The mere mention of a Rebel Crickhopper lit up Richie Hays’ face as the long-time trout guide remembered the first time anyone threw Crickhoppers from his boat. A guide at Gaston’s White River Resort (www.gastons.com) in north-central Arkansas, Hays took those clients to a shallow shoal where current swept into deeper water, and they proceeded to catch trout after trout by casting across the shoal and reeling slowly so the Crickhoppers wobbled over the drop.
Soon after our conversation, Hays steered his boat to a similar shoal so I could put a Crickhopper to work. It only took a handful of casts to get a feisty rainbow tugging on the line. 
Many fishermen use Rebel Crickhoppers for bluegills, pond bass or stream smallmouths, but the same little crankbait also performs exceptionally well for stream trout. Seemingly, the trout have a hard time resisting the wide wobble and the cricket/grasshopper profile.
In truth, various diminutive crankbaits work wonderfully for trout, and they all tend to get overlooked by trout fishermen. A few other baits that stand out are Rebel Tracdown Minnows, Wee-Crawfish and Teeny Wee-Crawfish.
You’ll draw questioning stares from fellow fishermen when you show up streamside with a hard bait tied to your line. Even a small crankbait looks gaudy to a trout fisherman who normally uses flies, spinners or small natural baits such as corn or red worms. That’s OK. You’ll also draw the more important interest – that of the trout – and when you start catching fish, the doubters around you will suddenly become intrigued.
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