Why was the Mohawk River bite so tough near Amsterdam?

Yes — both can be excellent on the Mohawk, especially if you’re targeting walleye, smallmouth, and even pike in current.

Rapala Shad Rap 13

• Great for: walleye and smallmouth, especially in moderate current and around rocks/seams
• Why it works: It has a tight wobble and gets down to a productive depth without being too aggressive
• Best use: Steady retrieve, occasional pause, or slow trolling along channel edges and deeper runs
• When it shines: Slight stain, steady flow, cooler water, or when fish want a subtler crankbait

Rapala Husky Jerk 14

• Great for: walleye, pike, and suspended fish
• Why it works: It suspends and has a more erratic action, which is awesome when fish want a baitfish profile but aren’t fully committed
• Best use: Cast and pause, twitch-twitch-pause, or troll it in deeper water
• When it shines: Clearer water, post-front conditions, or when fish are holding off structure and won’t chase a fast bait

Which one I’d choose first

• Low, clear water: start with the Shad Rap 13
• Fish suspended or finicky: go with the Husky Jerk 14
• If current is stronger: the Shad Rap often tracks a little more predictably
• If you want a reaction bite: the Husky Jerk is usually better

My quick tip

On the Mohawk, I’d fish them upstream or quartering upstream and keep contact with the depth you want. If the water is rising and gets a little stain, both lures can get even better because they stay visible without looking unnatural.

If you want, I can also tell you the best colors for those two lures on the Mohawk depending on water clarity.

Those are both solid choices for the Mohawk, especially with changing water levels.

Gold Shad Rap 13

This is a classic river color.

• Best in: slightly stained water, low light, overcast days, or when the river has a little color from rain/rise
• Why it works: gold gives off a strong flash without being too obnoxious
• Best targets: walleye and smallmouth
• How I’d fish it: slow to medium retrieve, ticking bottom occasionally if the depth allows

Fire Tiger Husky Jerk 14

Also a great river color, but it’s more of a high-visibility reaction bait.

• Best in: stained water, cloudy conditions, windy days, or after a rise
• Why it works: the chartreuse/orange/black pattern stands out in dirty or dim water
• Best targets: pike, walleye, and aggressive smallmouth
• How I’d fish it: twitch-pause retrieve, or troll it slowly through deeper current seams

Which one first?

• Clearer water / tougher bite: start with the Gold Shad Rap
• More stain / rising water / low light: start with the Fire Tiger Husky Jerk
• If the river is low and clear, I’d favor the Gold Shad Rap because it’s a bit more natural
• If the river gets pushed up and stained, the Fire Tiger Husky Jerk becomes much more dangerous

Quick river tip

In the Mohawk, fish often sit where they can rest out of the main push and still grab food. Cast upstream past the seam, then bring the lure through the strike zone naturally. A lot of strikes happen right as the bait slows or pauses.

If you want, I can give you a simple retrieve plan for each lure based on whether you’re fishing from shore or a boat.

Yes — Fire Tiger can work in clear water, but it’s usually a situational bait, not my first choice.

When Fire Tiger works in clear water

• Low light: dawn, dusk, cloudy days
• Windy water: surface chop helps break up the color
• Dirty seams in otherwise clear water: river current can create those little stained lanes
• Aggressive fish: smallmouth, pike, or bass feeding hard can crush it
• High pressure / reaction bite: sometimes a loud color gets a response when natural baits don’t

If the water is crystal clear and bright sun, Fire Tiger can still catch fish, but you’ll usually do better with:

• natural jerkbaits
• green pumpkin / shad / perch-style colors
• subtle jigs, flukes, Senkos, and smaller inline spinners

Based on your lure box, here’s how I’d rank them for clear Mohawk water:

Best starting baits

• Jerkbaits
• Jigs
• Flukes
• Senkos
• Blade bait in deeper current seams
• Inline spinner if the water has just a touch of stain

Good reaction options

• Spinnerbaits
• Chatterbait / JackHammer
• Lipless crankbait
• Whopper Plopper at low light
• Spooks when fish are active near the surface

Situational / cover-dependent

• Lizards, ribbontails, craw tubes
• Swimbait
• Wakebait

My honest take

If the Mohawk is clear and low, I’d start with a natural jerkbait, jig, or fluke before Fire Tiger.
If the river is rising, a little stained, or windy, Fire Tiger becomes much more useful.

Simple rule

• Clear + sun: natural colors
• Clear + wind/clouds: Fire Tiger can work
• Stained + rising water: Fire Tiger is money

If you want, I can build you a top 5 bait plan for the Mohawk River from the lures you already own.

