Crawfish Question

[CrazedL.IFisherman]

or crawdads whatever you call them.I use many soft baits that resemble these little critters. I usually use darker colors througout the bass season. In the northeast they seem to always be dark brownish tan and orange whenver i see them in real life.Im just curious do any of you follow their changing of colors throughout their season? And does it seem to make a huge difference, through personal experience the same colored crawfish baits always produce for me but im wondering if i could get even more bites by changing colors when they change. Thanks for any input you guys might have- Jon

[cart7t]

I stick with greenish hues in the spring.  I normally fish wiggle wart crankbaits which have a tremendous action and very closely mimick Crayfish in size.  I'll start to change to a more brownish color as the season moves on.  

[Guest ouachitabassangler]

I keep up with crayfish colors because I figure bass key in on the prevailing colors. If all they are eating are black with orange claws, then that's what they are looking for. Most of their prey is on the move down there, but crayfish remain still a lot, and when moving imitate snails somewhat, so they are harder for bass to locate. Research has shown bass relate to color big time, but so do most game animals. That's why camoflauge is so helpful for concealment from their view, including bass. Of course the colors crayfish take on is part of their own concealment habit, matching mud, rock, vegetation, or water colors. Going against the grain by choosing contrasting colors might help you catch bass because the bass can pick it out better, but it might also turn them off, because I believe they will scrutinize the bait closer if the color is off. Excess movement of a craw can turn a bass off. But adding some rattle click can convince a bass the right colored craw is the real thing, because no matter how well a crayfish conceals itself, it must feed, and that requires making feeding clicks from feet and claws. Bass hear that, which is the main weakness in the real craw's habits.

I already have a good idea of the species here and their colors for Ouachita, but if I move one lake over that changes. I don't mind raiding a fish cleaning station's trash cans at a new lake, or offer to help someone clean their fish to get a chance to examine stomach contents if they don't respond to a simple request to look. If no response I just wait until they leave. Those moments helping a fellow out can save you a lot of scouting and maybe get some great bait tips like size and species (colors) of shad being eaten. I also watch for remains from raccoon feeding. Crayfish are a favorite of theirs. They leave neat little piles of carcasses on the shoreline, easy to spot. Turning over rocks in a shallow creek doesn't help determine species in deeper water. There are creek species and deep water species. You need to know what species the bass are hunting. Catching a crayfish-eating bass can reveal all you need to know if you'll keep it in the livewell long enough for stomach contents to disgorge.

Jim

[paparock]

Ouachitabassangler pretty much has the hardcore fisherman's angle covered. My hat is of to such a dedicated angler.

For those of us with a weaker constitution I know of men that scuba dive to see and/or catch the prey the fish are feeding on. If in shallow enough water and you have the spare cash you could use an underwater camera. Failing all the above then if you catch a few you could examine it's contents to see what they are feeding on.

[Brian_Reeves]

Ironically, I think bass are Cajun by nature.  It's hard to go wrong with boiled crawfish red at any given time.  But if you wanna get specific with it, you should start the season off with a green pumpkin jig with a light green trailer.  Perhaps have a little orange on the trailer.  As spawn hits, darken both the trailer and the jig, trying to keep the trailer slightly lighter than the jig itself.  During the summer, switch to dark greens and blues or abandon the idea altogether.

If you're using crankbaits, start with red and go to dark reds or browns.  

It's hard to go wrong with soft plastics and jigs in your basic green, brown, or blue colors.  Presentation and location is more key than coloration...especially in thick cover.

[Rattlinrogue]

Where I fish,the favored color of crawfish imitations is a watermelon with orange pincers.Black and blue is good too,although I've never seen a black and blue crawfish.Pumpkin catches fish also.

[cart7t]

Where I fish,the favored color of crawfish imitations is a watermelon with orange pincers.Black and blue is good too,although I've never seen a black and blue crawfish.Pumpkin catches fish also.

As I understand it, a crayfish has a blueish tint to it after freshly molting it's exoskeleton.  This is also the time the little bugger is most vulnerable.  I think that explains the blue.

[Rattlinrogue]

Where I fish,the favored color of crawfish imitations is a watermelon with orange pincers.Black and blue is good too,although I've never seen a black and blue crawfish.Pumpkin catches fish also.

As I understand it, a crayfish has a blueish tint to it after freshly molting it's exoskeleton. This is also the time the little bugger is most vulnerable. I think that explains the blue.

Thanks! I always want to know why.15 years ago my father-in-law and I were using a solid blue jig(no black) with a #11 Uncle Josh pork frog in what was called "natural".It was an orange tint of brown,and we used to tear 'em up on a private lake over in Natchez,MS...

