Battle: Crawfish, Rage Craw V. Speed Craw

[WookieeJedi]

Score: Speed 2, Rage 0

I'm a little late getting this going, I have been working on a new lure and sort of ignoring the craws. I'll keep this updated until deer season.

[Hi Salenity]

Rage wins by TKO!

[WookieeJedi]

Too early in the fight to call it. Rage got popped in the mouth a couple of times, but it's a long way til October.

[WookieeJedi]

Speed 8, Rage 1

I have a theory about the disparity here. My soft plastics soak in a little something I put in their bags. Those Speed craws have been soaking for four months, and the Rage a little less than a month. I got some new Speeds today, and used up the last of the old ones. If this makes a difference, I will revise the score.

[matstone7]

I'm curious as to the science behind your battle, already seems like you have stacked the deck.

The speed craw has a lot of catching up to do imo..... https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.340718069326813.87492.183400771725211&type=3

[nvhsaccel]

Yeah The rage craw has always produced more fish for me, especially on the back of a jig.

[WookieeJedi]

I'm using identical setups on two different rods, alternating every 10 casts. The setup yesterday was a spot remover jig. Practically identical colors. I thought this contest would be pretty even when I started it, with the slight edge to the Rage. I'm beginnig to think my "juice" soak is making the difference. If that is so, then the playing field is not even and I will have to start over. I did use up the last of my old batch of Speeds yesterday. And remember, it is a long way to October yet. UGA was whipping my Tigers pretty good in the first half of the SEC title game too.

[evrgladesbasser]

I don't need 6 months of fishing to know rage wins in my book

[Tallent25]

RAGE HAS ALWAYS CRUSHED EM IN MY BOOK

[WookieeJedi]

It is beginning to appear my juice is making a difference. When I got the new Speeds, I put them in the same bag with the Rages. Both are green pumpkin color, and the Speeds were ever so slightly lighter color. Mixed together in the bag, they were virtually indistinguishable from each other. After a few weeks in the bag, the Speeds are easily discerned from the Rages without even opening the bag. I pulled out the craws, and sure enough, the Speeds are more porous, and have soaked up more juice. If those Speeds are slow releasing that scent into the water, and the Rages are getting washed out faster, it could explain the difference.

So, now it looks like I need to test the Speeds without the juice against the Rages without the juice if I want a fair and accurate comparison. Thing is, if the juice is making that much difference, I'm not fishing without it. I was just using the juice to mask my scent, now I think there may be more to it. Even worse, I have been working on a new soft plastic lure, and it has been very effective. It has also been coated in juice for the entire process, so I have no idea if the lure is that good, or if it is just the juice.

I'm calling this a draw and forgetting the whole thing. Both the Speed and the Rage have great action and both can catch fish. Though this is technically a draw, the slot in my box is going to the Speed Craw, soaked in juice.

[tomustang]

It seems like this is more of a juice test than craw, I'd rather see a comparison without the additives If you going to compete them against each other. Know the rage works but never tried the speed.

[WookieeJedi]

It seems like this is more of a juice test than craw, I'd rather see a comparison without the additives If you going to compete them against each other. Know the rage works but never tried the speed.

Exactly my problem with the test, but now that I see the juice really makes a difference, I'm not putting any more water time into it. Like many other things, this was supposed to be fun, then it got complicated. The married guys know what I'm talking about.

[tmier]

I want to know more about the juice!

Anise or garlic? Seriously I don't need the recipe, but some ingredients would satisfy curiosity.

[grizzly1654]

Yea let's here some more about "the juice"!!

I've never thought about soaking my plastics in anything, I always just spayed them when I use them.

[WookieeJedi]

The juice is easy, and no secret. I got a very large bottle of omega-3 fish oil gelcaps on sale at a local hippie-food store. I was going to take them as a supplement, but they made my burps taste like raw trout. Instead of tossing them out, I started using them as cover scent for my soft plastics. I puncture the end of the gelcap with a hook and squirt the contents in the bag with the lures. 2x of the 1000iu's does the job for a bag. I keep a small pill bottle full of them in my tackle box, in case I find a bag running a little dry while I'm on the water. Sometimes, if the lures are very absorbent, I need to put more in later. As long as the lures stay slimy, I figure they are good to go. From what I can tell, a glossy exterior on a lure seems to make it less absorbent. My saltwater grubs don't absorb much at all, while the Speed Craws and BPS senkos absorb more. I didn't really think it was working as an attractant until I started the craw battle. Now, I suppose it would be hard to deny that scent plays a big part in attracting fish. I know I'm not going to fish without it again, and I'll definitely start looking at plastics for their absorbency as well as action and color.

[tmier]

That's so simply I have to try it. And it's probably less messy than the petro jelly mix I made up.

[WookieeJedi]

I'm gonna use up what Speeds I have first, than use up the Rages. That way, the Rages get a good long soak before going in the drink. After that, I'm going back to Speeds in their juice bath. My test was in no way scientific, and without enhancements, I have no idea which is better. For my purposes, the Speed Craw is going to be my craw of choice.

["BRB"]

The juice is easy, and no secret. I got a very large bottle of omega-3 fish oil gelcaps on sale at a local hippie-food store. I was going to take them as a supplement, but they made my burps taste like raw trout. Instead of tossing them out, I started using them as cover scent for my soft plastics. I puncture the end of the gelcap with a hook and squirt the contents in the bag with the lures. 2x of the 1000iu's does the job for a bag. I keep a small pill bottle full of them in my tackle box, in case I find a bag running a little dry while I'm on the water. Sometimes, if the lures are very absorbent, I need to put more in later. As long as the lures stay slimy, I figure they are good to go. From what I can tell, a glossy exterior on a lure seems to make it less absorbent. My saltwater grubs don't absorb much at all, while the Speed Craws and BPS senkos absorb more. I didn't really think it was working as an attractant until I started the craw battle. Now, I suppose it would be hard to deny that scent plays a big part in attracting fish. I know I'm not going to fish without it again, and I'll definitely start looking at plastics for their absorbency as well as action and color.

I'm going to have to try this too!