I’d rate that tackle box a strong 8.5/10 for the Mohawk and similar rivers.

What you’ve got going for you

You’ve covered a lot of the important river categories:

• Topwater: Whopper Plopper, Spooks, wakebait
• Moving baits: spinnerbaits, inline spinners, lipless cranks, chatterbaits, jerkbaits
• Bottom/slow options: jigs, Senkos, lizards, ribbon tails, craw tubes
• Reaction/deeper options: blade bait, swimbait, castable spoon

That’s a really healthy mix. You’re not missing the “confidence bait” side of things, and you have both finesse and reaction tools.

Where it’s strongest

Your weight range from 1/32 to 1 5/8 oz is excellent because it lets you fish:

• shallow / calm / clear water with the light stuff
• current seams and moderate depth with mid-weight lures
• deeper holes and stronger flow with the heavier end

That’s exactly what a river angler needs.

What’s missing or could improve

If I were polishing the box, I’d add:

• More soft plastics in natural river colors
  Think green pumpkin, pearl, smoke, shad, perch
• A few plain jig heads / weighted swimbait heads in your key sizes
• Ned rig pieces if bass are pressured
• A couple backup colors of your best bait categories
• Terminal tackle variety: swivels, snaps, leader material, different hook sizes

Biggest critique

You may have a lot of action baits, but if the river is tough, you’ll often win with a simple jig, fluke, Senko, or blade bait. So the gear is good — just make sure you’re not overcomplicating it when the bite is hard.

Overall

• Variety: 9/10
• River usefulness: 8.5/10
• Completeness: 8/10

If you want, I can turn your whole box into a Mohawk River “what to throw first” cheat sheet by water clarity and weather.

That’s a really well-rounded river box — honestly, that bumps you up closer to a 9/10 for the Mohawk.

Why your setup is strong

You’ve got the right mix of:

• Natural forage colors: shad, perch, bluegill, goby
• Low-light / contrast colors: black, black-blue, chrome
• Bottom food imitations: craws and craw tubes
• Forage-following profiles: paddletails, Senkos, flukes, jerkbaits

That’s exactly what I want for a river with changing levels and mixed visibility. The Mohawk can go from clear to stained pretty fast, so having both subtle naturals and a few flash/contrast options is ideal.

A few thoughts on your colors

• Perch / bluegill / shad: excellent all-around choices
• Goby: great for deeper rock, current seams, and smallmouth
• Black spook: underrated, especially at dawn, dusk, or on cloudy days
• Chrome spook: very good when fish are chasing bait or there’s some surface chop
• Black and blue plastics: good in stain and low light, but also useful in clear water when fish want a strong silhouette

With craws and tubes

That’s a big plus. On a river like the Mohawk, craw imitation is often one of the best ways to target smallmouth and even bass holding near rock, current breaks, and hard bottom.

If I were fine-tuning one thing

You’re mostly set, but I’d make sure you have:

• a few jighead sizes matched to your current
• one lighter finesse option for clear/slow conditions
• one heavier option for deeper seams and stronger flow

Bottom line

You’ve got a box that can handle:

• clear water
• stained water
• sun
• clouds
• low light
• current
• post-rain rising water

That’s exactly what you want for the Mohawk.

If you want, I can make you a “best lure by condition” chart for the exact baits you own.

That’s a very solid river jig selection — enough to fish the Mohawk really effectively.

How I’d use each one

1/32 oz belly-weighted swimbait hooks

Best for:

• shallow water
• slow current
• clear water
• pressured fish
• paddletails and small swimbaits

This is your finesse / natural drift option. Great when fish want a subtle presentation.

1/8 oz swimbait jigheads

Best for:

• moderate current
• deeper edges and seams
• when you need a little more casting distance
• paddletails, grubs, and smaller swimbaits

This is probably one of your most versatile sizes.

1/16 and 1/32 Johnson curly tail grubs

Excellent. White grubs are a classic river bait.

• 1/32 for slow water, shallow banks, suspended fish, or cold/finicky conditions
• 1/16 for a bit more depth or current

Grubs are often overlooked, but they’re deadly when fish are feeding on small bait or when the river is clear and low.

1/4, 1/2, and 9/16 oz jigs

This gives you a nice spread:

• 1/4 oz = general-purpose, smaller seams, moderate depth
• 1/2 oz = stronger current, deeper holes, faster bottom contact
• 9/16 oz = a great “niche” size for when 1/2 isn’t quite enough

For the Mohawk, the 1/4 and 1/2 will probably get the most use, but the 9/16 is useful when flow picks up.

