Jig/Trailer Combos and how they look in the water

[ajschn06]

I have spent a lot of time this winter looking at various jig/trailer combos and how they look as they settle on the bottom.  What I've found is that the majority of trailers, regardless of what head you use will generally just settle on the bottom or roll over even.  For example, no matter what head I use a Rage Craw won't really pop up in a defensive posture regardless of the jighead.  This has obviously caught fish since the beginning of time, so not really an issue.

 

However, I've been testing some Z-Man craws and Xzone plastics recently and these are the only ones discovered that will rest with the trailer off the bottom at all.  In certain combinations, an Xzone trailer will settle and rest slightly off the ground in what I would call a "perfect" attack position and the floating claws help the jig from rolling over.  Another thing I noticed that mostly with the Zman plastics, but also with the Xzone ones on certain jigs that have lighter hooks, that trailer and jig will stand straight up and down where it's pretty much vertical.  At first I though, wow thats neat but as I thought about it more it's probably unnatural for it to be that extreme.  That would be a presentation that I'd like to see on like a ned worm, but not so sure about a jig.

 

Would you take this info into consideration at all when selecting a jig/trailer combo?  Would one of these 3 "presentation" styles fair better or would they all have their place on a certain day?  Has anyone else ever looked at this?

[Hook2Jaw]

I've tried the Z-Man Hella Crawz as a jig trailer, and with my half ounce jig it emulates that scrap posture very well.  If that's what you're after, have at it.  I think a defensive crayfish is a harder meal than one calmly scooting along the bottom.  I've always had better luck with other trailers instead of the ones that look prepped to take a limb off.

[Fishin Dad]

I am looking into the same thing for this coming season.  I really like the fact that some plastics have some buoyancy and will float the claws a little bit.  I am going to try to pause my jig and trailer a little more this year and with the floating claws, my theory is it will have more action sitting there and illicit strikes.   I am not sure it is going to make a great deal of difference to the fish, but I hope it works for me.  I grabbed some Xzone during the TW sale and have some Zman that I like, but only seem to like it without having to texpose the hook in the plastic.  I like it for jigs or jig worm fishing where the hook is exposed.   It just feels weird and doesn't expose the hook like I would like it to.  

2 minutes ago, Hook2Jaw said:

I've tried the Z-Man Hella Crawz as a jig trailer, and with my half ounce jig it emulates that scrap posture very well.  If that's what you're after, have at it.  I think a defensive crayfish is a harder meal than one calmly scooting along the bottom.  I've always had better luck with other trailers instead of the ones that look prepped to take a limb off.

Lol Hook2Jaw!  That makes some sense.  I have also read that studies show that craws without pinchers get attacked more as well.  Maybe these fish are actually smarter than we are!!!

[ajschn06]

22 minutes ago, Hook2Jaw said:

I've tried the Z-Man Hella Crawz as a jig trailer, and with my half ounce jig it emulates that scrap posture very well.  If that's what you're after, have at it.  I think a defensive crayfish is a harder meal than one calmly scooting along the bottom.  I've always had better luck with other trailers instead of the ones that look prepped to take a limb off.

 

That's a tremendous line of thinking and exactly what I was looking for...

[Bankc]

15 minutes ago, Fishin Dad said:

I am looking into the same thing for this coming season.  I really like the fact that some plastics have some buoyancy and will float the claws a little bit.  I am going to try to pause my jig and trailer a little more this year and with the floating claws, my theory is it will have more action sitting there and illicit strikes.   I am not sure it is going to make a great deal of difference to the fish, but I hope it works for me.  I grabbed some Xzone during the TW sale and have some Zman that I like, but only seem to like it without having to texpose the hook in the plastic.  I like it for jigs or jig worm fishing where the hook is exposed.   It just feels weird and doesn't expose the hook like I would like it to.  

Lol Hook2Jaw!  That makes some sense.  I have also read that studies show that craws without pinchers get attacked more as well.  Maybe these fish are actually smarter than we are!!!