[Guest avid]

Wow, that ouitchita feller shore nuff takes his bassin real serious like.

Me, I just throw a blue/black jig cuzzin the bassies eats it.  If'n the blue'nBlack don't work so good, then I throws the green pumpkin one.  Hardly never had a day whence they wood'n ter takin one of these mighty fine.  but them days do come, so sometin wid a lit'l chartruese in it will git 'em.  If'n none of that works then it's time to check on the still.  

Y'all be safe out dere y'hear?

[Guest ouachitabassangler]

If I remember rightly there are about 400 species of N. American crayfish, and those all take on their own distinctive color changes. Yet a bass supposedly only distinguishes between up to 24 shades of natural colors. So the color field is limited nationwide, and then cut to one to three of those species typically found in any one fishery. But the differences in coloration between resident crayfish can make a big difference in how long your bait soaks before a bass decides to risk eating it. Here's what I'm saying. If the bait is colored like the current critter bass are hunting for, that's one less thing a bass can decide is just wrong about it. Picky bass don't eat everything tossed to them except maybe on a higher percentage of reaction/territorial bite temptations. They otherwise take their time examining, and will see flaws in the bait. If not we'd all be hauling hundreds of bass in every trip.

Jim

[Nick_Barr]

Up here in WA, the main species crawfish molt 7 times a year, and it is a staple color to get a Green Pumpkin with Blue Highlight and Black Specks. as a soft plastic. REaction innovations calls it Magic Craw Swirl or somethin. But KGM Custom Baits pretty much just calls it WA CRAW. So if your lookin for soft plastics in their true molting color, hit up KGM.

[Matt Fly]

Crawldads that live in the rocks around the dam are usually dark in color in clearer water. (reddish to dark browns/ blue tints)  Some of our lakes have the red clay banks, as Ain't Tx said, throwin reddish colors works, and those that are in vegitation can be caught with the standard black and blue or the watermelon pumpkin colors.

On Toledo Bend, in the middle of June, we have our first mud-bug hatch, and if you look at the cranks tied on in all the boats, the number one bait is a fred Arborgast reddish/brownish muddbug, they are metal square billed divers.

[RoLo]

There is no lure that I use that resembles a crayfish to me, not even a jig & pig.

As a result, I feel no compunction whatsoever to mimic crayfish colors.

I choose colors to serve one purpose only: to "Maximize Visibility" (that's all she wrote).

In my wildest dreams, I cannot visualize a bass willing to reject a "desired morsel"

because it was waiting for something in Green Pumpkin with Red Flakes.

I blame that silly notion on the Bait Monkey

Roger

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

I couldn't agree more!  Perhaps it's just the old salt mentality but when it comes to color, It's more of a hue issue to me.  I only use natural colors, blacks, greens and browns in any combination.  When choosing which one to use though, it's "dark" or "light", that's it.

As for matching the crays in your lake, I think it's the profile that can maybe be manipulated.  In my lake anyway, the crays have very skinny pincers.  I like the bear paw trailers because of this reason.  (on left)

[basser89]

Most of the time I use tubes to mimic crawfish. My top producing colors are watermelon/red flake and green pumpkin/red flake. Reading a few of the other posts about the blue hue, I was wondering if anyone makes a green pumpkin/blue flake? Sounds like it would be a good color.

[dink]

Basser89, check out Zoom's color selection.  I think they have that or something close to it.

[Guest ouachitabassangler]

If you like targeting KYs try the plastic craws that are dead-ringers for the real thing fished with weighted tube hooks on bottom. LMBs like those too. They literally tear the legs off biting. Those have worked a lot better than plastic or pork craw tails on a jig.

Jim

[BD]

I use black and blue, and watermelon (or close to the good ole red/green hue)

[.ghoti.]

This thread dug out an old memory. I read somewhere that albino craws are blue, not white. Don't remember where i read it, but I've been using blue craws or ones with blue pincers ever since.  I know blue works, at least for plastics.

[Bass Hammer]

Honestly I don't think I have ever thought of trying to match crayfish.

I pay attention to the water clarity, wind on the water, and light conditions. (sunny vs. overcast)

I worry about contrast and getting that reaction strike.

[langs15]

Where I fish,the favored color of crawfish imitations is a watermelon with orange pincers.Black and blue is good too,although I've never seen a black and blue crawfish.Pumpkin catches fish also.

Pumpkin is my usally color, I hit every bass with it! But orange isn't the best this early in the year IMHO.