Clear water baits for creek smallies

[MetalFish513]

Hit a new spot on Banklick creek this morning. The water was crystal clear from the surface to the bottom. I tried my usual green pumpkin tube jigs first. Every fish I casted to would either get spooked or just stare at it as I moved it through the hole. So I switched to a couple different crankbaits. Same thing... It didn't matter what I put in front of their faces they just didn't have any interest. The only thing that saved me from a skunk was a little sunfish that finally hit my Pop-R and ended up being the only catch of the day. Anybody have any suggestions on what I could have done to get the smallies to bite?

[WwiskerswW]

Hit a new spot on Banklick creek this morning. The water was crystal clear from the surface to the bottom. I tried my usual green pumpkin tube jigs first. Every fish I casted to would either get spooked or just stare at it as I moved it through the hole. So I switched to a couple different crankbaits. Same thing... It didn't matter what I put in front of their faces they just didn't have any interest. The only thing that saved me from a skunk was a little sunfish that finally hit my Pop-R and ended up being the only catch of the day. Anybody have any suggestions on what I could have done to get the smallies to bite?

Burn a crawdad color crank on the bottom bumping everything in sight.

[raincheck]

My though is if you can see them,they can see you too.I know guys who can catch them from a bed but thats because they pick up the bait too move it.I have caught the same fish twice when i seen it but i don't think it seen me.That was on Nolin & not a creek.
River Basser
Terry Adolph

[stripernut]

Hit a new spot on Banklick creek this morning. The water was crystal clear from the surface to the bottom. I tried my usual green pumpkin tube jigs first. Every fish I casted to would either get spooked or just stare at it as I moved it through the hole. So I switched to a couple different crankbaits. Same thing... It didn't matter what I put in front of their faces they just didn't have any interest. The only thing that saved me from a skunk was a little sunfish that finally hit my Pop-R and ended up being the only catch of the day. Anybody have any suggestions on what I could have done to get the smallies to bite?

why "trick em" when you can "feed em"......live bait , craws, small minnows, grasshoppers from the bank etc. stay low, wear dull colored clothing, 4lb test flourocarbon line, low casts- no overhead fish spooking casts, fish upstream that way the disturbance washes downstream behind you, not ahead of you.
and if this doesnt work .....a 22 rifle

[Carter1]

Baby Brush Hogs. Small tubes.

[bg64vw]

Just did an all day float on Barren a few miles below the dam to 101 Bridge. The water was like an aquarium if was so clear and we caught everything, bluegill, crappie, small mouth (didnt keep them) Ky's, largemouth, even saw a muskie cruising the shallows. We used various jigs, yum craws, mini raphala, rebel craws, various cranks, mepps spinners, etc and everything worked but nothing came even close to buddy's dad who used Yum Dingers. They are mini worms he rigged weedless with a split shot sinker about a foot up the line. It killed everything in the water from bluegill to big smallies. My other buddies have been using pumpkin seed colored lizards rigged a similar way. At least three different times I saw his dad cast to a hole and the rockbass would fly out and take it and then the small mouth would fly out trying to take the dinger out of the rockbass mouth as he was reeling them in. The bass would turn their nose up at some of the baits in clear water but run to his bait.

[UYKY]

exact situation that shaky head worms were designed for. go with subtle color like green pumpkin and saturate the bait. ie let it sit in front of them and sit and sit and sit........when you do move, very subtle twitch only. i follow up if no takers on shaky head with a match the hatch colored swim bait - as small as you can find and burn it by their face. if neither of these work, come back tomorrow. good fishing. maddening to see em and not get em to bite.

[MetalFish513]

maddening to see em and not get em to bite.

Buddy you ain't kidding! It's one thing if you're in stained or merky water and you don't get a bite because there's always the possibility the fish just weren't there but to actually see them and know they're there... Oh my lord that's frustrating!

Thank you for all of your guys input. I have some of the stuff you guys mentioned already in my tackle box. As soon as I get another chance I'll be back to that spot to try it again.

[smljaw]

This tube in a smoke/purple ... http://www.basspro.com/Bass-Pro-Shop...90784/-1185957 ... I really like the Cabin Creek tubes in this size. Smoke/purple and pumpinseed/purple always seem to produce well.

Rig this smaller tube on this jighead in 1/8 oz ... http://www.basspro.com/Bass-Pro-Shop...211006/-508143

[Banjodale]

I had a good day at otter creek the other day, but saw two 15-17 inchers in various places but couldn't get a bite.I agree on the driving ya nuts to see them and not bite. I threw mepps, 5 inch plastic worm, 3 inch plastic craw, and banged a rebel craw through with no luck. I was using 6lb clear berkley. Thanks for some of the tips though guys. Wading and canoe fishing is about all I do so I definitely enjoy hearing others ideas.

[Hershey102]

Just back from a guided trip on the New River, WV, which is a top SM fishery. Most productive lures were buzzbaits at the top of rapids, senkos in the ripples, and flukes in the eddies. Hammered the flukes.

[MetalFish513]

Just back from a guided trip on the New River, WV, which is a top SM fishery. Most productive lures were buzzbaits at the top of rapids, senkos in the ripples, and flukes in the eddies. Hammered the flukes.

Not to get off topic but I've been white water rafting down the New. Beautiful river! I've always wanted to fish it. If I ever get a chance I'll keep that on mind. Thanks!