Craw question

[HesterIsGod]

I am a total beginner when it comes to plastic craw fishing, definitally a big weakness that I need to work on. I have read where bass mainly prefer to eat crawfish with small pincers. So it seems most logical that plastic craws with small pincers would always work. Yet, there is a ton of craws out on the market with oversized craws that have a lot of action and that work great.

So, when should i choose a craw with small pincers and when should i choose one with bib claws? Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

[Big-O]

My choice is to use smaller craws in clear water-clear days and larger in heavy stained or cloudy water or low light conditions. Regardless of water clarity I choose super action craws like the Rage Tail craws from Strike King. Although they are only offered in one size at this point, it does'nt matter, the fish slam'em big time.

[mattm]

I start by saying that everything in this post is opinion.  However I have no idea how anyone could know if a bass preferred small or large pinchers.  What exactly is a small pincher?  Did they prefer the samller pincher in the summer when a bass will typically take a smaller bait, or do they still like smaller pinchers in the colder monnths when one big meal is preferred to 5 small ones?

Having said all this I think it is rare, almost never in fact, that a plastic craw will outperform a soft plastic craw imitator.  My favorite is the ***(***).  For some reasn a soft plastic craw, which looks much more like an actual crawdad, just never seems to work as well.  

[Catt]

I do very well with Gene Larew Salty Hawg Craws & Riverside Big Claws; I don't think it makes a difference to the bass.

Hawg Craw

Big Claw

[mattm]

Catt,

As a jig trailer or t-rig bait?  I'm just amazed that you could have the same results with the bait pictured as a brush hog or beaver.  Not saying not possible just different from me.

[Catt]

I use them both as a T-rig and a jig trailer, the Texas rigged craw worm is one of the most underused bait available to the angler. A Texas rigged craw worm will produce better quality bass than creature baits; the creature bait will produce better quantities.

[eyedabassman]

All I can say is just try some Netbait Paca Craws and buy some 3/0 EWG hooks and fish them on a T-rig and hold on!! I started to fish them last year and I boated MORE & BIGGER bass than on any other tube craw that I ever used in the past.

IT'S ALIVE, IT's ALIVE ;D :

[mattm]

I use them both as a T-rig and a jig trailer, the Texas rigged craw worm is one of the most underused bait available to the angler. A Texas rigged craw worm will produce better quality bass than creature baits; the creature bait will produce better quantities.

I tried this a lot last year and then gave up on it b/c I didn't have the same results.  Plus, I heard a lot of people on here saying Jig trailers.  Guess i'll give it another shot this year.  I'm puzzled though b/c I caught bigger fish on beavers and bush bugs than I did the craws.  

[Jig Man]

I use critter craws and salt craws because I have only made molds of those types.  I really like the big salt craw t-rigged in big brush piles.  It catches quality fish.  

[Catt]

Sometimes it depends on the body of water or even certain areas on a body of water. Take for instance an area I fish called 944 Bull Creek; I couldn't make a bass eat a craw worm but they will kill a baby brush hog but out passed the mouth there are some underwater humps that are exactly opposite.

Why? I have no idea & I don't ask I just throw  

[.dsaavedra.]

...Having said all this I think it is rare, almost never in fact, that a plastic craw will outperform a soft plastic craw imitator.

what do you mean by that? isnt a plastic craw the same thing as a soft plastic craw imitator??? :-?

[mattm]

I mean something like a brush hog or beaver(creature).  Not something like cat posted that looks like a crawfish.

[.dsaavedra.]

ok i gotcha. so youre saying you dont think something that looks like a craw will do better than something that looks like something that looks like a craw will. lol. if you can understand that then you get a gold star! lol.  ;D

[HesterIsGod]

Thanks for all the replies. I still am kinda confused but i think that im just gonna stick to using craws w/ smaller pincers in clear water and tougher conditions, and vice versa for the craws w/ big pincers. Im also gonna try to imitate the forage better, if i can see or find a craw where im fishing i will imitate the size of its pincers.

[mattm]

Dang it.  I really wanted that star.