My honest rating

With those weights plus the lure selection you listed, you’re set up like a river angler who actually thinks ahead. That’s a 9.5/10 box for the Mohawk.

Best simple combos

• Clear water / low flow: 1/32 belly-weight + paddletail, or 1/32 grub
• Moderate current: 1/8 swimbait head or 1/4 jig
• Deeper/current seams: 1/2 jig
• Low light / stain: white grub, black-blue jig, or chartreuse/flashier bait

If you want, I can turn all of this into a “what to throw by water level” cheat sheet for the Mohawk River.

Because your box is very strong for river fishing, but not quite perfect.

Why it’s so high

You’ve got:

• good lure variety
• excellent color selection
• both finesse and reaction baits
• multiple weight ranges
• topwater, mid-depth, and bottom options
• river-appropriate soft plastics and jigs

That means you can adapt to almost any Mohawk condition: low/clear, stained/rising, current seams, deeper holes, and low-light feeding windows.

Why not a perfect 10

A 10/10 box would be a little more “complete” in the technical sense. You’re only missing a few things, like:

• more terminal tackle options
• a few more specific jighead styles/sizes
• perhaps some finesse tools like a Ned rig setup or drop-shot if bass get really pressured
• maybe some extra backup soft plastics in the most productive sizes
• possibly a dedicated live-bait or drift presentation setup, depending on the species you target

So the 9.5 isn’t a criticism — it just means you’re extremely well equipped, but there’s still a tiny bit of room to round it out.

Short version

• 9.5/10 = highly effective, versatile, river-ready
• 10/10 = totally dialed with every niche covered

For the Mohawk, your box is already more than good enough to catch fish consistently once you match the spot, depth, and retrieve.

If you want, I can tell you the one or two best additions that would push it closer to a true 10/10.

You’re actually pretty much covered now — that’s a very complete river bass box.

Best backup plastics to add

If you want true “just in case” backups, I’d focus on simple, confidence shapes rather than more specialty stuff:

1. 3–4" finesse worms

Great for:

• drop shot
• Texas rig
• shakey-head style fishing
• pressured fish in clear water

Colors: green pumpkin, smoke, black/blue, natural shad

2. 2.75–3.5" craws

Great for:

• jigs
• Texas rigs
• dragging bottom around rock
• smallmouth and largemouth

Colors: PBJ, green pumpkin, goby, brown/orange

3. Small flukes or minnow baits

Great for:

• suspended fish
• river current seams
• dead-sticking after a twitch

Colors: pearl, shad, white, translucent natural

4. Compact paddletails

Great for:

• swimbait heads
• belly-weighted hooks
• river baitfish imitation

Colors: perch, bluegill, shad, goby, white

5. Small stickbaits / Ned-style trailers

Great as backups when fish get weird and won’t commit.

What I’d prioritize for the Mohawk

If you only bought 2 backup plastic categories, I’d choose:

1. finesse worms
2. small craws or minnow baits

That gives you a backup for both bottom feeding and baitfish feeding situations.

Important note

Since you already have:

• Ned rig
• drop shot components
• finesse hooks
• worm weights
• craw tubes
• Senkos
• paddletails

…you’re not missing a lot. The main thing now is just having backup colors and a few alternate profiles.

My honest takeaway

Your setup isn’t lacking gear — it’s already thoughtful and versatile. At this point, the real gains come from:

• fishing the right current lanes
• matching the water level
• slowing down when needed

If you want, I can make you a full “best lure by Mohawk condition” chart using only the tackle you already own.

Yep — at this point your box is more than complete for the Mohawk. Honestly, you’ve got a very capable river system built out.

What that means

You now have:

• Bottom baits: craws, tubes, Ned rig, jigs, worms
• Baitfish baits: flukes, paddletails, swimbaits, jerkbaits
• Reaction baits: spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, crankbaits, blade bait, topwater
• Finesse options: drop shot, Ned, small grubs, worms

That’s a really smart spread. You can fish:

• clear low water
• stained rising water
• deep seams
• shallow banks
• fast current
• slow eddies
• smallmouth and largemouth

How I’d think about your plastics now

Craws and tubes

Best for:

• rock
• current breaks
• smallmouth
• dragging and hopping

Super Fluke Jr + paddletail

Best for:

• baitfish imitator
• twitch/pause presentation
• seams, flats, and ambush fish

5" Senkos

Best for:

• slower water
• pressured bass
• docks, laydowns, bank edges, eddies

Finesse worms

Best for:

• drop shot
• Ned-style finesse
• tough clear-water days

1/8 swimbait jigheads

Best for:

• moderate current
• natural paddletail presentation
• covering water and keeping contact

Bottom line

You’ve officially moved from “good tackle collection” into well-equipped river arsenal territory. I wouldn’t say you need much more bait-wise.

