I don't know where you'll be fishing, but the above advice is pretty good for most situations. If you're fishing on the east side of the state, you can pretty much cover the bases with the above, but you NEED to add some topwater baits as well. I like smallish minnow lures such as the Rapala and Bomber minnows. The 15A Bomber is a basic tool. Clown is a good color as is most of the chrome or insert colors. You'll also want to carry some poppers, such as Rebel's Pop-R in a few finishes.

Crankbaits are a necessary item as well. Crawdad finishes are a staple, but you'll also need some in chartreuse, and you'll probably end up throwing that color the most. However, I've had really good luck with silver and black, a deep red crawdad and perch colors as well. The 1/4-ounce Hot Lips in bluegill perch is a great crankbait for smallies, and so is the same in clearwater flash and fire tiger. Also look at Excalibur's Fat Free Shad series in the smaller sizes-- not because smallies only eat small baits (which isn't necessarily true) but because of their running depth. Worden's also has some crankbaits that look pretty good in their Timber Tiger series.

I really love to fish with soft plastics rigged on jigheads. You can catch smallies most of the year on them. You need a larger selection, though, than you might think. I keep heads from 1/16 to 1/2 ounce and use them in various depths and conditions. If you're really serious about fishing with jigheads, you'll probably end up casting your own because of the expense. If you fish leadheads in the right places, you'll lose a bunch during the course of a year.

Round-head jigs are great, but football heads are even better in rocks and dragging on sand. You can buy molds for them, and that is what I did because I could pour mine with larger hooks-- I really like VMC's jig hook which isn't available any more-- and you can also choose the finish you want. Go with bronze or black nickel and avoid the gold-plated hooks.

Grubs are the mainstay of most smallmouth fishermen, but tubes-- Yum's Garret Mega Tube in the smaller size is now my favorite-- and four-inch ringworms work well rigged on jigheads (you'd probably have to Texas-rig them in weeds and wood). When choosing baits, the crawdad and perch colors are good, but you'll find some dark smoke colors better. And here's a wild card-- smallies seem to love shocking pink. White and pink is a good grub color as is chartreuse.

If I was to put together a starter kit for smallies, I'd pick a couple of Pop-R's in just about any finish, a few Bomber 15As (clown, silver-black, gold-black) and a couple of Rapala minnows in perch finish. Next I would add a few Hot Lips, maybe a couple Norman Little Ns, a couple of 6A Bombers in fire tiger, and a collection of leadheads with ringworms, tubes and a few grubs.

I might also add a few soft plastic jerkbaits. And maybe a couple of buzzbaits, and spinnerbaits, and some jigging spoons.... well, you get the idea. If you pick everything you could use, you'll end up dropping a bunch of money.

Sorry to be so long winded, but I like fishing for smallmouth, and I know you'll have fun.

Good luck,

Keith