Bass eating crawdads... Help??

[spiritgide]

Bass men!

Need your experience to help me design a new lure.  You have probably all found crawdads in the stomachs of bass you cleaned, or seen them in the throat of ones you caught and released.  What I'm looking for is the direction the crawdad was swallowed.  

The question-

Would you say that  most of the crawdads you found this way were swallowed tail first, (the claws visible down the throat)  or head first?  

Your help appreciated!

NEW ADDITION....

Lots of good support, thank you very much!   I'm hoping to work with the guy with the 300 gallon tank, and see what we can learn from video feeding.  Looks like we all agree that we see them in the craw as tail first, which of course makes sense.  

More questions-

(1) Do they take the crawdads in only by the tail, or do you think they can take it from the front, then manipulate it in the mouth to turn it around for swallowing? I'm inclined to think that the tail approach would be normal because the bass is a lot faster than the crawfish and could probably choose his angle of attack. However, I've never personally seen a bass hit a crawdad.  What do you think happens?

(2) What would be the ideal size and growth state for the crawdad lure to match?

We are thinking 3-4" overall tail to claw tip, and an appearance that would indicate a recent molt or softer shell.  I don't recall seeing many of those big gnarly, nasty craws in bass bellies.  Other opinions?  

Why does this matter?  Obviously, the lure has to be towed from the tail, because thats the natural travel for the crawfish.  If the bass prefers to hit from the tail, the line interferes with the strike as well as how well the lure can hook the fish.  If that is the consistent attack path, then the lure has to be able to compensate.  We think we can make it work either way (front or rear hit) but not both at once.

Objective-

Create a lure that will catch bass all day....  Big'uns.  Sort of like a Hog Whistle!

[Deuceu72]

Well, I have never cleaned a bass since I am catch and release only, but I have caught bass that still had craws in their mouth's and most always, the claws are sticking out....... ;D ;D ;D

[calumet]

I have a 300 gallon fish tank with a 4lb LMB inside and I go through 36 crawdads and 54 minnows per week; since I can see the fish feeding, I can give you any information you need. Please advise.

[TopDog]

I have a 300 gallon fish tank with a 4lb LMB inside and I go through 36 crawdads and 54 minnows per week; since I can see the fish feeding, I can give you any information you need. Please advise.

Ok me first!  Which way does the bass suck in the crawdad?  Does it look like it goes down tail first?

[calumet]

...depends on the water temp. as to whether the bass takes the crawdad head- or tail-first...

[Bass Smacker]

they inhail them from what ever drection the can. They just always end up tail first in the fish

[Catt]

It really depends on the size of the crawfish; well the size of the crawfishes claws  

A bass will not attack an adult crawfish head on when the crawfish is in a defensive posture period. The bass will wait until the crawfish moves thus lowering its claws or the bass will circle attacking from the rear.

[Catt]

Not all crawfish are created equal; it is very common for some get 6 to 8 in length

[carySE406]

Crawfish?  I think I saw those ^^ at Red Lobster

[RottManK9]

Crawfish? I think I saw those ^^ at Red Lobster

Saw thoes at Red Lobster....I ate thoes at Red Lobster!   ;D

[Bluecraw]

Crawfish?  I think I saw those ^^ at Red Lobster

  ......yeah, I've seen lobsters smaller than that!!

[Fish Chris]

Bass "always" swallow crawdads tail first.... even if it's a small dad and a big bass.

This is precisely why it is best to rig a live dad, by hooking it through the spine in the nose. This keeps the hook pointing in the right direction (forward) and gives a really good top lip, or roof of the mouth hook up. Hooking a dad in the tail will not only greatly reduce your odds of hooking a bass in the first place, but of the fish that you do hook, a large percentage will be deeply (gut) hooked, which of course is unacceptable..... unless you plan to eat them.

If I were designing crawdad lures, I'd figure out a way to have the hook pointing foward, in the same way, as if it were a live dad.

Peace,

Fish

[T-rig]

Bass sometimes attack the claws to try to rip them off but they allways swallow the craws tail first so they wont injure themself.