[eyedabassman]

Thanks for all the replies. I still am kinda confused but i think that im just gonna stick to using craws w/ smaller pincers in clear water and tougher conditions, and vice versa for the craws w/ big pincers. Im also gonna try to imitate the forage better, if i can see or find a craw where im fishing i will imitate the size of its pincers.

I was a Rep. for Mad Man Lures a few years back and they had two kinds of a craw.One was a craw tube and a craw worm and both had small pincers. I do still have many bags of them. Not sure that I want to part with them! They are small and they look so real!

[.dsaavedra.]

Dang it. I really wanted that star.

lmao!!!

[smallieking]

the details of craw baits really dont make a whole lot of differnce. the length color and presention is what is critical for good bass fishing. i really like the hollow body yum craw in crawdad color   it is a real natural imitation. try it on a shakey head exposed around boulders or deep ledges. t-rigging it on a 1/0 hook can be used but i think it is hard to get a good hookset  good luck   and just dont quit  bass allover love craws so that is one presentation i think all anglers should be good at

[Sam]

I think it depends on the water clarity and temperature.

If the water is clear then a small trailer is appropriate.

If the water is stained then a larger trailer can produce good results.

If the water is very cold or very hot, then you have a smaller strike zone and you may want to go larger as they do not want to move for a snack.

If the water is warm then you can use either presentation.

I know of a pro that uses the pork trailers and sqeezes all of the fluid out of them.  He says they last longer and the bass love them.

I think your final decision will be based on the water clarity and temperature. Remember, the trailer can bulk up a bait making it more attractive to the bass.

It is my opinion that the size of the claws does not matter. It is the total size of the bait you are throwing and its color.

[BiggerWorm]

It seems I recall an article which covered this topic.  A study was done in which fish were presented crawdads with 2 pinchers, with 1 pincher, and with no pinchers.  More fish were caught on the crawdad with no pinchers and the least were caught on the crawdad with 2 pinchers.  This led to the developement of the Gidzit ( for some reason that name doen't sound right, but its close). This eventually led to the tube.  I must admit that I still fish crawdads with 2 pinchers, I guess I'm afraid the fish might not recognize it with out the pinchers.  

[.dsaavedra.]

YUM Crawbugs look bad*ss. they are by far the most realistic soft plastic craw around. some craws look pretty good but they have no depth. they are flat or very thin, unlike a crawfish. YUM crawbugs are actually round like a real crawfish and look just like em. i honestly think that they made a mold of a real crawfish when they made their lures lol.

i dont even fish craws much, but i would be willing to bet that removing one pincer and melting the other shut would increase catch rate.

[smallieking]

[biggerWorm

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 Re: Craw question

Reply #20 - Today at 9:44pm     It seems I recall an article which covered this topic.  A study was done in which fish were presented crawdads with 2 pinchers, with 1 pincher, and with no pinchers.  More fish were caught on the crawdad with no pinchers and the least were caught on the crawdad with 2 pinchers.  This led to the developement of the Gidzit ( for some reason that name doen't sound right, but its close). This eventually led to the tube.  I must admit that I still fish crawdads with 2 pinchers, I guess I'm afraid the fish might not recognize it with out the pinchers. ]

not sure how to put in that box thing  well biggerworm did the article say anything about the size of the bass   a no pincer craw is very unnatural and there is no way bass bite them over a 2 pincer craw  yea dsaave those yum craws are great   the scent of the LPT is awesome i really like it

[BiggerWorm]

Smallieking, I was just trying to recall an article I had read years ago.  I fish alot of crawfish and crawfish imitating baits so I found it interesting.  If I recall correctly, more fish were caught on the crawl with no pincers, but I don't know the size of the pincers.  As far as baits looking natural, how natural does a tube look?  I've never seen a live tube in the wild, but fish love'em!  And yes, the Yum crawdads look very real, I have lots of them, with pincers attatched.

[Bassn Blvd]

[BiggerWorm]

Bassin Blvd

That is a nice rig, who is the manufacturer of that plastic crawl.  Man it looks good.