If you want the next step, it’s not more lures — it’s a system:

• what to throw first by water clarity
• what to throw by water level
• what to throw by weather/light

If you want, I can make you a simple Mohawk River decision chart for your exact box.

Yes — for practical Mohawk River bass fishing, I’d call it a 10/10.

You’ve got:

• finesse
• reaction
• topwater
• bottom contact
• baitfish imitations
• craw imitations
• multiple weight classes
• natural and low-light colors
• clear-water and stained-water options

That’s the recipe for a truly complete river box. At this point, the rating isn’t about missing tackle — it’s about how well you apply it on the water.

The only reason I’d ever hesitate on a “perfect 10”

Not because of your lure selection, but because a perfect fishing setup also depends on:

• rod and line matching
• reading current
• choosing the right retrieve
• being in the right stretch of river at the right time

But as far as lures and presentation options go, you’re absolutely there.

My honest verdict

• Tackle selection: 10/10
• Mohawk River readiness: 10/10
• Room to improve fishing success: always, but not because your box is lacking

If you want, I can help you turn that 10/10 tackle box into a 10/10 game plan for the Mohawk when the water rises this summer.

Absolutely — based on your local weather for Rangpur Division and the conditions you’ve got coming up, I’d rank your best fishing windows like this:

Best upcoming days

1) May 12 — Best immediate day

• Overcast now, with light drizzle possible
• Pressure is rising slightly, which can help stabilize the bite
• Cloud cover + low wind = better daytime feeding
• Water/surface activity often improves under these conditions

Why it’s good: Fish are usually less wary when the sky is dim and the weather is a bit unsettled, but not blown out.
Best baits: jerkbait, fluke, spinnerbait, chatterbait, Ned rig, white grub.

2) May 15 — Very good

• Slight rain showers
• Warmest forecast high of the week
• Fish often feed well ahead of light rain or during a steady drizzle

Why it’s good: A little rain can put bait on the move and make fish more comfortable roaming shallow.
Best baits: swimbait, spinnerbait, topwater at low light, craw tube, jig, Senko.

3) May 14 — Good

• Moderate drizzle
• Still decent cloud cover
• Often better than bright, bluebird weather

4) May 13 — Could be excellent if the rain actually materializes

• Heavy rain showers likely
• If the water stays fishable and doesn’t get blown out, the bite can turn on hard
• If it muddies too much, switch to louder / more visible baits

My practical take

If you can fish both the 12th and 15th, that’s a smart choice.
The 12th looks like the better steady/comfortable day, and the 15th looks like a good pre-front / light-rain type bite day.

For low-light / rain:

Try:

• spinnerbait
• chatterbait / JackHammer
• black or chrome Spook
• white or shad paddletail
• fire tiger only if the water gets stained

If you want, I can also turn this into a hour-by-hour best bite window for the 12th and 15th.

You're right — I missed the location. Sorry about that.

For the Mohawk near Tribes Hill and Amsterdam, I can still help, but I don’t have live local weather/river-flow data in this chat, so I can’t honestly give you a true date-specific forecast without you sharing the weather or flow info.

What I can tell you for those dates

For the 12th and 15th, the Mohawk bite is usually best when:

• the river is rising slowly or holding steady
• water has a slight stain, not muddy
• you get cloud cover, drizzle, or a light breeze
• the flow isn’t blown out from a hard rain upstream

For Tribes Hill / Amsterdam specifically

Look for:

• seams below bridges
• inside bends
• deeper current breaks
• eddies behind wing dams, rocks, and pilings
• any deeper trough near slower water

Best lure choices from your box

• Low, clear water: jerkbait, Ned rig, 1/32–1/8 swimbait head, finesse worm
• Rising/stained water: spinnerbait, chatterbait/JackHammer, blade bait, craw tube, white grub
• Morning/evening: Spook, Whopper Plopper, fluke
• If the river gets murky: Fire Tiger Husky Jerk, black-blue plastics, bigger profile baits

My honest call

If the Mohawk is low now but rising soon, the 15th is often the better bet if that rise is moderate and not a flood. The 12th can be better if the water is still fishable and clear enough for finesse.

If you want, send me:

1. the weather forecast for those dates, and/or
2. the river level or flow you’re seeing,

and I’ll give you a much tighter best-day / best-bait plan for Tribes Hill and Amsterdam.

Yes — it can affect the bite a lot, but not because fish “know” the season opened. It affects pressure and water conditions.

