Rage Craws

[rowyourboat]

how do you guys rig/fish these bad boys?

thanks!

[RoLo]

I use the rage craw as a jig trailer, but much prefer the rage lobster

as a standalone lure threaded on an 3/8oz Owner type-Z bullet head.

You're right , they are Bad Boys

Roger

[Hammer 4]

Everyway you can  think of...

[soccplayer07]

I texas rig it with an owner 4/0 ewg and use the lightest weight I can get away with.

[Bassin_Fin@tic]

Everyway you can think of...

Agree. They just work. I like them in the dirty water I fish as they put off a lot of thump.

[Shane J]

Tx rigged, keel weighted, stand up jig head, Carolina rig, jig trailer, even weightless. There's so many different ways to present this bait to catch fish. My favorite ways to use 'em, are as a trailer, or on a spot remover stand up jig(substitute a lobster here for even a bigger profile, or baby craw for smaller). Have fun with 'em, and plan on catching some piggies!

[CWB]

I use the rage craw as a jig trailer, but much prefer the rage lobster

as a standalone lure threaded on an 3/8oz Owner type-Z bullet head.

You're right , they are Bad Boys

Roger

I'm with Roger.

Craw as a trailer and Lobster t-rigged.

Craw can be t-rigged also for a more compact presentation.

[Big-O]

rowyourboat,

This information can be found under rigging thru out our websites but for your convenience:

The Rage Craw can be rigged with a variety of hook sizes and styles depending on the type of presentation you are looking for. Texas rigged using a bullet weight from 1/8 oz to 1 oz depending on the amount of wind and water depth when fishing. ¼ oz is standard. For casting with a drag and stop, or lift and fall retrieve, an un-pegged weight is very popular. For flipping or pitching in brush or trees, a pegged weight is advised to keep the bait and weight together which helps you to better navigate the structure as well as provide a more vertical presentation.

Using the Rage Craw as a Jig Trailer is very popular when a slightly larger or longer profile is desired over the standard chunk size trailer. It can be used on the standard skirted football, flipping or casting jigs, or on a stand up jig head as well.

Carolina rigged is also very effective using as light of a weight as necessary for the wind and depth conditions. This technique allows the bait to free swim at any and all depths which is very attractive to the fish.

Another up and coming rig is using a keel weighted hook. This allows the bait to fall with a different profile and action and is extremely effective for finicky fish in shallow water and over grass or moss beds. Light or low wind conditions are best for this style of presentation.

Completely weightless using an EWG hook in the sizes mentioned below, gives an excellent finesse top water presentation that allows a gentle fluttering, flapping top action and lets the bait slowly fall in the grass pockets when needed.

Any of the popular hook designs are effective with the Craw which includes Standard offset worm hook and EWG hook. Preferred sizes are 3/0 to 4/0 in each.

Have fun friend and fish safe

Big O

www.ragetail.com

[senile1]

I can't add much to the previous posts.  I love the craws as jig trailers.  I'm curious how the bass will respond to them under Winter conditions.  (By Winter conditions I mean water temps in the 30s.)  The action of the claws is so pronounced I'm thinking these may not be subtle enough for lethargic bass, even when fished at a snail's pace.  Big-O?

[Paul Roberts]

Can't add too much either. Except to say the Rage craw chunk is my favorite plastic skirted jig trailer. It has great action and is more durable than many other craw trailers (I hate it when claws are torn off). Add to that, Big-O is a gentlemen.

As to winter: Subtle isn't necessarily always what you want in winter. Action is fine, just not much horizontal speed. Didn't think about the Rage used this way. Hmmmmm.... maybe a split Rage craw to get a single tail -a Rage grub, fished with short pumps, like a blade bait. Hmmmmm...

[senile1]

As to winter: Subtle isn't necessarily always what you want in winter. Action is fine, just not much horizontal speed. Didn't think about the Rage used this way. Hmmmmm.... maybe a split Rage craw to get a single tail -a Rage grub, fished with short pumps, like a blade bait. Hmmmmm...

