Crawfish - when to NOT use them?

[snyper77]

I love my 7' flippin' rod and using a jig with craw trailer. I also enjoy a t-rig craw. Is there a season where these two baits should not be used? Or is craw baits good for year-round?

(I logged on again and added this question:)

The deepest water that I fish is about 10'. Do crawfish naturally go 10'? You know we talk about "always do what is natural". Well, I'm not sure if bass feed on crawfish in 10' of water.

[roadwarrior]

Not a season so much, but at times. When bass seem to be totally focused on baitfish, "moving" lures work much better. The "bottom bite" is not always on, especially early

in the day. I prefer something else in low light.

8-)

[Bass XL]

Not a season so much, but at times. When bass seem to be totally focused on baitfish, "moving" lures work much better. The "bottom bite" is not always on, especially early

in the day. I prefer something else in low light.

8-)

Correct. But sometimes if you have bass hitting baitfish in shallow water, they may hit that jig on the way down. It's happend to me many times.

[Shad_Master]

If they are feeding on bait fish try changing out your craw trailer to a swimmin chunk and swim the jig through the area.  You may be surprised, I was.

[Catt]

Crawfish - when to NOT use them?

There aint no such time!

Yea but what if the bass are suspended or chasing bait?

Look at what depth the bass are suspended at & move accordingly; there is no law that say you can't swim a t-rigged Craw. Yea a crank or spinner bait may out fish you but you can still get bit.

The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.  

[roadwarrior]

Yes sir!

You can get bit, but there are better alternatives.

8-)

[iceintheveins]

I won't use crawdad imitations when the bass are feeding heavily on bluegills, sunfish, and baby bass. But when it's bright and the bass are deeper, crawdad imitations are the way to go much of the time.

[Big-O]

Crawfish - when to NOT use them?

There aint no such time!

Yea but what if the bass are suspended or chasing bait?

Look at what depth the bass are suspended at & move accordingly; there is no law that say you can't swim a t-rigged Craw. Yea a crank or spinner bait may out fish you but you can still get bit.

The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.  

X2 Craws are year around baits

[ohiobassmaster93]

If they are feeding on bait fish try changing out your craw trailer to a swimmin chunk and swim the jig through the area. You may be surprised, I was.

i like to switch between the 2 trailers till i find wat the fish want

[smallieking]

COLD FRONTS!!!    like most other animals, crawfish also slow do and will not move during a front. I've seen anglers put down the faster more aggresive lures and will start using a texas rig craw with no luck  

[Wayne P.]

The time not to use a craw/jig is when you make a cast and the sound of it hitting the surface is "thunk" and not "splash" as it lands on frozen water.

[RoLo]

As every fishermen knows, bass react to instinct, while anglers have the power of reasoning.

That puts man at a distinct advantage to bass, or does it? As soon as we attempt to "out-think" an animal that cannot think,

we run a high risk of outsmarting ourselves (we all do it).

I have a very vivid imagination but I cannot imagine any bass that would actually mistake a plastic craw for a live crayfish,

I have too much respect for their natural instincts. To my mind, that's not only wishful thinking, but it's totally unimportant.

Bass eat literally "thousands upon thousands" of different species and subspecies of food items.

Each and every new morsel had a first time, when it was seized without any recognition.

The bass's survival is further protected by an exceedingly brief memory span that keeps them highly instinctual and free-spirited.

It might be more realistic and more helpful to view bass as "instinctively" motivated by action, size & shape,

without any need for identification or past experience.

Case in point, I've found that the Paca Craw is an exceptionally productive lure.

Now take a GOOD look at it and tell me that it fools bass into thinking it's the crustacean we call a crayfish.

In retrospect I've learned that those silly wing-like flaps (not even remotely similar to crab mandibles)

replicate the action of a double-tail grub (another non-food item). When bass are feeding on the bottom,

I keep the plastic craw on the bottom, but when they're feeding higher up in the water column,

I keep the paca craw (double-tail grub) moving higher in the water column.

Due to it's strong vibration underway, I often fish the paca craw like a "weedless" rat-l-trap (I'm not thinking about craws or shad).

Bottom Line: There's no time of year when I would not fish a plastic craw-like lure.

