By Lawrence Taylor
John House knows the upper Mississippi River north of Minneapolis, Minn., like the back of his hand. The river may change year-to-year, but his years of experience tell him that this is simply a fact, and he adjusts. He knows the smallmouth are still there, just like they are at similar rivers across the nation.
I asked House to name four baits he uses most on these big river smallies. Here are the four baits he named and a little about how to fish them.
1. The Houdini Shad in Glimmer Blue Pepper (that’s John in the picture with a smallie on this bait), fished on an XCalibur 5/0 Wide Gap hook and 12-pound AN40. “(For) Fishing in eel grass beds, current corners where the main channel sweeps in with boulders and grass, boulder shorelines, sand/gravel flats, overhanging trees and logs.”
2. The 3.75-inch Craw Papi in three color patterns on three different rigs. The first is a green pumpkin colored Papi on a ¼- or 3/8-ounce Booyah Football Jig, fished in the same areas as the Houdini Shad. The second is a Carolina Pumpkin Craw Papi on a 3/16-ounce Bed Bug Jig in Nest Robber color pattern. Fish this rig in “Shallow, fast water, main current channels with lots of boulders. Quarter upstream and lift/drop the jig back to you, letting the current move the bait along like natural forage. Also drag it, hop it and swim it.” The third Craw Papi rig is a Watermelon Red Flake on a drop shot rig. House uses a 1/0 XCalibur Wide Gap hook and ¼-ounce Drop Shot weight. He fishes it on 10-pound AN40. This rig is for “Fishing medium flow main river channels with 4-foot-plus depth that borders rocky shallows and/or weed flats. Cast upstream or quarter river and lift/drop while keeping in contact with the bottom as the boat does a controlled slip down stream.
3. The XR50 Rattle Bait in Rayburn Red or Foxy Shad fished on 12-pound Silver Thread Fluorocarbon. He hits the “Inside corners, mid-river flats, main current boulder areas with shallow, sandbar type shallow rises that provide current breaks, clam beds, and a lot of fan casting for schooling and roaming fish.”
4. Super Spook Jr. in Chartreuse Silver Insert fished on 14-pound Silver Thread Excalibur. He fishes the Spook Jr. in the same areas that he fishes the XR50.