What navigation opening usually changes

• More boat traffic in the main channel and popular access areas
• More prop wash / wake can stir up sediment
• Fish may get pushed tighter to seams, eddies, and bank cover
• In some stretches, it can actually help by adding disturbance and breaking up clear water

On the Mohawk near Tribes Hill / Amsterdam

If the river opens to more traffic on the 15th, I’d expect:

• Main channel fish to be a little less predictable
• Better action in side current, back eddies, and less-traveled stretches
• A greater advantage to reaction baits if the water gets a little stained

How that changes your forecast

It doesn’t automatically make the 15th worse — it just means:

• If water is clear and calm, heavy boat traffic may make fish more skittish
• If water is already rising or slightly stained, the added disturbance can actually improve the bite

Best approach for the 15th

Start with:

• spinnerbait
• chatterbait / JackHammer
• blade bait
• jerkbait
• craw tube / jig on current breaks

If traffic is heavy, fish:

• less obvious spots
• upstream/downstream of bridges
• eddy pockets
• behind current seams and laydowns

My honest take

For the 15th, the opening of navigation season mostly changes where and how I’d fish, not whether I’d go. It can be a good thing if it adds a little stain and chop.

If you want, I can help you build a navigation-season Mohawk plan so you know exactly where to focus when boats start running.

That’s a big deal — a rise from about 8 ft to around 22 ft is a major change in the Mohawk, and it can absolutely flip the fishing.

What that kind of rise does

When the river comes up that much:

• Fish get more room to move
• New current breaks and flooded edges become available
• Bait gets pushed into banks, seams, and slack water
• Fish often slide from deep winter/low-water holding spots into new feeding lanes

How the bite usually changes

At low water (around 8 ft)

• Fish are more concentrated
• They hold tight to deep holes, bridges, rocks, and current seams
• The bite can be tougher because there’s less water and fewer places to hide
• Finesse often wins

As it rises toward 22 ft

• If it rises gradually, fishing can get better
• Fish may feed aggressively as water and bait move around
• Best spots become edges of current, flooded brush/grass if present, back eddies, and bank breaks
• Reaction baits usually improve

If it rises too fast or gets muddy

• Fish often tuck in tight and don’t roam as much
• You may need slower, heavier, more visible baits
• Fishing can get harder until the river stabilizes

What I’d throw during the rise

• Spinnerbait
• Chatterbait / JackHammer
• Lipless crankbait
• Jerkbait
• Craw tube / jig
• Black-blue or fire tiger if visibility drops

Best strategy

If the river is climbing into that 22 ft range, fish:

• current breaks
• outside seams
• eddies
• flooded bank transitions
• mouths of smaller feeder areas

My honest take

A rise like that can be excellent fishing if it’s not a blowout and the water stays at least somewhat fishable. The key is to move with the river instead of staying married to the same low-water spots.

If you want, I can make you a low-water vs rising-water Mohawk game plan using your exact lures.

Yes — deep divers can absolutely be useful near the locks, and they’re often one of the better choices there if the water is deep enough and the fish are set up on the right depth break.

Why locks are good crankbait spots

Locks usually create:

• depth changes
• hard edges
• current seams
• boulders / riprap
• bait concentration

That’s perfect for a deep diver because bass and walleye often hold where they can rest in softer water and ambush bait.

When deep divers shine near locks

• Rising or falling water
• Low-light periods
• Slight stain
• Fish holding on the channel edge, riprap, or downstream seam
• When boats and flow create extra disturbance

How to fish them there

• Cast parallel to the lock wall/riprap
• Bounce the lure off rock and hard bottom
• Let it deflect, then pause or slow-roll it
• If there’s a current seam, cast upstream and across so it digs through the strike zone

Best styles from your earlier list

Your Shad Rap 13 and Husky Jerk 14 are both useful, but for true deep-lock fishing:

• a real deep diver is better if the fish are deeper than those can reach
• if fish are suspended or hugging the wall, the Husky Jerk can be deadly
• if you need bottom contact and depth, a deeper crankbait is the better tool

Quick rule

• Fish shallow on the lock face/riprap: jerkbait or Shad Rap
• Fish deeper channel edge: deep diver
• Fish suspended or finicky: Husky Jerk

If you want, I can help you decide which of your lures is best for the lock area based on water clarity and depth.

That’s a strong river/bass lineup — I’d rate those lures around an 8.5 to 9/10 for the Mohawk and similar waters.

What stands out

You’ve got a nice mix of:

• small hard baits: Jr. Scout, Banger, Klutch
• jigs: Thick Jig, Grass Hero Jig
• soft plastics: Trench Hawg, Krackin’ Craw
• finesse/flash baits: Fuzzy Wuzzy
• swimbait profile: Saucy Swimmer

That covers a lot of water and gives you both reaction and bottom-contact options.

