craw presentation with weedy bottom?

[txchaser]

On one of the lakes I fished recently I noticed multiple fish with 1"+ craw pinchers (orange, if it matter) poking out of the stomach. So these craws were on the bigger end. What I'm trying to figure out is the best way to present a craw given the weeds. Channels of weeds, submerged weeds, grassy weeds, etc. Oh and weeds on the bottom too. So my jig run was miserable, as I had to move very fast to stay off the bottom, and they would often drop too far into the bottom mat to be seen. 

 

Stuff like rage craw flaps an awful lot moving through the water. Seemed to pick up some dinks on it, but nothing of size. GYCB Kreature and hula grub did ok, but not great. Bigger fish were happy to bite other stuff, like a magnum fluke. Same bigger fish were the ones that had craws poking out. Didn't try a craw rattletrap as they seemed to want more time to stare at whatever I was throwing at them; fast moving stuff was mostly ignored.

 

Maybe really light neko rig weight to get the standup as it rests on the weeds?

 

So I'm thinking weightless (or nearly) plastic, but which one? One thing I didn't try that crossed my mind later was just tossing a fat ika in pumpkin, but maybe there's something that would match better? 

 

 

[A-Jay]

In conditions you've describe, 

I have be drop shotting Rage craws for the past few seasons with quite a bit of success.

I use both an open hook (like nose hook the end) and an ewg tex-posed.  Just adjust your gear (rod, line, hook size and leader length) to match the conditions.

If you want a bigger bait, try the Rage Lobster. 

A-Jay 

[txchaser]

Thanks @A-Jay I can see how that would work. Change anything (other than t-rig it) if there are a lot of standing weeds even in the channels?

 

edit: a lot isn't a great description, it's fine to take a trolling motor through, but I'll definitely end up dragging the kit through some weeds.

[Bankbeater]

Have you tried punching through the weeds to get to the bottom?

[BoatSquirrel]

Rage Rig...a rage craw or thereabouts on a belly weighted swimbait hook.

 

[txchaser]

6 hours ago, Bankbeater said:

Have you tried punching through the weeds to get to the bottom?

I haven't, but I will. I suppose that's where they are finding the craws

 

[Catt]

@txchaser I'm assuming "tx" means you're in Texas?

 

Regardless ya gonna have to learn how to fish the bottom under the grass!

 

Crawfish don't live on top of they grass the live under it.

[ChrisD46]

On ‎5‎/‎1‎/‎2019 at 12:11 AM, A-Jay said:

In conditions you've describe, 

I have be drop shotting Rage craws for the past few seasons with quite a bit of success.

I use both an open hook (like nose hook the end) and an ewg tex-posed.  Just adjust your gear (rod, line, hook size and leader length) to match the conditions.

If you want a bigger bait, try the Rage Lobster. 

A-Jay 

+1 here ... Other craws to consider would be the Bio Spawn Vile Craw , the Yum Christie Craw , Berkley Power Bait Chigger Craw - or for a finesse drop shot try the Z-Man TRD CrawZ .

[NHBull]

I have also put the craw on a grass jig and had better than average luck

[OkobojiEagle]

On 4/30/2019 at 10:49 PM, txchaser said:

Bigger fish were happy to bite other stuff, like a magnum fluke. Same bigger fish were the ones that had craws poking out.

 

Seems you've already found your answer...

 

oe

[Sam]

Suggestions:

1.  Use a heavy pegged weight to get the bait on the bottom.

2.  Use rattles in your plastic crawfish baits.

3.  Go weedless with your hook or Texas rig the bait.

4.  Rage Tail craws have fast moving flappers which makes them great for warmer water presentations for jigs. Use them.

5.  Match the crawfish colors as best you can, especially the flappers on your Rage Tail plastic craws for jigs or just fish them out of the package on your hook.

6.  Understand that you are in grass and it is a pain and you will have to fight the grass and remove it from your bait after every cast.

7.  Do the opposite: go with an unweighted crawfish bait and fish it on top of the grass, moving it slowly like a crawfish on top of grass and letting it pause and sit on top of the grass during your retrieve. Sometimes doing things backwards works best.
8.  Experiment. Large presentations; small presentations; with rattles; without rattles; different color combinations; fast; slow; on the bottom; on the top; in between; swim along the grass lines; out from the grass into open water; and whatever.

 

Let us know what you do and what you catch.

[Jleebesaw]

Being a northerner, my first thought is to use a tube when the craws are out. Typically I'm using them on rocks for smallies, but I have texas rigged them to use in weeds. You can use a wide gap hook or carefully rig a tube jig with the hook inside the tube.

[928JLH]

I'd try the craw colored lipless and rip it through. If it's in front of them they will react.

 

Not sure what set up you are using but the mojo can be pulled through gnarly weeds and stay clean. 

[IgotWood]

Rage rig a craw! Use a hook with very little weight. You may even want to go completely weightless. 

 

Also, try a 6mm glass bead on your line in front of your hook. It makes it even more weedless. Don’t ask why, but it works... 

 

[wcjohnson]

I'm in a similar situation and had the some question - had some success on weightless presentations, but definitely going to have to try some of these out!

[txchaser]

On 5/2/2019 at 5:22 AM, Catt said:

@txchaser I'm assuming "tx" means you're in Texas?

Indeed!

 

On 5/2/2019 at 7:40 AM, Sam said:

Use rattles in your plastic crawfish baits

You know, this should have been obvious, since I have them for jigs. 

 

On 5/2/2019 at 7:40 AM, Sam said:

 

Let us know what you do and what you catch.

Will do. 

On 5/2/2019 at 8:07 AM, Jleebesaw said:

Being a northerner, my first thought is to use a tube when the craws are out. Typically I'm using them on rocks for smallies, but I have texas rigged them to use in weeds. You can use a wide gap hook or carefully rig a tube jig with the hook inside the tube.

No tubes, but lots of Ikas. Do they fish meaningfully differently?