In my opinion, "depth", "speed", and "action" far outweigh the importance of 'taxonomical replication'.

Most bass don't even know what that means

Roger

[roadwarrior]

Roger's review is excellent, as usual!

To his list of the "important" attributes of a lure, I would add "profile" which would include size. As an example, on certain days a Senko will be more effective than a Fat Ika and vice versa, when fishing the baits exactly the same way, at the same place and time.

8-)

[RoLo]

Roger's review is excellent, as usual!

To his list of the "important" attributes of a lure, I would add "profile" which would include size. As an example, on certain days a Senko will be more effective than a Fat Ika and vice versa, when fishing the baits exactly the same way, at the same place and time.

8-)

Thanks RW, and as usual you are 'highly observant',

which makes the difference between a good forum and a great forum  

Roger

[snyper77]

I appreciate everyone's answers here. Like someone mentioned "we try to out-think a bass so much, we end up out-thinking ourselves!" But, if I back off of trying to out think them, and tell myself "they are only creatures, they only know to react, they can't actually think about things.... well, that means, they (are dumb) and should bite my lure right now! But that isn't happening either. So I start "out thinking" myself again.

Like yesterday, I fished for 2 hours after work (5:30-dark). We've had a lot of rain lately in MS. So the water had risen about a foot or so and was bad muddy. For the most part, I pitched a triple rattleback jig with a rage tail craw, about 80% of the afternoon. Lost of sound and vibration. Not one bite. I also tried a chatterbait, nothing. What gives in this kind of situation?

[RoLo]

I appreciate everyone's answers here. Like someone mentioned "we try to out-think a bass so much, we end up out-thinking ourselves!" But, if I back off of trying to out think them, and tell myself "they are only creatures, they only know to react, they can't actually think about things.... well, that means, they (are dumb) and should bite my lure right now! But that isn't happening either. So I start "out thinking" myself again.

Like yesterday, I fished for 2 hours after work (5:30-dark). We've had a lot of rain lately in MS. So the water had risen about a foot or so and was bad muddy. For the most part, I pitched a triple rattleback jig with a rage tail craw, about 80% of the afternoon. Lost of sound and vibration. Not one bite. I also tried a chatterbait, nothing. What gives in this kind of situation?

I can appreciate where you're coming from, and we've all been there.

Worse than "dumb", no bass ever had an original thought in its life, and that's where the angler has the advantage.

You speak of "muddy" water and April in Massachusetts probably means "cold" water.

Muddy & cold is one of the worst combination in angling (slow-moving bass / narrow sight-window).

I think you're lure choice is right on the money, but getting skunked under those conditions is no surprise.

Show me a fisherman who never gets skunked, and I'll show you a fisherman who needs to get out more often

Roger

[roadwarrior]

Show me a fisherman who never gets skunked, and I'll show you a fisherman who needs to get out more often

Classic!    8-)

[snyper77]

That does make me feel better. No cold water here. Water temp was 73 and I saw fish moving, and turning all over the lake. Could have been carp, buffalo, etc. Just ticks you off, to work all day 8 to 5, anticipating your afternoon fishing trip, then run to the lake for 2 hours, and not get a bite. But like you said, everyone gets skunked sometimes.

[WTRDOG]

Not a season so much, but at times. When bass seem to be totally focused on baitfish, "moving" lures work much better. The "bottom bite" is not always on, especially early

in the day. I prefer something else in low light.

8-)

Thanks for the tip........ :...That ought to help him out.. :-?

[WTRDOG]

Craw imitations can be used any time.Especially,during cold water periods and cold front conditions.Try to use them later in the mourning and stick to reaction baits early such as spinnerbaits ,jerkbaits,cranks.Cover lots of water early when their on the feed and switch to a slow pace bait as the day dictates.

[Catt]

Show me a fisherman who never gets skunked, and I'll show you a fisherman who needs to get out more often

Classic! 8-)

Give a man a fish; feed him for a day

Teach a man to fish and he'll be frustrated for a life time  

[Sam]

The best time not to use crawfish is in your gumbo if it is chicken or sausage.

Also, you don't use crawfish on top of a dessert unless you live in the bayou.

Otherwise, crawfish rule!!!!