Suggestions for crawfish drop shot

[FryDog62]

So what is your preferred plastic craw for drop shotting smallmouth? 

[corn-on-the-rob]

I know it's not actually a craw, but a small tube works wonders on DS.

[Turkey sandwich]

I don't really dropshot craws much, but if I were to pick something, the Vile craw would probably be high on the list because of it's versatility and how easy it is to modify.  

[wisconsin heat]

I like the smaller size YUM crawbug on a dropshot.

 

When I dropshot a craw I usually fish it different than a worm or minnow bait. Shorter leader and less wiggling and shaking. Instead, more drag and deadstick.

[SWVABass]

Never used a craw but I think if I were going to a pyschodad by Yamamoto.

[A-Jay]

The drop shot craw has been one of my most effective deep summer smb bait's for a while now.

Started out with a SK baby rage craw & have since move to the regular SK rage craw..  Open water gets a nose hook and just above some grass I go with a thinner wire ewg - 3/0 I think - usually a standard Gamakatsu works.

A-Jay

[FryDog62]

5 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

The drop shot craw has been one of my most effective deep summer smb bait's for a while now.

Started out with a SK baby rage craw & have since move to the regular SK rage craw..  Open water gets a nose hook and just above some grass I go with a thinner wire ewg - 3/0 I think - usually a standard Gamakatsu works.

A-Jay

Was thinking of that exact set up myself, good to hear it's worked for you.  Curious, how far above the drop shot to you tie the hook, how much weight, and do you give it much action or primarily drag?

[A-Jay]

On ‎9‎/‎20‎/‎2017 at 8:45 AM, FryDog62 said:

Was thinking of that exact set up myself, good to hear it's worked for you.  Curious, how far above the drop shot to you tie the hook, how much weight, and do you give it much action or primarily drag?

First I have to say I rarely fish vertical, I'm almost always casting a ways or at the very least 1/2 casting. 

In open water (meaning clean(er) bottom of sand, small rock or gravel ~ leader length depends on water clarity for me.  So Clean bottom, good vis, length up to say 24 inch and that's max usually it's closer to 14.  On clean bottom but less vis I go closer to the bottom say 10-12 inches.

 

 On bottoms with grass or "whatever weed" as I don't know the name of it but it's like 4-6 inches of PIA weed, I like to be right above it and to account to variances in vegetation length, I use the ewg hook here.

 

I fish it like 'live bait'.  Cast it out leave it.  Move it a foot or two, leave it.  The LESS I do with it, the more I get bit.

btw - if there are pike (or tooth equivalent) around, they eat this deal readily and often bit the whole thing off.  Bums me out. 

 

This is just a basic guide line and if it's windy I use more but in 15 ft or less I use 1/8 to a 1/4 oz.  In more than that & for super long casts in the wind I'll go 3/8 to even a 1/2 or more it's a very deep bite and I want to be sure I'm holding bottom and want to get down to the fish quickly.

 

A-Jay

 

[Megastink]

Baby Rage Craw.

[Scarborough817]

baby paca craw it floats up because of the air chamber

[FryDog62]

18 minutes ago, Scarborough817 said:

baby paca craw it floats up because of the air chamber

Good idea, I think Damiki has one too..

[Scarborough817]

17 minutes ago, FryDog62 said:

Good idea, I think Damiki has one too..

any z man craw would float too

[webertime]

 Lunker City's Hellgrammite is money on a DS. 

[Columbia Craw]

Baby Rage Craw nose hooked with a wide gap finesse hook.  The Big Bite Baby Yo Mamma is also a very good lure to drop shot. Again, use the wide gap finesse hook.

[Frenchman83]

Check out Hollywood Hair Jigs.  They have a dropshot hair option that look great.

[abhgroup]

6 hours ago, FryDog62 said:

Good idea, I think Damiki has one too..

Yeah it's called the air craw

[FryDog62]

On 9/19/2017 at 11:41 PM, wisconsin heat said:

I like the smaller size YUM crawbug on a dropshot.

 

When I dropshot a craw I usually fish it different than a worm or minnow bait. Shorter leader and less wiggling and shaking. Instead, more drag and deadstick.

Where do you get the small Yum Crawbug in the green color with orange on the under side?  I found it in black with orange but not the pumpkin green/orange.  That would match the crayfish in the waters I fish really well.  

[wisconsin heat]

2 hours ago, FryDog62 said:

Where do you get the small Yum Crawbug in the green color with orange on the under side?  I found it in black with orange but not the pumpkin green/orange.  That would match the crayfish in the waters I fish really well.  

Its just called Crawdad, Picture looks very dark on TW, but the ones I have purchased look closer to the one i posted.

[ww2farmer]

GYCB Fat baby craws are very effective for me.

[gall]

Like Frenchman +1 for Hollywood hair jigs they are 25 minutes away from me and he makes some very nice jigs even got mentioned in the midwest finesse report 

[FryDog62]

On 9/20/2017 at 6:21 PM, Frenchman83 said:

Check out Hollywood Hair Jigs.  They have a dropshot hair option that look great.

Can you send a link with a dropshot hair jig option? I’m thinking that also might be something worth trying - but I’m having hard time thinking about the typical 45 degree eye on hair jigs and how that would work presenting it vertically?  Thx!

[roadwarrior]

On 9/20/2017 at 7:38 AM, A-Jay said:

The drop shot craw has been one of my most effective deep summer smb bait's for a while now.

Started out with a SK baby rage craw & have since move to the regular SK rage craw..  Open water gets a nose hook and just above some grass I go with a thinner wire ewg - 3/0 I think - usually a standard Gamakatsu works.

A-Jay

I still prefer the Baby Craw.  

 

BTW, a few years ago we had a BassResource RoadTrip at Pickwick. On Sunday

we had The Storm Of The Century, 18" of rain! The only boat on the entire lake

to leave safe harbor was Big O and two soldiers just back from their third tour

in Iraq. The long version of this story is pretty interesting, but I will just cut to

the chase here: 144 smallmouth including two Personal Bests! They caught a

few on the newly released Red Eye Shad, but the vast majority were fooled by

the Rage Tail Baby Craw (watermelon/ red flake).

 

[bowhunter63]

Baby Rage Craw

[NVD20]

Baby/rage craw in either blue craw or bama craw color depending  on the time of year, I also use these texas rigged depending on the size of the fish Im catching.

[Frenchman83]

On 10/8/2017 at 10:24 AM, FryDog62 said:

Can you send a link with a dropshot hair jig option? I’m thinking that also might be something worth trying - but I’m having hard time thinking about the typical 45 degree eye on hair jigs and how that would work presenting it vertically?  Thx!

After not seeing them on the website I sent a message.  They are still in the demo phase but progressing.  It is a hook tied with hair similar to a fly.  No weight.