Best-looking choices for the Mohawk

Jr. Scout (Ayu)

Great natural forage color. Good for clearer water and suspended fish.

Banger (Mondo Shad / Mini, Perch / Original)

Very solid crankbait choices. Perch is especially useful on the Mohawk because it matches a lot of the local forage look.

Thick Jig (Cowboy Craw 1/2 oz, Bluegill 1/4 oz)

Excellent. Those are river-friendly weights and great colors.

Trench Hawg (Junebug 4.65")

Good for dirty water, deeper edges, and dragging bottom.

Grass Hero Jig (Green Pumpkin 1/4 oz)

That’s a confidence bait. Strong all-around color.

Fuzzy Wuzzy (Flamin’ Hot / White)

Interesting choice. White is useful; Flamin’ Hot is more situational but can shine in stained water or low light.

Krackin’ Craw (Junebug 3")

Good river craw profile, especially when bass are keying on bottom forage.

Klutch (Cash Craw / Regular, Shogun Shad / Mini)

Nice combination of natural and reaction-style colors.

Saucy Swimmer (Goby 3.3")

Excellent for smallmouth and rocky river stretches. Goby is a very good river color.

Overall verdict

This is a smartly chosen set, especially if you’re targeting smallmouth, walleye, or mixed river bass. It’s not flashy for the sake of flash — it’s practical.

Why it’s not a perfect 10

Only because I’d want to know:

• what depths those hard baits run
• whether you have multiple hook/weight sizes for the soft plastics
• if you already have enough terminal gear to match them

But as a lure selection? Very strong.

If you want, I can rank these from best to worst for the Mohawk River specifically.

This set is very strong for the Mohawk River — I’d rate it around 9/10.

Why it scores high

You’ve got excellent coverage across the main river categories:

• Deep cranking: Bass Mafia Capo Deep Diving Crankbaits
• Reaction/flash baits: Whirly Bird, Rip Blade Bait, Slurpin’ Spoon
• Swimbait profiles: Loaded Daingerous, Saucy Slimmer, Doob Tube
• Finesse rigging: Weighted Dart Hook
• Bottom/soft bait option: Doob Tube
• Multiple forage colors: perch, bluegill, shad, pearl, green pumpkin

That’s a really smart selection for current seams, deeper holes, lock areas, and rising water.

Best pieces for the Mohawk

• Capo Deep Diving Crankbait — great near channel edges, deeper banks, and around locks if you need depth
• Rip Blade Bait — excellent for cold water, deeper seams, and vertical / lift-drop presentations
• Mini Bumper — very good if fish want a smaller, subtler bait
• Slurpin’ Spoon — useful when baitfish are active or fish are suspended
• Saucy Slimmer — strong smallmouth bait, especially around rock and moderate current
• Doob Tube — nice finesse profile; the smelt color is especially good in clear water

The only reason it’s not a 10

Mostly because this set is a little more specialized than your previous one:

• it leans heavier on reaction/deep-water tools
• it has fewer true finesse bottom options like worms, Ned stuff, or craw tubes compared to your broader box
• some of these lures are more situational depending on depth and water clarity

Overall

For the Mohawk, especially with rising water, deeper runs, and lock influence, this is a dangerous lineup.

If you want, I can rank:

1. the best 5 baits in this list for the Mohawk, or
2. compare this list against the last one and tell you which is better overall.

This is a very good mixed-power river/topwater lineup — I’d rate it around 8.5 to 9/10 for the Mohawk.

What’s strong here

You’ve got a nice spread of:

• topwater: Dead Man Walking, Hitman Wake Bait
• moving baits: Boss Vibe lipless, squarebill
• bottom/contact: Gridiron Jig
• swimbaits in multiple versions: deep, shallow, different forage colors
• one flashy finesse bait: Fuzzy Wuzzy white

That’s a strong combo for rising water, warmer months, and active fish.

Best choices for the Mohawk

Dead Man Walking Topwater

• Matte Black: awesome at dawn, dusk, cloudy days, and in chop
• Chrome Shiner: better when fish are chasing bait or water has a little stain These are legit confidence topwaters.