One of my best days with a craw this year came after I lost the pinchers off of a craw.  After the first catch, I kept ripping them off, and the bass kept biting.  

 

Keep in mind that a defensive posture for a crawfish might be a bad thing.  It signals to the bass that the craw is aware of their presence, and is willing to put up a fight, or possibly take off.  It's a defense mechanism for the crawfish, and evolved to keep them alive.  Of course, it all depends on the mood of the bass.  Sometimes aggression inspires aggression.  Sometimes they'll wander off to find an easier meal.  

 

The Berkley "The Champ" craw has pinchers that float.  The rest of it doesn't, but the pinchers themselves will wave in the air.  

[Mobasser]

I've used all sorts of plastic craws as trailers, but I think pork trailers are still the best. Pork looks like real meat, and has a soft texture that bass like to hang on to. The only disadvantage to pork is they dry in hot weather, and  need care transporting in they're jars. Ive never seen where a defensive craw position caught more fish. I'll continue to use both, but IMO, pork rules.

[Team9nine]

I thought everyone knew it was antenna length of your trailers that determines a good jig bite or not  ?

 

[Mobasser]

1 minute ago, Team9nine said:

I thought everyone knew it was antenna length of your trailers that determines a good jig bite or not  ?

 

Yes. This is a good idea, especially in more clear water. I've been doing this since you posted this craw bait hack.

[The Bassman]

An article in In Fisherman cited a Berkley study finding that a tube was more readily taken by bass than any clawed crawfish plastic. 

[Mobasser]

16 minutes ago, The Bassman said:

An article in In Fisherman cited a Berkley study finding that a tube was more readily taken by bass than any clawed crawfish plastic. 

Very well could be. That's what's good about tubes. Your not limited to a crawfish shape. Craw, or bait fish. A tube can cover both.

[heavyduty]

Over the past couple years, many forum discussions about the ned worm have stated the success could be attributed to resembling a craw that's lost its pinchers

[T-Billy]

 I used to use action trailers anytime the water was over about 50 degrees. I've come to prefer a beaver type trailer anytime I'm fishing a jig on the bottom. It looks more natural, the wide body prevents it from rolling over, and most importantly it gets more bites no matter the water temperature. 

 Swim jigs get either a twin tail grub or a boot tail swimbait. Rage Craw's got nothin on the ol twin tail, and I make 'em for pennies apiece.

 I also used to prefer my trailers stand my jig up. I no longer care, and neither do the bass.

[Hook2Jaw]

2 hours ago, Team9nine said:

I thought everyone knew it was antenna length of your trailers that determines a good jig bite or not  ?

 

Can you link me to the thread where you talk about this?

[Bird]

I've cleaned many bass over the years and pinchers were intact. Don't think bass are afraid of them when engulfing them from the rear......especially smallmouth. 

 

[WRB]

Smallmouth try to bite the claws off, LMB just engulf the whole crawdad.

Football jigs don’t roll over. Good pork rind trailers float, only the UJ 33 & 34 had claws, #10 & 11 don’t they are called frogs but bass don’t know that.

If the soft plastic moves at rest it looks alive,  it matters to a bass. Since I haven’t ever ate a jig use what works to catch bass.

Tom

[TnRiver46]

3 hours ago, Hook2Jaw said:

I've tried the Z-Man Hella Crawz as a jig trailer, and with my half ounce jig it emulates that scrap posture very well.  If that's what you're after, have at it.  I think a defensive crayfish is a harder meal than one calmly scooting along the bottom.  I've always had better luck with other trailers instead of the ones that look prepped to take a limb off.

That’s what I was thinking, predators hunt the weak. Then on the other hand, maybe it takes the alpha bass to eat the defensive craw 

[Columbia Craw]

My experience with a jig, tube, Ned, hula grub as they apply to smallmouth is dragging them produced far more strikes than a presentation that mimics a stop/ defensive posture.