True.  Some of the best winter fishing I have ever experienced involved lures that weren't fished in a subtle manner.  But more often than not, for me, I've found that slow and subtle works better when it is  cold.  I've really found the Rage Craws to be very good all the way down into the 40s but this Winter the snows have been so heavy and the temperatures so cold I haven't been able to test them in extremely cold water. 

By the way, the Rage Grub idea sounds cool.   

[Big-O]

Hey senile1,

I am also of the opinion that cold water says "Slow as you Go" when fishing jigs, but it is my experience that the rate of fall, the speed that I move the jig and the speed that I cover any given structure with the jig is the biggest determining factor for catching the fish. Just because they are cold doesn't necessarily mean that they disapprove of a particular action that your chosen bait provides.

Please remember, this is my opinion only and based on my personal experiences....from 40+ yrs of jig fishing.

For example, winding Rattletraps in late winter or early Spring here in TX is popular. Fishing this fast moving, loud and annoying bait is a proven technique for many big fish but often you have to repetitively cast at certain structure before you can get the fish to hit. When the fish are cold, allowing them to have the time to get things going mentally and physically is important. This is not to say that when a bait falls or runs directly in front of a fish and at the proper speed, that the fish won't immediately strike, but more often than not the fish has to overcome it's lethargic state and cover some amount of water to find the bait. Fall rate, speed of retrieve or the actual speed that I move the jig thru the fish's lair is priority one for me.

To senile1's question of, "is a Rage Craw subtle enough for cold water use".....For years, I have used only Rage Tail Chunks, Baby Craws, Craws or Lobsters as jig trailers year around and that's not because I have a need to pet my own pride but moreover, I have a need to catch fish here's one from last Jan. on jig n Lobster and thanks for all of you folks who commented.

Big O

www.ragetail.com

[rondef]

That is one nice hawg you got there Big O.  I love using the jig and lobster combination.

[RoLo]

I've found that slow and subtle works better when it is cold. I've really found the Rage Craws to be very good all the way down into the 40s but this Winter the snows have been so heavy and the temperatures so cold I haven't been able to test them in extremely cold water.

That's a moot point Ed, and I'm glad you brought it up.

The answer to that quandary should be relevant to the best wobble for cold water cranking.

But oddly enough, I've read articles written by "professional" anglers that were

diametrically opposed as to the best crankbait wobble for cold water.

I'm going to lead with my chin here, and say that the speed of the wobble

is less important than the "stroke" of the wobble. That is to say, a plug with a wide wobble,

although it may be a slow wobble, would be more appropriate for warm water.

Conversely, a lipless crank which has a very fast wobble but a very short stroke

would be better suited to cold water. Indeed, most would agree that the Rat-L-Trap

is the first plug to catch bass after ice out. Based on that analogy,

the strike king rage craw and rage lobster should be excellent cold water lures.

I hope to find out in the weeks ahead.

Roger

[Big-O]

Another thought Roger,

Rattle Traps cast like a bullet and cover vast amounts of water really quick. The loud noise that accompanies them possibly serves as a stimulant or wake up call for lethargic fish and since they can hear it from a distance, by the time it passes by they are much more alert and whammo "reaction strike'.

Do I have my chin out there too ;D

Big O

www.ragetail.com

[Catt]

How many times have y'all flipped/pitched a jig in the dead of winter without a bite only to have a bass nail while quickly reeling it back in.

[A-Rob]

Texas rig 'em or you can throw it on a carolina rig to....jig and pig as well

[Paul Roberts]

How many times have y'all flipped/pitched a jig in the dead of winter without a bite only to have a bass nail while quickly reeling it back in.

I have...but...that wouldn't be my primary retrieve. Taming horizontal speed, but not necessarily lure action, will usually catch more fish.

One of the best cold water lures -the suspending jerkbait -illustrates this really well. They offer good attraction but also are deemed catchable by "lethargic" bass during the suspended pause. As it gets colder, longer pauses become more important.

Other top winter techniques like slow-rolled SBs often work best with the same scenario -after popping free of an obstruction, then pausing or falling. Similarly, blade-baits and yo-yo'd SBs work really well in that they attract and trigger without much horizontal movement.