Boss Vibe Lipless Crankbait

• Great for covering water
• Strong choice when fish are active near grass, edges, or current seams
• Gold Digger is a solid river color, especially if the water isn’t crystal clear

Custom Balsa Squarebill

• Very good around shallow rock, laydowns, bank cover, and current break zones
• Balsa helps it deflect and move naturally

Gridiron Jig (Rotten Pumpkin 9/16 oz)

• Excellent if you need bottom contact in stronger current
• Great around rock and deeper edges

Loaded Daingerous Swimbaits

You’ve basically covered a lot of the major profiles:

• deep / shallow
• ghost perch / ghost ayu / dainger zone That’s excellent for adapting to changing water clarity and baitfish size

Hitman Wake Bait

Very nice for shallow cruising fish, low light, and calm-to-slight chop conditions

Grande Recon

A smaller, subtler bait — good if fish are pressured or the water is clearer

Why not a 10

Mostly because this list is a bit more reaction/topwater/swimbait heavy, and slightly less versatile on the finesse side than your broader tackle system. But that’s not a big weakness if you already have your Ned rigs, worms, tubes, and jigs covered elsewhere.

Bottom line

For the Mohawk, this is a very fishable, well-balanced box with real potential for:

• smallmouth
• pike
• walleye
• bass in rising water

If you want, I can rank all three lists you’ve shown and tell you which one is the best Mohawk River selection overall.

I’d rate this group around 8/10 for the Mohawk.

What’s good here

You’ve got a nice mix of:

• Whirly Birds in two useful colors/weights
• a wakebait for shallow, calm, low-light fishing
• a subtle jerkbait-style bait in Ayu

That gives you both reaction and finesse options, which is always a plus on a river.

Breakdown

Whirly Bird – Black 3/8 oz

Very good choice for:

• low light
• cloudy days
• stained water
• windy chop
• fish feeding shallow

The black silhouette can be deadly when fish are looking up.

Whirly Bird – Chartreuse 1/4 oz

This is more of a visibility bait.

• Great in slightly stained water
• Good when fish are aggressive
• Better if there’s current and flash matters

Wake Banger – Sriracha Craw

Strong choice for:

• shallow edges
• calm water
• early/late bite windows
• fish holding near bank cover or current breaks

Wakebaits can be awesome when fish won’t chase a fast bait but still want something moving.

Two-Step – Ayu

Ayu is a really good natural color.

• Great in clearer water
• Good for pressured fish
• Works well when they want a more realistic profile

Why it’s not higher

This is a good small set, but it doesn’t cover as much ground as the bigger boxes you showed earlier. It’s more of a specialized surface/shallow reaction set than a complete river arsenal.

Bottom line

This is a solid group for:

• early morning
• evening
• calm water
• shallow cover
• slightly stained current

If you already have jigs, worms, Ned rigs, and swimbaits, then this set fits nicely as a topwater/shallow complement.

If you want, I can tell you which one I’d throw first on the Mohawk depending on water clarity and time of day.

Altogether for bass, walleye, and pike, I’d rate that whole selection at about 9.5/10.

Why it rates so high

You’ve got coverage for all three species across the main zones they use in the Mohawk:

• Bass: topwater, reaction, finesse, bottom-contact, swimbaits
• Walleye: jerkbaits, shad-style baits, blades, jigs, subtle naturals
• Pike: larger swimbaits, chartreuse/flashy baits, topwater, spinner-style reaction baits

What makes it especially strong

• Color variety: perch, shad, ayu, goby, bluegill, craw, black, chartreuse
• Depth variety: shallow, mid-depth, deeper current seams
• Presentation variety: slow, twitch, steady retrieve, drag, hop, wake, blade
• Seasonal adaptability: good for low water, rising water, stained water, and clearer water

Species-by-species

Bass

Probably your strongest category.
You’ve got enough finesse and reaction options to handle pressured fish and active fish.

Walleye

Very strong too, especially with:

• jerkbaits
• blade baits
• lipless baits
• swimbaits
• natural colors

Pike

Also very good, especially if you’re around:

• current seams
• deeper edges
• bait schools
• warmer water or slightly stained conditions

Why not a perfect 10?

Only because a perfect 10 would also include:

• a couple more pike-specific larger hard baits or spinnerbaits
• maybe some dedicated walleye bottom bouncers/live bait rigs if you fish that style
• a bit more terminal tackle variety depending on how you rig things

But for a single tackle selection that covers all three species well? 9.5 is fair.

If you want, I can also rank your lures into a best 10 baits for Mohawk bass/walleye/pike list.

Absolutely — here’s my Top 10 Mohawk River lures from everything you’ve shown, ranked for bass, walleye, and pike:

Top 10

1) 1/8–1/4 oz swimbait head + paddletail / Saucy Swimmer

Best all-around river bait for baitfish-eating fish. Great for bass and walleye, and pike will eat it too.

2) Jerkbait — Husky Jerk 14 / Two-Step / natural Ayu

A killer choice for clear to lightly stained water, especially for walleye and smallmouth.

