Crayfish Colors

[FishingMN718]

I was out with my friends today in a creek catching crayfish under rocks. I noticed that they were all a dark brown with just a little bit of orange in the claws. That got me thinking. What times of the year should I throw different colored craw lures? If anyone knows anything about craw colors I'd be happy to hear.

[Dogmatic]

Ours are the same, brownish, greenish, with a hint of orange in the claws, lighter belly, so I pretty much throw that all year long. Never seen a blue craw, or bright red, or yellowish one(not that they don't exist),so I "match the hatch".Some manufacturers call it "spring craw", some "summer", but it's what I go with.

[WRB]

Go online and search for crayfish colors, some excellent links on this topic.

Crayfish/crawdads change coloration depending on stage of growth and environment they live in, plus there are 100's of species.

Catching and studying the crayfish where you live and fish is the best way to determine local types of crayfish you have and their colors.

Tom

[the reel ess]

I have different color jigs/chunks. But when I throw a t-rigged craw it's Zoom black sapphire. I've never seen a black crawfish, but these plain work for me. The waters around here always have some stain to them, so I guess these are easier to locate. I caught a PB on it.

[IndyGlockMan]

I caught 4 nice bass today around docks with green pumpkin Rage craws

That's the "go to" color around here year 'round unless the water is really stained I use black/blue

The Rage Bama Craw color works great too

[HeavyDluxe]

I'd just buy something in between the light and dark that you've seen in the environment and run with it.  I don't think super-small variations are going to matter much in your catch rate.

 

(Note:  I know there are days where green pumpkin with purple flecks catches when green pumpkin with any other color doesn't. I'm simply saying that those circumstance, on the whole, are rare enough not to lose sleep over.)

[Catt]

Go online and search for crayfish colors, some excellent links on this topic.

Crayfish/crawdads change coloration depending on stage of growth and environment they live in, plus there are 100's of species.

Catching and studying the crayfish where you live and fish is the best way to determine local types of crayfish you have and their colors.

Tom

Exactly except there are 300 species in America

[BobP]

You can probably find color patterns for crawfish in your area if you check online.  Some universities maintain albums of color pics.  While there are lots of species, the majority are either brown or dull green.  They may have red, orange, or blue accents depending on the species and time of year.  It never hurts to turn over a few rocks where you are fishing to see what the current color is.

[scaleface]

I've seen a lot of different color craws even purple ones .

[BassinLou]

I caught a bass over the weekend that puked up a fully entact baby crawfish. I took my cell and started taking pics. I want to make some jigs match that color!! Lol!! 

[Jon G]

I took a day off from fishing one day and decided to go to spots I could access on foot to look for craws to find out what they look like in my area. The ones in my area are a blackish/brown with orange. I still throw a Green Pumpkin Jig but I color the tips of my trailers orange with a Spike-it marker. 

 

 

 

[the reel ess]

I took a day off from fishing one day and decided to go to spots I could access on foot to look for craws to find out what they look like in my area. The ones in my area are a blackish/brown with orange. I still throw a Green Pumpkin Jig but I color the tips of my trailers orange with a Spike-it marker. 

Cockroach color.

[the reel ess]

I'd just buy something in between the light and dark that you've seen in the environment and run with it.  I don't think super-small variations are going to matter much in your catch rate.

 

(Note:  I know there are days where green pumpkin with purple flecks catches when green pumpkin with any other color doesn't. I'm simply saying that those circumstance, on the whole, are rare enough not to lose sleep over.)

Right. I mean if they'll bite black, electric blue or white...

[Catt]

Uh! There is black crawfis, blue crawfish, & white crawfish!

I throw black with blue flake & blue claws, black neon, or Falcon Lake Craw.

[BobP]

Lou, a craw that's been in a bass's digestive tract for awhile won't be the color of a live uneaten crawfish.

[BassinLou]

Lou, a craw that's been in a bass's digestive tract for awhile won't be the color of a live uneaten crawfish.

True, however the craw was just eaten.

[Comfortably Numb]

Alabama Craw is a good all around craw color. Green Pumpkin back and orange underside

[the reel ess]

Uh! There is black crawfis, blue crawfish, & white crawfish!

I throw black with blue flake & blue claws, black neon, or Falcon Lake Craw.

I don't think the bass where I fish know there exist black, ELECTRIC BLUE and white crawfish. I think they're just biting a bait they can see that somewhat represents something they normally like. Black/blue can't hide, even in stained water. If the bite was extremely tough and the water was gin clear, I'd probably feel I needed to more accurately match the hatch.

 

[Munkin]

http://www.pixelpayback.com/craws/hoverbox/index.html

 

This website shows a lot of different colored crayfish.

 

Allen

[Munkin]

http://iz.carnegiemnh.org/crayfish/country_pages/species_by_state.htm

 

This link shows what crayfish live in your area.

 

Allen

[timsford]

Our craws around here are green or brown with orange claws. I usually buy green pumpkin and use orange dye on the claws. If the water is muddy though black and blue produces best for me, even though ive never seen a craw that color around here

[Montanaro]

I've seen a lot of solid black, olive, green pumpkin. Even blueish purple

[the reel ess]

After looking through the possible species of my area, I can see why they'll bite any color.

[Ratherbfishing]

I'd worry LESS about matching "the hatch" and more about matching the lake conditions-particularly water clarity.

[poisonokie]

its best to do what you did and see for yourself what they look like in the water you're fishing. Crawfish can be very area specific. For instance, my honey hole has big black and blue 'dads with orange tipped pincers and I've never seen them anywhere else. Here is a pic of a detached pincer next to a 4" worm, and one being eaten by a crayfish snake.