Another good winter bait I've added to my box is the Chatter type baits. I avoided the hype until I realized how well they slow roll.

I do wonder about a Rage grub as a winter bait fished like a blade bait -but snagless.

[RoLo]

Taming horizontal speed, but not necessarily lure action, will usually catch more fish.

One of the best cold water lures -the suspending jerkbait -illustrates this really well.

I came very close to mentioning the jerkbait analogy, I'm glad you filled in that space.

As Big-O rightly pointed out, we certainly do get impulse strikes during the cold water period,

but IMO, most bass in cold water cannot muster that surge of power,

and would be more inclined to let it get away (of course, this all depends on the definition of cold)

Another good winter bait I've added to my box is the Chatter type baits. I avoided the hype until I realized how well they slow roll.

I too avoided the chatterbait hype, which has really cooled off as late.

Keep us abreast on your slow-rolling findings Paul, I might still latch on.

Is that banana-breathe I smell ;D

Roger

[senile1]

(By Winter conditions I mean water temps in the 30s.)

When I asked the question about fishing the Rage Craws in winter temperatures I was referring to water temperatures just above freezing. In my Winter fishing trips, and I don't take that many, when the surface water is, say 35 degrees, I have not had much success with jerkbaits and crankbaits using them in the manner that is typically recommended (i.e. tight wobbling crankbaits and long pauses with jerkbaits), thus my question about Rage Craws with their "tight wobbling" claws. I do agree that horizontal movement must be extremely slow but I'm still uncertain about wobbling or side to side action once water temperatures are this low. Do you feel these recommendations still apply at these temperatures?

By the way, that's a nice bass Big-O! 

[Paul Roberts]

Taming horizontal speed, but not necessarily lure action, will usually catch more fish.

One of the best cold water lures -the suspending jerkbait -illustrates this really well.

I came very close to mentioning the jerkbait analogy, I'm glad you filled in that space.

As Big-O rightly pointed out, we certainly do get impulse strikes during the cold water period,

but IMO, most bass in cold water cannot muster that surge of power,

and would be more inclined to let it get away (of course, this all depends on the definition of cold)

Another good winter bait I've added to my box is the Chatter type baits. I avoided the hype until I realized how well they slow roll.

I too avoided the chatterbait hype, which has really cooled off as late.

Keep us abreast on your slow-rolling findings Paul, I might still latch on.

Is that banana-breathe I smell ;D

Roger

(By Winter conditions I mean water temps in the 30s.)

When I asked the question about fishing the Rage Craws in winter temperatures I was referring to water temperatures just above freezing. In my Winter fishing trips, and I don't take that many, when the surface water is, say 35 degrees, I have not had much success with jerkbaits and crankbaits using them in the manner that is typically recommended (i.e. tight wobbling crankbaits and long pauses with jerkbaits), thus my question about Rage Craws with their "tight wobbling" claws. I do agree that horizontal movement must be extremely slow but I'm still uncertain about wobbling or side to side action once water temperatures are this low. Do you feel these recommendations still apply at these temperatures?

Guess I'll try to kill two birds here, ramble a bit wide, and take some guesses.

RoLo said:

of course, this all depends on the definition of cold

Cold is both relative and absolute. I know that seems like a contradiction, but

While bass adjust (acclimate and acclimatize) to ambient temps there seems to be an overall effect of temperature on bass' ability to perform. This has been shown repeatedly in the laboratory and more recently in associated field studies both with semi-captive fish in natural locations and with free-ranging fish by telemetry.

In my fishing, although bass do feed and may chase all year long, I recognize that there are real limitations based on temperature. I see it in terms of the retrieve speeds required to trigger strikes. Basically, in the 40s I need to give fish more time to react. In the 50s I can pick up speed. By 55 I can regularly get bass to smack topwaters. It doesn't appear to just be location either. By 60 or 65 it seems bass often need speed to get a reaction the opposite of the norm when temps are in the 40s. It's not that action needs to diminish as much as forward speed.

