Spin Fishing for Creek Smallies?

[TheYiman]

Say a fly fisher wants to start throwing his spinning rod more for creek smallies?  What would be a good line to throw and some good lures to start with?

Right now, my lightweight rod has 15lb braid (rigged for Redfish) - I know this is overkill.

Other lures I have used are the Rebel Craw and in-line spinners.

Any other suggestions for me?  I've been wanting to try something new.

[jladdsmith]

Hey JR,

Glad you posted this and I'm looking forward to seeing what the better (than me) creek fishermen have to say. 

This is probably my favorite way of fishing on TN streams.  My favorite bang for buck setup is a 6' BPS Bionic Blade light rod in fast action paired with a Pfleuger President reel and no heavier than 6 lb line- something limp.  Maybe even 4lb line on the smaller streams.

Think Finesse fishing, get really good with target and distance control and presentation for unweighted or nail weighted "do nothing" plastics- nothing over 4". 

Or the 1/8 oz Charlie Brewer Slider jig heads (out of Lawrenceburg) with the slider plastics.   Friedman's just down the road from you carries the Slider products and maybe has some of the higher end tapered "do nothing" type plastics.  Edge makes really really good 3 and 4" plastics.  They're more dense than most other plastics and last longer.  I always chop (bite) the head taper off into a little u shape as I feel it pushes a little more water and helps with action and to trigger a bite. 

I really like muted colors like a brown or dark green that somewhat resembles the bottom of the stream color, paired with an offset shank wire hook in RED.  That's important, or at least for my confidence.

Friedman's or Wal Mart for a single Colorado blade Bomber "Mini Whacker"  or Strike King "Mini King" in black and blue or brown and tan with a pearl white or chartreuse trailer (like a crappie jig body) is deadly on the smaller fish, like Redeye and little Smallies.  Throw it parallel to any dark overhang or shade side of a big rock. 

If there is a deeper hole and with your best presentation, you don't get a bite, leave it and hit it on the way back with a bigger plastic or even something like Gulp New Penny.  Been wanting to try that in TN.

That little stretch we talked about would be perfect for trying all of the above.

-Jon

[Bfish]

20/6 braid or 6-8 lb mono. Medium Light power on Moderately Fast to Fast action rod would be the most versatile rod. Length is up to you.  I like longer for casting distance, but a shorter rod is easier to wade and to skip lures under branches (and is a must have on the float tube).

Topwater:
Strike King Mini-Pro Buzzbait
Lucky Craft Sammy (rod tip high with 4" pops with a quarter turn of the reel between pops) for a Walk-The-Dog presentation
Rebel Pop-R

Minnow:
1/8 oz ballhead jig with 3" grub
3/0-5/0 EWG hook with a fluke (great for skipping under overhanging trees)
3/8 oz spinnerbait
Bandit 200 or Norman Deep Tiny N (or Deep Little N)

Craw:
3/16 oz rubber skirt jig with a small trailer (zoom chunk or any crawdad)
1/4 oz tapered tube jig, inserted into a tube

[MikeA]

For line I love the Maxima ultragreen 6 pound.
 
For lures I've had a lot of success with tubes rigged texas style (bullet weight ). You have to find tubes thin enough that 6 pound line can penetrate the tube on a hookset, most tubes are too thick. Berkley Power tubes are some that work with light line. There are others,  you'll just have to learn what to look for. Pumpkinseed, Black Red flake, Green black flake, colors work great. Tubes work so well because they are rigged weedless and you can toss them into anything and slow retrieve them out. I think they work almost as well as live bait. They also work great for dropping into rock crevices and jigging out the rock bass, AKA, mini goliath grouper.

Other lures that I’d consider creek spinning gear essentials would be: the Rebel Craw, Jerkbaits of various sizes and colors, yellow roostertail (catches everything that swims), Rebel Pop R. Of course a live stoneroller minnow pretty much trumps everything…

[TheYiman]

Thanks for all the info.  That is a lot to start with.

One more question - when I wade fly fish for creek Smallies I usually like to wade downstream cause I can work streamers better this way.  It seems like the opposite would be true for a spinning rod.  What you say?

[jladdsmith]

I like to work upstream, but obviously small crankbaits or spinners will work better the other way.  In addition to Mike's suggestion on the yellow Rooster Tails, the black and brown/copper with gold blades work really well. 

That Mini Pro buzzbait sounds like a lot of fun.  Haven't seen those yet. 

[Bfish]

I prefer to fish downstream.

[David L. Darnell]

I knew some old time waders when I grew up that waded downstream, myself, upstream, let the mud go away from critters. If you can find a Nugget, POISON in the creeks.

[Aquaholic]

Try throwing any dark olive soft plastic craw rigged TX style

[Yoda]

Spinning rod?...........WHY!?!?!?!?!?!

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[Looper Flies]

Try throwing any dark olive soft plastic craw rigged TX style

Zoom lizard, 4" Pumpkin and chartreuse, texas rig.  always closed the deal for me.

[mrl0004]

Spinning rod?...........WHY!?!?!?!?!?!

Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk 2

What he said! 

[DSchlact]

I like the Carolina rig...and have had the most luck with Yamamoto products soft plastics in general.  The baby craw pattern is harder to find, but best for smallies and is sized for lighter tackle.  The 4" or 5" senko style worm is good too.  If you want to keep that 15lb braid on your existing rig, just add a swivel and 12-15" leader (6lb fluoro or less),  Bass Pro has some "clam shot" weights that I use intead of the bullet weights.  I clamp them on right above the swivel on my braid so the more delicate leader isn't getting beat up by the weight and you can use lighter leader material.  Tie on a 1/0 worm hook and any of the soft plastics mentioned in this thread and you should be good to go.  If you have a second rod keep it rigged with the roostertail or panther martin spinners and if they aren't hitting the platics try that or vice versa.

Dave

[MikeA]

It's alot easier, especially from a kayak. Until I got the SUP I didn't like fly fishing from a yak all that much. It's just too much PITA when you can have just as much enjoyment with a light spinning rod.

[TheYiman]

Eric, just looking for something different.

Thanks for all the great info.  Now, I need to find some wadeable water.