Bugs & leeches

Small realistic imitations of what smallmouth actually eat between minnows and craws — leeches, hellgrammites, nymphs — for finesse rigs.

Soft plastics are the biggest family in bass fishing: 36 shapes, each designed for a rig, a depth and a mood.

• Shape = design purpose: fish, worm, craw, creature, tube, frog
• Finesse tier vs power tier: the same shape at 3.5 in and 7 in is two different techniques
• Tail type decides the action; body decides the fall
• Rig it the way it was designed to be rigged

These are the finesse specialists: flat, small, lifelike, with a tail or legs that quiver rather than thump. They ride Ned heads, drop shots and light jigheads, and they are the answer when smallmouth on clear rock refuse a craw or a minnow.