The relative part comes in on a shorter term basis, cold snaps that can reduce bass activity. This is somewhat rarer than a lot of anglers believe I think. Since I started taking actual temp profiles I've realized how difficult it is to knock water temps down very much. But it does happen and I've noticed that I have to adjust like longer pauses with jerkbaits, or if I'm impatient, just go to a jig.

Ed, I had noticed your saying temps in the 30s I have virtually no experience with that, with bass. By the time water temps dip below 40 it always seems the first powerful fronts ice things over and the nights are too long and sun's just not high enough where I am to bring things back.

With trout, such extremes (and these are coldwater fish) affect performance tremendously and I'm better off fishing really slack spots and putting it on their noses. It's not that they aren't capable of bursts of energy, especially under stable (but frigid) temps I've had steelhead leap clear in super-cooled warter -31F! But if you expect them to move far to take, much less chase, you are in for a slow day.

For what it's worth, I still think action is less the issue than is horizontal speed. The telemetry I've seen shows bass crowding into winter quarters as temps drop into the 30s. I would expect that location is first, and I wouldn't be afraid of action it should still attract, but the bait has to appear catchable. Ice anglers would have more to say I'm sure. From the ice fishing I've done and read about, under the ice, various species vary tremendously in what they will respond to on a daily basis. Some days it's barely any movement, other days a more vigorous approach draws fish. But remember these are vertical presentations, so horizontal movement isn't involved.

Rogerbanana breath??

[Big-O]

(By Winter conditions I mean water temps in the 30s.)

When I asked the question about fishing the Rage Craws in winter temperatures I was referring to water temperatures just above freezing. In my Winter fishing trips, and I don't take that many, when the surface water is, say 35 degrees, I have not had much success with jerkbaits and crankbaits using them in the manner that is typically recommended (i.e. tight wobbling crankbaits and long pauses with jerkbaits), thus my question about Rage Craws with their "tight wobbling" claws. I do agree that horizontal movement must be extremely slow but I'm still uncertain about wobbling or side to side action once water temperatures are this low. Do you feel these recommendations still apply at these temperatures?

By the way, that's a nice bass Big-O!

Really informative discussion by all involved and covering some terrific details to boot. To slow the fall of a jig, there are 3 main things controlled by individual choice to consider:

1) weight of the jig

2) size and bulk of the skirt and/or trailer used

3) amount of water resistance provided by trailer from action received

There are other things that will make slight variations such as line weight, type etc. but these IMO are the priority three. Many folks fail to realize the skirt factor but it is big as well.

There was a time back when, that there was little or no received action from the trailer with the exception of what the fisherman added with his rod tip. Also the plastics then were not as finely tuned by overall design and with the latest in plastic recipes and designs, the action factor providing additional water resistance becomes as relevant for fall speeds as any of them.

Big O

www.ragetail.com

[RoLo]

Roger, banana-breath??

He da Bate Munkey ;D

Paul, I agree with your take regarding slow horizontal speed in cold water,

and bass's tolerance to the speed of lure-action in cold water. Two good examples

are the "lipless crank", which exhibits very rapid lure action at a low forward speed,

and winter blade baits like the Silver Buddy and Cicada, which winter anglers

routinely rip rapidly upward, so bass can seize the lure during its slow parachute decent.

Exceptions are rampant of course, but that's fishing.

Roger

[senile1]

Thanks for all the responses to my question.  I didn't mean to hijack rowyourboat's thread.  The questions still involved the Rage Craw.  Smithville Lake, north of KC, gets down to 34 or 35 degrees surface temperature every winter and stays there for a couple of months.  The coves usually ice over.  The fish are generally inactive during this time but as you know, they have to eat at some point.  I'm always looking for information to help me with my strategy for this lake.  Thanks, again. 

[RoLo]

Thanks for all the responses to my question. I didn't mean to hijack rowyourboat's thread.

It goes without saying, blatant hijacking of another member's thread is clearly unacceptable.

But I think it's a mistake to view every subtopic response as a "hijacked" thread.

I've found that some of the most interesting and informative threads

were collateral byproducts of the parent thread, something from which we all benefit.

Roger