This might be one of my favorite things I take the opportunity to do in the summer. Fortunately, in WV we live around some of the best opportunities for wading for Smallmouth and sometimes big ones at that.

Whether you’re floating down the New River, wading through the shallows of the Greenbrier or just tossing a line in one of our streams in WV you’re bound to come across an opportunistic smallmouth one way or the other. Probably one of the funnest fish to catch especially when you throw in some light line and ultra light spinning rods. Even a 12” fish can be pretty fun and amusing to catch.

I got a lot of questions recently after I took a trip the Greenbrier River of how I caught them so I thought I would share my tactics and my thought process.

I like to keep it simple and cost effective. Anyone who has ever waded or floated our streams know how much time you spend hung up in rocks or tying back up after breaking off your bait. So for me I found it’s more effective to go with the baits below to not only save some money, but time as well!

1. Strike King Bitsy Tube. 1/16 oz Eagle Claw Ball Head Jig.

Again simple and cost effective is the name of the game. There isn’t much cheaper than a $1.87 pack of ball head jigs and a $2.97 package of Bitsy tubes. This bait has for sure caught more bass on wading than any other than bait you might have in the box. Plus if you break off you’re not really out anything.

2. 1/10 oz Ned Rig. (Uncle Ned).

Arguably one of the greatest smallmouth baits to ever exist and it shines just as well in our streams. It is much easier to get the bait to the bottom and drift it along the bottom. Just a 1/10 oz will get that bait down in 6 to 8 foot pretty quickly but also light enough that in can drift itself in steady current.

3. 1/8oz Finesse Jig (Bird Dog Fishing) + 3” Keitech Swing Impact.

If you live in West Virginia and you haven’t thrown a small finesse jig you’re probably missing out. A staple for smallmouth in WV that’s for sure and it will do the trick wading as well. There’s a lot of different brands out there, but personally Jason Cooper who owns Bird Dog Fishing makes a really nice one that’s lightweight and has a great hook in it! Give him a look on Facebook at “Bird Dog Fishing”.

Feel free to leave some of your favorite baits and techniques to wade with. I’m always curious of how other people catch them on our streams in