Favorite Finesse Craw/Creature Bait

[fishballer06]

I'm looking for everyone's opinion on their favorite finesse craw/creature/beaver style bait and how do you rig/fish it? I'm targeting some river smallmouth and I'm curious to see if everyone is using something different than what I'm trying. 

[A-Jay]

Strike King Rage Bug has been getting it done for me every where I fish it and every way I rig it ALL SEASON.

This is the most recent deal for smallies -  

Freedom Tackle Stealth Swim Jighead 1/2 with standard 4/0 ewg Gamakatsu worm hook.

Comes through cover well and is especially killer when skirted along the bottom with a stop & go retrieve.

Don't tell anyone. 

A-Jay

[KDW96]

Kietech Crazy Flapper 2.8 , have worked very well.

[Catt]

[Russ E]

The most consistent creature bait for me is the Havoc Pit boss. 

I usually Texas rig it on a 2/0 VMC wide gap hook, with a pegged 1/4 oz. bullet weight.

Most of the time I am pitching into brush piles and fallen timber.

I will go up to a 1/2 oz weight if I am pitching or flipping heavy grass.

 

 

Edited September 28, 2017 by Weedwhacker
not a finesse bait

[Jelvas]

My favorite smaller size craw is the Zoom Ultravibe speed craw, lots of fish on that one, creatures i like the Baby Brush Hogs, smaller Pit Bosses, Baby D-Bomb etc etc... 

 

 

[Choporoz]

Agree with @KDW96.  2.8 Crazy Flappers and SKRT Menace.  Either one rigged on Owner Ultrahead Finesse Ball Head.  This head comes through rocks with current as well as any rig I've ever tried.

[Big Swimbait]

http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Cabin_Creek_Bait_Company_Spider_Parts_10pk/descpage-CCSPI.html

 

My go to finesse bait. Since the skirts are separate from the trailer, you can mix & match. My best producer has been GP trailer with the Tennessee Orange Skirt. The skirt also has one tentacle that is thicker than the rest. That is to insert the jig hook point to make it weedless.

[smalljaw67]

River Rock Custom Baits Jake's Craw and a Smallie Beaver.

[Mike L]

Rage Craw or Bug. 

If I need to go smaller I use a BB cricket 

 

 

 

Mike

[Bluebasser86]

This,

Accounted for all 5 of our keepers tonight, including these,

Rigged on one of these in 1/8oz and drug painfully slow, like a small craw would move through the rocks.

[primetime]

Zoom Critter craws are never a bad choice. They don't look like much, but they flat out catch fish all year round, make awesome trailers as well and not sure why. 

I use them in middle of summer and in winter and catch fish on those things. You can't fish em wrong either, kind of like throwing a worm.

 

The small one on the back of a little jig like the bitsy bug is a killer 

[crypt]

15 hours ago, Mike L said:

Rage Craw or Bug. 

If I need to go smaller I use a BB cricket 

 

 

 

Mike

this x2

[fishballer06]

6 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Rigged on one of these in 1/8oz and drug painfully slow, like a small craw would move through the rocks.

 

Is that a Brewer slider jig head?

[Bluebasser86]

30 minutes ago, fishballer06 said:

 

Is that a Brewer slider jig head?

Yes

[Fishin Dad]

The old Crock o Gator craw.   Nice catch.  

[DSTN]

BPS Incredible Craw or Rage Baby Menace on a light jig head or Bitsy Bug Jig. Pretty much just use a hop or drag for the Incredible Craw and a hop or swim retrieve with the Baby Menace.

[Jar11591]

Rage Tail Menace. Texas-rigged or as a jig trailer.

[MrPeanut]

Zoom ultravibe speed craw either by itself or its the perfect finesse jig trailer

 

I like the baby d bombs a lot too

[d-camarena]

Christie craws here

[Porkrind]

I’ve had good luck lately with the Havoc Rocket Craw and the Yum Mighty Bug.

[primetime]

I discovered a new worm in the spring on clearance and so glad I did. GYB Curly Tail worms, packs were probably 20 years old, thick plastic, motor oil color and other packs were clear silver flake. Way more fragile than a Senko, but the thin tail, taper, salt was done well with this worm.

 

I am not a brand name guy, but the GYB Curly Tail worms in all sizes 8" plus are my go to worm for almost every technique, I used to use the BPS squirmin worms in similar sizes but The GYB worm is flat out good.

 

I purchased a large order from Overstock because I thought GYB was not making the curly tail worms anymore, not sure how I missed this worm over the years, I guess Pre-Senko GYB baits took a back seat but these worms are like a swimming Pro Senko with the perfect taper etc..

 

The  newer Packs were not as fragile, but they still tear ssier than a Senko and bluegills love to pull the tails off, but they are still worth it. 

 

Other than plastic worms, I had some good days on the Gambler Big EZ swimbaits/Charlies Zipper Dippers, and rigged on open jig heads instead of weighted hooks and kind of like em better that way.

 

Only straight tailed worm i really used this year was the Lunker City Sluggo which is still a favorite of mine and they have 25% off right now on their site,

 Lunker City makes alot of really good baits, besides the sluggo they have a swimbait that is similar to a big hammer if you like alot of thump on a shad body. Also the Keitech looking finesse worm is really good..Big sluggos are still one of my favorite bigger fish baits. Great in Saltwater also.

 

[MichaelCopeland]

On 9/28/2017 at 7:55 AM, A-Jay said:

Strike King Rage Bug has been getting it done for me every where I fish it and every way I rig it ALL SEASON.

This is the most recent deal for smallies -  

Freedom Tackle Stealth Swim Jighead 1/2 with standard 4/0 ewg Gamakatsu worm hook.

Comes through cover well and is especially killer when skirted along the bottom with a stop & go retrieve.

Don't tell anyone. 

A-Jay

That SK Rage Bug looks exactly like the ones I have. It's watermelon red flake, right? No smallies down here that I've found yet, but those things work very well trailered on a chatter bait catching largemouth. ?

[ww2farmer]

I use down sized versions of my "go-to" baits and it works out very well.

 

Some of those baits would be:

 

R.I. Smallie Beavers, Keitech 2.8" Crazy Flappers, and GYCB Fat Baby Craws.

[whitwolf]

I like the R.I. smallie beaver. I TX rig it or use a Siebert Outdoors  3/16 Zenith shakeyhead.