For top water my recent go to lures have been the Whopper Plopper style of bait. The original Whopper Plopper was designed by Larry Dahlberg and made by River2Sea. They have been imitated by many and I have some cheap ones from Walmart as well as some Amazon clones.
They come in 5 sizes ranging from 75 to 190- The size designation is the length in millimeters of each bait. For small mouth the 75-110 sizes are the best bet.
The 75 is the smallest but is also the fattest so it casts well and works with spinning gear.
It has a larger tail prop which spins and throws a lot of water.
The 90 is the next size up, and although it has more of the elongated styling of the Whopper Plopper classic shape, it has a smaller prop and is slightly lighter than the fatty 75.
The 110 makes up the recommended trio for small mouths and it is recommended to fish it with baitcasting equipment. Its a great size for those larger smallies and a precursor to the largemouth and musky sizes in the 130-190 range.
Here is a photo with all the sizes together so you can see how they compare.
Photo from best bassfishinglures.com
The Whopper Plopper style lure is one of the easiest baits to fish. It is fished by tossing it out and retrieved in a straight line. The propeller in the rear makes the plopping noise that drives fish crazy. You should beable to hear the lure coming through the water. If you can’t hear it speed your retrieval up.
If direct straight-line retrieve isn’t working you can try pausing it from time to time, then pop it a time or two then continue your retrieve. Because of the floating nature of the lures you can let them sit for a long time and drift in the current.
For Bottom fishing I like to use the Ned rig. Named for Ned Kehde. Who was more interested in catching a lot of fish rather than huge fish although big fish will demolish them as well.
It consists of a specialized hook with a keeper barb, usually 3/0 or less, and head designed to stand up on the bottom.
They can also be had in weed less variety and in several different weights for use in differing current flows.
The baits itself is also specially designed for long lasting toughness. Its is a short & thick bait and many manufacturers have specific material blends to aid this longevity ( Z-Man Elaztech).
The Z-Man TRD worm is maybe the best known of the Ned rig baits. They are 2.75 inches and each lasts a very long time. They come in packs of 10 and should always be stored in their own packaging. Different plastic blends will often interact with plastic boxes and other brand plastics and cause a big melted mess if not properly stored. So keep your baits separated.
Some of my favorite colors are watermelon, green pumpkin and coppertreuse and anything that looks like a crayfish. Crayfish are a small mouths favorite food followed only buy the Hellgrammite.
The Ned rig is a smaller finesse bait and fished best on a spinning or spin-cast rod. You will want to use lighter tougher line as this will be fished down in the rocks on the bottom. Baitcasting gear is too much for these smaller lighter lures.
The Senko.
This was designed in the mid 1990’s, by Gary Yamamoto and the design is reminiscent of an ink pen.
With is meteoric rise in popularity most worm manufacturers have come out with their own soft plastic stick baits. They all resemble the original Senko and most people today will call them all Senko’s.
Their popularity is due to their ease of fishing and their ability to catch a lot of fish. They come in sizes ranging from 3 to 7 inches and can be finesse fished as well as skipped under tree branches and docks. They can be rigged like any plastic worm Texas Style with the hook turned around and stuck back in the bait. Most often they are rigged weightless but weight can be added if the current is strong.
Senko’s can also be rigged wacky style with the hook in the middle of the bait. Many people use an O-ring around the middle of the bait and run the hook underneath so as not to damage the bait. Making it last longer and have better action. I like to just use a Number 2 weed less hook and run it through the center maybe just slightly forward of center. The weed less properties help to keep it from snagging around the grass beds.
They sink slowly, so they will drift along in the middle of the current passing bass staged in ambush positions as they slowly drift to the bottom. Once on the bottom, they can be twitched to get them back up in the current and drift downstream.
Senko’s are designed to flutter as they fall. This is accomplished by the slight bend in the molding of the bait. They should be rigged so the arch is facing downward thus increasing the flutter effect.
I like the same type colors as I do with the Ned Rig TRD’s. green pumpkin with red or gold flake, Yoga pants and watermelon.
The Senko’s also come in a slim version which works really well when the bite is a little tough to come by. They are still in a 5-6-inch length but are skinnier to target more finicky bass.
So, there you have it.
These are some of my go to baits while wading and kayaking for smallmouth bass on the New River. There are others we can discuss but for now I will continue to lean heavily on these as they just work.