Best Smallmouth Bass Lures - 5 Lures You Need to Try

When targeting smallmouth bass, some lures are simply better than others. A lot of times you can use the same lures you use for largemouth. However, smallmouth tend to prefer areas with rocky or sand bottoms and clear water. Choosing the right lure for the fishing conditions will greatly improve your catch rate. Here we will look at some of the best lures to use to catch smallmouth bass.

Best Smallmouth Bass Lure

1. Booyah Buzz Chartreuse Shad

Product Features

Brand Name: Booyah
Type: Buzzbait
Color: Black, Chartruese, White
Size: 1/4, 3/8, 1/2 Oz
Quantity of Lures: 1 Lure

Our recommendations start with the Booyah Buzz Buzzbait. These lures are available in 3 size options and color choices of black, white, or chartreuse. These are buzzbait lures with 55 strand skirts that create a lifelike swimming action while moving through the water to get the smallmouth bass primed to feed. The clacker hits the blade while the blade spins through the water to send out a noise that gets the fish in the area to start paying attention to your lure. Topped off with lifelike eyes and a sharp Mustad hook, this is a must-have lure.

Pros

Skirt and clacker designed to attract fish

Lifelike design
Sharp hook

Cons

You may prefer a different kind of lure over a buzzbait

2. Yamamoto Yamamoto Double Tail Hula Grub 5″

Product Features

Brand Name: Yamamoto
Type: Spider Grub
Color: 28 Color options
Size: 4-5″
Quantity of Lures: 10 Lure Pack

The Yamamoto Double Tail Hula Grub Bait is our number two spot. These “spider” style grubs are bass killing machines. They are extremely soft designed to mimic real grubs and can be fished a variety of ways. The lures are salt impregnated and feature a double tail and one side and lifelike tentacles on the other. They have over 28 color options which are great for fishing in almost any condition. With 10 of these baits per pack, this is an excellent value.

Pros

10 baits per pack

28 color options
Fish attracting design

Cons

You may prefer something with a little more action than soft plastic grubs

3. BOOYAH Blade – Double Willow Blade

Product Features

Brand Name: Booyah
Type: Spinnberbait
Color: 12 Color Options
Size: 1/4, 3/8, 1/2 Oz
Quantity of Lures: 1 Lure

A good spinnerbait can be deadly when fishing smallmouth bass. The Booyah Double Blade Spinnerbait is an excellent option. Available in three size options and twelve color option, you can find the perfect model for the fish in your area. These spinners have lifelike skirts and a double blade system to send out maximum vibrations throughout the water. The sturdy wire frame and sharp hooks ensure a good snag on your fish every time.

Pros

Double blade system sends out powerful vibration through the water
Twelve color options
Sturdy wire frame

Cons

Someone similar to the first spot on the list

4. Heddon Super Spook Jr Baby Bass

Product Features

Brand Name: Heddon
Type: Topwater
Color: Green
Size: 1/2 Oz
Quantity of Lures: 1 Lure

Nothing is more exciting when fishing for smallies than seeing it attack your lure on the surface. The Heddon Super Spook Jr is a fantastic topwater lure for catching smallmouth bass. The lure is roughly 3 1/2 inches and length and weighs 1/2 ounces. This is a walk-the-dog style topwater that displays an erratic fish-attracting motion when retrieved. The erratic motion combined with its sharp treble hooks make this a force to be reckoned with.

Pros

Walk-the-dog action attracts fish
Two sharp treble hooks to attract fish

Tough hardware system

Cons

Only offer the one color and size

5. River2Sea WPL90/28 Whopper Plopper

Product Features

Brand Name: River2Sea
Type: Whopper Plopper
Color: 24 Color Options
Size: Multiple Size Options
Quantity of Lures: 1 Lure

The River2Sea Whopper Plopper Takes the final spot on our list. This topwater lure is available in 24 color options and multiple size options. To get the best results try to pick one that resembles the baitfish that the smallmouth feed on in the area you are fishing. The bluegill colored one is usually a good choice for a lot of areas. The lure is designed with a spinning tail that “plops” its way on top of the water as it is retrieved to get the attention of bass in the area. The sharp treble hooks ensure a good snag on your fish when it does bite.

Pros

24 lifelike color options

Rotating tail plops through water to attract fish
Sharp hooks

Cons

You may prefer another kind of topwater lure over a whopper plopper

Smallmouth Bass Lure Guide

There are a wide variety of lures that can be productive when fishing for smallmouth bass

Buzzbaits and Spinners

Grubs
Topwater Lures
Crankbaits

Buzzbaits and Spinners

If you’re targeting smallmouth in streams, lakes, and reservoirs a good buzzbait or spinner can be a good option. 1/4 – 1 Ounce sizes can work well depending on the size of the fish in the areas you are fish.

Grubs

Small plastic grubs can also be very productive. These can be used on jig heads. We’re fans of “spider” style grubs like the Yamamoto version that is number two on our list.

Topwater Lures

Topwaters are often the most exciting lure you can use when fishing for smallmouth. Whopper ploppers or walk-the-dog style topwaters are good choices.

Crankbaits

If the smallmouth bass are in large lakes a deep-diving crankbait might be exactly what you need. Just make sure the crankbait will reach the level the fish are holding in.