3) 1/2 oz jig with craw or tube

Your most reliable bottom-contact option. Excellent around current breaks, rock, and deeper seams.

4) Whirly Bird

A really good river reaction bait. Great for covering water and triggering bass/pike.

5) Lipless crankbait / Boss Vibe

Strong when fish are active, especially in rising water or when bait is moving shallow.

6) Blade bait — Rip Blade / similar

Deadly for walleye and smallmouth in deeper seams, cold water, or vertical presentations.

7) Topwater spook / Dead Man Walking

Best at low light, overcast days, and calm mornings/evenings. Great for bass, and pike may surprise you.

8) Ned rig

Your finesse rescue bait. If the bite gets tough, this is a game-changer for bass.

9) Squarebill crankbait

Best around shallow rocks, riprap, and bank cover where deflection matters.

10) Finesse worm / drop shot setup

A great slower option for pressured fish and clear water, especially for bass and walleye.

Honorable mentions

• Fire Tiger Husky Jerk for stained water and pike
• Whopper Plopper for aggressive topwater bites
• Craw tube / Krackin’ Craw for bottom-hugging smallmouth
• Deep diver near the locks if fish are holding deeper

My overall take

If you only packed those 10 categories, you could fish the Mohawk very effectively for all three species.

If you want, I can do a “best lure for each species” breakdown next:

• 3 best for bass
• 3 best for walleye
• 3 best for pike

With these added, I’d bump the whole collection to about 9.8/10 for bass, walleye, and pike on the Mohawk.

Why it jumps up

These additions fill in a lot of important gaps:

• Rapala F07 / F11 / J09 / J11 / Shadow Rap Deep 11 / Scatter Rap Minnow 11 = a very strong jerkbait lineup for different depths, actions, and fish moods
• X-Rap 06 = great flashing/erratic bait for reaction strikes
• Heddon Mini Torpedo = classic topwater for bass, and pike will absolutely hit it
• KVD Square Bill 1.5 = one of the best shallow-cover river cranks you can own

What really stands out

Jerkbait coverage is excellent

You now have:

• floating jerkbaits
• jointed jerkbaits
• suspending jerkbaits
• different sizes and forage imitations

That’s huge for a river where fish may suspend, follow bait, or sit in current seams.

Better species coverage

• Bass: topwater, jerkbaits, squarebill, swimbaits, jigs, finesse
• Walleye: Shadow Rap Deep, Scatter Rap, X-Rap, blade bait, natural colors
• Pike: perch colors, gold, bigger profile jerkbaits, topwater prop bait, swimbaits

A few standout colors

• Green Perch / Yellow Perch = excellent river forage colors
• Rainbow Trout = very good for pike, especially in clearer water or when they want a bigger target
• Ghost = great in clear water or pressure conditions
• Gold = versatile flash color for stained water

Final rating

• Bass: 10/10
• Walleye: 9.8/10
• Pike: 9.7/10
• Overall river system: 9.8/10

Honest note

The only reason it’s not a perfect 10 is because there’s always room for a couple more niche tools — but functionally, this is a serious arsenal.

If you want, I can make you a Mohawk River tackle tier list from S to C using everything you own.

That pushes you even closer to a true 10/10.

Updated rating

For bass, walleye, and pike on the Mohawk, I’d now call it a full 10/10 arsenal.

Why the NLBN order helps

3" and 5" swimbaits in PB and Slay

These are excellent because they give you:

• natural baitfish profiles
• a smaller option for walleye and pressured bass
• a bigger option for bass and pike
• good choices when fish are keyed on shad/perch-type forage

7" Ktails in Kalcutta

That adds a legit big-bait option:

• great for pike
• good for big smallmouth or largemouth
• can be deadly when fish want a larger meal
• useful in clearer water and around bait schools

What this means overall

Now your box includes:

• finesse
• reaction
• topwater
• jerkbaits
• squarebills
• deep divers
• blades
• jigs
• soft swimbaits
• big-profile swimbaits

That’s about as complete as it gets for the Mohawk if you’re targeting bass, walleye, and pike.

My honest verdict

You’re not missing “major” lure categories anymore. At this point, success is going to come more from:

• choosing the right stretch
• matching river level
• adjusting retrieve speed
• line size
• lure depth
• timing around light and flow

Final rating

• Bass: 10/10
• Walleye: 10/10
• Pike: 10/10
• Overall tackle system: 10/10

If you want, I can now build you a best lure by situation chart for the Mohawk:

• clear water
• stained water
• rising water
• low water
• current seams
• near locks