 

For largemouth, dragging a football jig again elicits more strikes.  Outside of that, a lift swim and fall is the go to retrieve.  In most all cases, the trailer has a swimming/ claw flutters action or a waving or glide action.  I guess if having a crawfish imitation with upright posture was the goal, a flat bottom shaky head would be my best rigging option.  I want to hear Catt’s thoughts. He dotes on the jig and craw.

[Team9nine]

1 hour ago, Hook2Jaw said:

Can you link me to the thread where you talk about this?

It was partly made in jest at how we anglers place such importance on tiny, potentially inconsequential, details, but you can check out these past threads which references the baits/hack I came up with the previous summer featuring those “antenna craws:”

 

 

 

 

[Bass Rutten]

4 hours ago, Fishin Dad said:

I have also read that studies show that craws without pinchers get attacked more as well.

One of the more infamous being the study done by berkley or maybe it was pure fishing a long time ago where they tested a craw bait with pincers intact vs one with a missing one which did better, and then tested one with both missing which did better yet, basically they created the ned rig and confirmed that it kicks azz but the project got shelved because they didn’t think they could sell a plastic body with no appendages, what a missed opportunity! Confirms the old saying that lures are designed catch fisherman not fish.

[Catt]

2 hours ago, Columbia Craw said:

I want to hear Catt’s thoughts. He dotes on the jig and craw.

 

I have watched dozens of videos on bass vs crawfish.

 

When a crawfish in the claws up defensive posture the bass will not attempt a frontal attack. The bass will circle around the crawfish waiting for an opportunity to strike.

 

If y'all have ever seen in person or on a video a crawfish down a bass's throat what do ya see?

 

The claws! I believe the bass attacked tail first. 

 

Immature crawfish have small or no pinchers. These are a bass's preferred choice to eat, the shell is softer, no pinchers to worry about, just swallow whole.

 

In my jig I want it to "stand" up like a football head but narrower. My weapon of choice is Greg Hackney's flourcarbon jig. When at rest I do not want claws up defensive posture.

[WRB]

Smallmouth simply bite the claw and shake until the crawdad releases it’s arm to escape. You feel a machine gun bite it’s either Smallmouth or Spotted bass shaking the craw. You gotta wait until you feel weight to hook set.

Back in the 60’s-early 70’s fished live crawdads a lot and removing claws was standard practice. Just hold the bug by it’s arm with needle nose plier until it leases it. Nose hook the craw and fly it walking the bug along the bottom until it panics....about to get eaten.

Claws are for fisherman bass don’t like them.

Tom

[Hook2Jaw]

11 hours ago, WRB said:

Smallmouth try to bite the claws off, LMB just engulf the whole crawdad.

Football jigs don’t roll over. Good pork rind trailers float, only the UJ 33 & 34 had claws, #10 & 11 don’t they are called frogs but bass don’t know that.

If the soft plastic moves at rest it looks alive,  it matters to a bass. Since I haven’t ever ate a jig use what works to catch bass.

Tom

I've had tons of largies rip claws off my craw trailers.

[PotatoLake]

I had way more bites on a jig last year when using stick baits, Ned’s, straight tail worms as trailers vs craw type and double tail grubs. Probably 2-1. 

[ajschn06]

12 hours ago, WRB said:

Smallmouth simply bite the claw and shake until the crawdad releases it’s arm to escape. You feel a machine gun bite it’s either Smallmouth or Spotted bass shaking the craw. You gotta weight until you feel weight to hook set.

Back in the 60’s-early 70’s fished live crawdads a lot and removing claws was standard practice. Just hold the bug by it’s arm with needle nose plier until it leases it. Nose hook the craw and fly it walking the bug along the bottom until it panics....about to get eaten.

Claws are for fisherman bass don’t like them.

Tom

[Catt]

Rest assured a 2# plus bass can inhale any crawfish that swims regardless of how big the pinchers are.

 

I throw quite a few 6-7 1/2" crawworms with huge claws. I use to throw a 6" "bubble craw" that had a pocket in each claw that you could insert a round bubble rattle.