04-25-2003, 06:58 PM
Early season smallmouth usually fall to typical reaction baits. I like a wide wobbling crankbait in a red or crayfish color. Try Wiggle Worts or Fat Raps. I also enjoy throwing supending jerkbaits like Husky Jerks in silvers. With a stop and go retrieve I have seen bass come up from the depths of 40 ft to hammer them. Both of these would be reaction baits that I would use to search for fish. Another new bait that I have gained a lot of confidence in for early season bass is the Yamamoto Senko. Fish it weightless on a 2/0 or 3/0 offset shank hook. I like to use the laminated red/black, blue/black and green/white colors. Don't worry about not having weight, they are a dense bait and cast efficiently. The enticing part is how they fall thru the water column, slow and with lots of wiggles and darts. Enjoy!
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