Smallmouth live on rock and current in water that is usually clear, which makes them the most finesse-oriented fish D.O.A. baits get used for. Small profiles, natural colors and light line do the work.
How to fish for smallmouth
Target current seams behind boulders, rocky points, gravel flats and drop-offs. In rivers, smallmouth sit behind structure facing up-current exactly the way a trout does — cast up-stream and let the bait tumble down naturally with the flow rather than swimming it against the current.
The Tiny TerrorEyz at 2" fits the profile these fish want. Two more from the line that translate well: the C.A.L. Curl Tail on a 1/8 oz short shank jig head, hopped along rock; and the 5" Stick Worm fished wacky-style on a slack line, which is deadly on pressured smallmouth in clear water.
Stay natural on color — Rootbeer, Watermelon, Near Clear and Copper Crush all imitate the crayfish and gobies these fish live on. Bright colors have their moments in stained water after rain, but clear-water smallmouth generally refuse them.
