magic Goby.

Stankx Bait Company Flukez – I use soft jerkbaits for less aggressive fish, mainly for finesse and sight fishing. Soft jerkbaits in the “fluke” style rigged weedless and weightless are my favorites for sight fishing and when fish are in the shallows. I also like to fish them deeper with Carolina rigs and while drift fishing, as well as jigging for suspenders I find on my Lowrance HDS units in open water and off mid-lake structure. The best soft jerkbait I put to use in a variety of situations this year was the 4 inch Stankx Bait Company Flukez. Favorite colors were Ayuzilla (pictured above) for clear water fishing, and Diablo for stained or murky water fishing. For carolina and weightless rigging, I fish them exclusively with a Lazer Trokar HD Worm Hook. Meanwhile for open water jigging, I fish them with a Northland Slurp jig head. You can’t go wrong with a Stankx flukez as Travis Crosman will cater you to specific colors if matching the hatch is your game.

Terminator Swim Jig – Few people in Northern Wisconsin utilize swim jigs for smallmouth bass and realize the amount of damage they can do. They work exceptionally well for more than just largemouths. Sure, they look absurd in the water but what makes them work are the unlimited options we have for jig trailers and their capabilities in matching the hatch. I recently added the swim jig into my angling portolio. The 3/8 ounce Terminator Swim Jig was a heavy hitter for me in late summer and early fall as smallmouth bass were ambushing schools of yellow perch and other baitfish in shallow vegetation. Rigged with a 4 inch Kalin’s Lunker Grub in avocado color, the gold shiner and yellow perch patterned swim jig worked to perfection during the late summer and early autumn weed bite.

Chompers Skirted Twin Tail Grub – Ever since 2010, the Chompers Skirted Twin Tail Grub continues to produce absurd numbers and sizes of smallmouths for me. This year it was relied on a little less due to my successful power fishing. However, this bait served as my “clean-up crew” for missed fish, conditioned fish, and in situations when bass wanted nothing more than a bottom dwelling presentation to much on. Rigged with assorted football head jigs, Freedom Tackle’s Rogue jigs, and weighted texas rigged worm hooks, my favorite colors continue to be rootbeer green, and clear bronze.

Rapala Clackin’ Rap – Please don’t laugh at me for NEVER fishing lipless crankbaits in spring. I rarely ever do. I tend to think outside of the box by mainly fishing them in mid summer, especially on hot windless days, and early fall as water temperatures drop. Nothing wakes up a neutral or negative mannered smallmouth bass on a hot, windless, bright sunny summer day better than a Rapala Clacking Rap. My favorite color continues to be red crawdad, but purple gold (seen above) caught the most smallmouths for me this year from both baitfish oriented waters, and crayfish infested waters.

Now tell me, what were yours?