Perfect 1-2 Punch for Creek Smallmouth Bass

This duo of classic lures produces dependable smallmouth fishing action whether the fish are watching for meals on top or feeding beneath the surface.

Few kinds of fishing offer more fun than wading a creek or small river with light tackle and casting small lures for smallmouth bass and whatever else bites. An important part of the appeal is the simplicity of the angling approach and gear needed.

During autumn, when gradually cooler water temperatures trigger active fish and eliminate the need for extreme finesse, I’ll often go ultra simple, with a two-pronged approach, for this style of fishing. The simple combination, which works very well and covers a host of fish moods and conditions, is a Rebel Crawfish and Crickhopper.

To help contend with varying conditions, I’ll generally carry all three Crickhopper models and a few Crawfish models in a mix of colors. That will be my only lure box, though, and I’ll just carry a single light or ultralight spinning outfit with the reel spooled with 4- or 6-pound test. Strapping a second rod to a daypack, keeping both lures rigged and mixing it up regularly is a solid approach. However, I prefer keeping things extra simple with a single rod, switching lures from time to time, and paying attention to what the fish respond to.

During fall, I’ll usually start with Bighopper, which is the larger Crickhopper model, simply because it’s extra fun to catch them on top. That said, occasionally a Crawfish just feels right as the day’s starting lure.

Crickhoppers on Top

While the Crickhopper and Bighopper are technically shallow crankbaits that can be swam beneath the surface, for this style of fishing, we’ll focus on surface presentations. Both models accurately match the profile of a cricket or grasshopper and can easily be worked to suggest a displaced insect struggling on top.

Autumn typically has a lot of fish looking up to feed, partly because of the large number of grasshoppers, crickets, beetles and other terrestrial insects that errantly find themselves afloat, providing easy meals for bass and other gamefish.

To fish a Crickhopper on top, simply cast it tight to the bank or upstream in a current that looks like a feeding lane. In eddies or slow pools, let it rest initially. In current, let it drift, reeling just enough to take up slack line. After finding themselves accidentally afloat, insects commonly set motionless at first, presumably to regain orientation, and fish often will attack a Crickhopper without you moving the lure.

If no fish attacks the Crickhopper right away, work it either by reeling just fast enough to make the bait wobble on the surface and create wake or by dancing it on top with quick short twitches of the rod tip. For either, mix in occasional pauses.

The Bighopper allows for longer casts than the original Crickhopper and generally increases opportunities for catching larger fish. The Crickhopper suggests an extra-easy meal. It will typically produce faster action and can be the key to success with low, clear water, especially on bluebird days.

The Crickhopper series also includes the Crickhopper Popper, which, as the name suggests, offers a cricket/grasshopper profile but pops on the surface. At times, the popping sound can be the key for prompting attacks from creek smallmouths.

Crawfish Beneath the Surface

If the fish won’t commit to the surface, a few models of Rebel Crawfish work wonderfully for swimming through deeper runs and kicking along rocky and sandy bottoms in shallower areas. An iconic creek lure, the Rebel Wee-Crawfish matches a real crawfish in a defenseless, claw-tucked position and has a tight roll but wide side-to-side action to prompt strikes.

The Teeny Wee-Craw and Deep Teeny Wee-Craw, both 1 1/2 inches long, match small crawfish and look like very easy meals and are the most popular Rebel Crawfish for creek fishing. That said the slightly larger Middle Wee-Crawfish and original Wee-Crawfish also work very well for this application, especially in slightly larger streams and where prevalent craws and/or the fish themselves are a little larger overall.

Working a Rebel Crawfish is about as elementary as it gets as the built-in swimming action is tough to top. Cast it and crank it back without any added rod movement. Fish will often hook themselves with the two small treble hooks, so no big hooksets are needed. Just lean back against the strike or use a gentle wrist snap.

Whenever it’s possible use a low rod position to grind the bait over gravel or kick off rocks. Other keys to maximizing effectiveness are patterning fish-holding positions and figuring out the best speed and angle, which can vary from spot to spot in the same creek based on depth and current speed.

More Than Smallmouths

It’s worth noting that while we’ve focused on smallmouth bass, this is simply because they are the primary sportfish in many creeks that lend themselves to wading. Depending on the location, the primary black bass species might be spotted bass, largemouth bass or regional black bass species such as shoal bass, Suwannee bass or Guadalupe bass – or it could be a mix. In streams near where I live, in North Georgia, I use the exact same approach to target shoal bass and Bartrams redeye bass.

Also, don’t expect your catch to be limited to a target bass species. Many other kinds of fish – among them rainbow and brown trout, rock bass, warmouths, bluegill, pumpkinseeds and redbreasts – feed on crawfish and terrestrial insects. Mixed catches are the norm.

The multi-species nature of this kind of fishing is a big part of what makes it so fun. When a fish strikes, I enjoy the unknown factor and like trying to figure out the species as I fight the fish and catch glimpses. Also, while the bass normally provide the best opportunity for larger fish, the other species help keep the action steady.

New Matte Series Colors

Rebel Lures has just expanded its offerings in the Crawfish and Crickhopper lure families, adding Matte Series colors for several models. Matte finishes mean no glare, which equates to an extra measure of natural attraction. The Crawfish and Crickhoppers each have four new Matte Series colors.

The Matte Series Crawfish colors, all created by master lure painter Frank Scalish, provide options to match different crawfish species, color phases and seasonal colors. The colors – Rusty Craw, Winter Craw, Tiger Craw and Gully Craw – are available in the original Wee-Craw, Deep Wee-Craw, Middle Wee-Craw, Teeny Wee-Craw and Deep Teeny Wee-Craw.

The Matt Series Crickhopper colors, available in the original Crickhopper, Bighopper and Crickhopper Popper, match common colors of popular cricket and grasshopper species and use a special photo printing process for extra accurate markings. Matte Crickhopper colors are Matte Brown, Matte Rusty Brown, Army Cricket and Fire Cricket.