[JiggaMan512]

I have a 300 gallon fish tank with a 4lb LMB inside and I go through 36 crawdads and 54 minnows per week; since I can see the fish feeding, I can give you any information you need. Please advise.

300 gallon tank? thats awesome! can you share some pics with us of your tank and the fish inside? im sure im not the only one who would be amazed by a tank of that size.

P.S.  

I was scared when i  first read this post! the last thing we need is some crazy bass-eating crawdads in the water.  ;D ;D ;D ;D am i right muddy man? ;D ;D ;D ;D

[MALTESE FALCON]

Any bass i've caught with crawdads in them were tail first.

Falcon

[Dan:]

If you think about it, it's pretty much common sense that a bass would eat crawfish in the easiest way possible. It's just like how they eat bluegills with their spiny dorsal fins, they swallow em backwards so they don't choke.

[Siebert Outdoors]

It will always go down tail first.  Look at the way the curves are on a craw.  Same as a fish.  a fish will always go down head first or the spines will stick out and kill the fish.  Just an act of nature.  The fish may eat it head or tail first, maybe by the side.  But like said it will always go down tail first.

The path of least resistance.

[Catt]

To farther answer your question a bass will usually attack from above and swallow the crawfish tail first. If the bass were to swallow the crawfish head first the claws would easily stick the bass in the throat. Just as GMAN mentioned about bait fish, the bass swallow them head first so the fins don't lodge in the bass's throat.

As for the lure you are designing with the line attachment in the rear it would not be in the way. I use a lot of Texas Rigged Craw Worms; the line is in the rear, the same with a jig-n-craw. As for size crawfish vary from 2 immature to 6 mature being normal.

[justfishin]

Hey Catt, send me up five pounds of those crawdads would ya? I have some crawdad boil and Old Bay Seasoning.

I personally don't think that it makes any difference to a bass which way he grabs a crawdad. I feel if they are hungry they just have at it. IMO,

[Bream Master]

Dang, maybe that is why I haven't caught a single bass with my plastic crawdads yet!  All the plastic crawdads come with the jig head at the tail.  Well...do you guys just put the jig head in through the nose then?  

[Catt]

The word jig head is an inappropriate name when thinking about a Jig-n-Craw; it is actually the jig tail. The claws of the Craw Worm are actually the head of the lure since all crawfish travel backwards.

[flyphisher #]

One time in North GA,I was flyfishing for brook trout in a small stream that was maybe 6ft wide at the widest. Had what i thought a good bite on a wooly booger, short fight.....6" crawfish

[skillet]

BreamMaster,

 Heck no!

 I don't really have any reason to clean bass either. I have seen bass attack my baby brush hog or brush hog in shallow water and it was always from above.

Catt,

 I was standing on the shallow end of a flooded small pond last Spring and caught movement off to the side and it was a crawdad maybe a little larger than the largest you are holding. Biggest durn crawdad I've ever seen. The same color as yours and the only time I've seen that. It was large enough that I commented on it to my wife.

 I grew up playing on bottom land and flood plains of the Wolf R. so have played with and caught crawdads most of my childhood (seining and just putting a piece of bologna or hot dog on a string,like fishing for crabs)...

                                                                As Ever,

                                                                 Skillet

[Siebert Outdoors]

BTW, no one mentioned it but crawdads flee backwards.

Not to sound smart, but reason bass attack from the top typically more of a 45 deg angle or attacks from behind, because the way they inhale the food. Cant really be done from the side and obviously the bottom. feeding on prey on the bottom the easiest route is typically from the top.

This spring, pitch into a spawning bass bed with a jig or tube. Watch and observe the way the fish picks up the lure, dont worry about catching the fish just watch and learn. Typicaly the tail comes up  and zip your lure disappears once the gills flare out. Almost every bass I have whitnesed eat from the bottom has done it this way.

Here is a video of a bass eating.  Watch the gills.  This is the only video I know of that shows this so I appologise since its a sales website.  Pay attention to how the fish inhales and the gills.

http://www.joesjigtrailers.com/shakit.htm

[GeneinTX]

I have caught tons of bass with pincers sticking out of their gullet. I have never seen a tail sticking out.