I keep a few shallow to medium running crankbaits in my river box. I try to stick to ones that mimic a generic minnow or sunfish. These can sometimes really produce in a long run of water that has fish scattered thru it.



Although it loses some fishing time to the grub, a marabou jig is an effective catch everything lure in the river. I turn to the jig especially early and late in the year and work them ultra slow. Often I will tip a jig with a minnow but even a waxworm or bit of worm. This can really help them produce in cold water.



A small minnow plug such as a rapala or bass pro's speed minnow is a must have in any river box. At times they will outproduce anything you can throw. You can fish one with a twitch and sit topwater retieve in an eddy or around structure or reel it back like a crankbait. Perfectly matching the minnow in the river's holes and some of the small minnows of faster sections, a small minnow plug is simply a fish producer in any smallmouth stream.



The tiny torpedo is a blast to fish anytime are willing to hit a topwater. The slicks at the tail of a pool and right where water slows entering a pool are prime places to use this fun little plug.



An inline spinner is probably the best lure to use when bass are active and up on a riffle feeding. Throw your spinner across and upstream and simply retrieve and hold on. The flash, size, and action I think represent a fleeing minnow and trigger a strike in active feeding bass. Make this lure your second purchase after some grubs for your river box.



I usually prefer a curly tail grub over a tube in the moving water of the river but I think very highly of this little tube called the slurpie as an imitation of the darters that inhabit the river. Fish a tube just as would a grub on light four or six pound test line and you will catch alot of fish in the Little Miami.



Unlike most bass fishing you don't need a thousand dollars worth of lures to be successful in the river. A few well thought out lures in a small box that you can carry in a pack or a pocket is really all the wading fisherman needs. I find a light daypack with a small box or two of lures, lunch, water bottle, and a rain jacket allows me to spend all day afield with a minimum of fuss or trouble.