Color Or Motion

[gall]

i fish the crik a lot for smallies and throw out a lot of craw style baits and my question is in clearer water do you think they react to the shape and movement of the bait or the color of the bait

[mikeymike]

I would say the movement. A brown crayfish is the same as a leaf until it moves.

[gall]

thats what i thought too i wasnt a 100% but pretty sure thanks

[mikeymike]

oh that was just my opinion lol

[smalljaw67]

Gall, I know the "crick" (PA slang for creek) you fish well as I fish the river and have often went up that creek when the river was up around 6'. Most of the time the fish react to the movement, in clear water when you dead stick a plastic craw on a jig head the shape is the attractor, they will often look at it until it moves and then strike. I make a finesse jig using a soft plastic craw as a trailer but I only use a very sparse skirt, 15 strands and what it does is when I pitch that jig into a likely holding spot I anticipate it to get hit on the fall and if it doesn't I'll leave it sit motionless for about 10 seconds, the reason is when the jig fell it may have got the attention of a fish but the fish is just looking, when the jig is on the bottom the skirt strands are seperating and slowly falling so that little bit of movement doesn't get them to strike then I'll give the jig a quick hop, not a big movement maybe 6" or 8" and that is when I get a lot of strikes. I use those craw baits as a target bait, I very seldom throw them to open water.

[gall]

That's what I was thinking cause ill use a yum crawbug in green pumpkin since it looks the closest thing thing to a crawdad but by any chance copuld you show me some pictures of the jig you make so I can try it out and what size weight do you use cause I've been mainly using an 1/8 oz since the crik is so low

[smalljaw67]

That's what I was thinking cause ill use a yum crawbug in green pumpkin since it looks the closest thing thing to a crawdad but by any chance copuld you show me some pictures of the jig you make so I can try it out and what size weight do you use cause I've been mainly using an 1/8 oz since the crik is so low

Here is a pic of the type of jig I use, I will vary the size of the head from 1/8oz to 3/16oz most of the time and 1/4oz if I'm deeper than 5' or in heavy current. I think a super realistic craw is a good thing if the bite is extremely tough and it could help get an extra strike or two but I've been experimenting and the craw I use on my finesse jigs is the best I've tried so far, it has enough realism to get the attention of the fish, the movement is subtle but the fall and stance it takes on the bottom put it over the edge. Like I said, a realistic bait is good but you increse your catch with a good presentation.

[gall]

what kind of craw and what kind of jig do you use because i love that set up its perfect id probaly go max 1/4oz probably more 3/16 or 1/8

[smalljaw67]

what kind of craw and what kind of jig do you use because i love that set up its perfect id probaly go max 1/4oz probably more 3/16 or 1/8

Gall, I have a lot of success with that little bait. I make the jig and I make it in 3 sizes, 1/8oz which I use the most, 3/16oz is another that gets frequent use and 1/4oz which sees a lot of action in lakes and not so much in the river. It is a ball head jig with an extremely light 5/64" weed guard and a flat eye hook and for my own personal jigs I use the Mustad 32798 hooks but I also make them with Owner 5326 cross eye hooks and Gamagatsu 614 hooks. The craw comes from River Rock Baits, it is called a Jakes Craw and it took a long tome to find a trailer that really worked with the jig.

[gall]

thanks so much for the tips im gonna start making my own bullet weights and jigs