A little help about crawfish

[Black Water Basstard]

Ive been fishing a small 14 acre spring fed pond with super clear water even in 30 foot of water you see the bottom perfectly. But my question is every bass ive taken home from there which is only been 3 has crawfish inside of it and sometimes when i catch them they throw up crawfish in the boat. But it seems crawfish lures dont work so great. The pond is pretty deep around the whole thing with a good amount of hydrilla in it im usually fishing in 1 to 20 feet of water with how fast it drops off. How would u go about fishing this?

[Sam]

Try your search baits and plastics as they should hit them, too.

If you want to see the colors of the crawfish I suggest the following:

Catch a BLUEGILL and throw it on the shore so it dries out. Steak it in the water next to the shoreline at dusk.

Return first thing at dawn and check it out. If a racoon, possum or turtle does not take it you should have crawfish on the bluegill.

Regarding matching the crawfish colors, you can throw a Peanut and Butter jig with a brown Baby Paca Craw pig or a black and blue jig with a blue Baby Paca Craw pit.

But try other baits as they should hit all of them. 

[Sam]

Make that a Peanut Butter and Jelly jig.

Sorry for leaving out the rest of the name but it was early on a Sunday morning. 

[Black Water Basstard]

Thanks for the advice and they do hit other things to but i just was wondering about the crawfish because it seems to be one of there major food sources i appreciate it

[wisconsin heat]

you might want to try drop shotting a more realistic craw bait if you havent already, like the lake fork fork craw

gander mountain also sells its identical version.

[timothy_spain]

Closest to live crawfish I've used, Storm's Rattle Jiggin Craw:  http://www.stormlures.com/products/luresdetail.cfm?modelName=rattle_jigging_craw&freshorsalt=Fresh&type=soft_lures

[NateFollmer]

Yum makes a pretty realistic craw imitator also. I use them with a Strike King Bitsy Bug jig.

[Nice_Bass]

I would think that if the fish are relating to the bottom for feeding to stick with fishing on the bottom.  Start at the bank or as close to as you feel comfortable and cast out to deep water, drag the bait back to the boat and keep contact with the bottom on a tight line.  Football jig and craw seems like a great option, however I am sure texas or Carolina would produce.  If it truly is crystal  clear water, then I am sure most boats are sitting on top of the fish over the deeper structure. Focus on inside turns as you cast out to a point. and note ledge depth if you start catching them.

[J Francho]

http://www.strikepro.com.tw/newitem/eg113.html

[WRB]

There are several hundred variations of wild crawdads and crawdad change colors to match the environment.

http://iz.carnegiemnh.org/crayfish/country_pages/species_by_state.htm

Only way to know for sure is to catch crawdads where you fish and you can Google crawdad traps.

In very clear deep water you may need the real thing or something very close; take a look at Huddleston Deluxe Huddle Bug.

Fishing at night should work, then color or realistic profile isn't as important; several black soft plastic creatures or worms work good.

WRB

[Black Water Basstard]

Thanks everyone for all the advice I'm going to start trying some of them this weekend. It's just hard to fish tight to the bottom in most parts of it being the bottom is full of like hydrilla or some sort of weed and this pond is like fishing in an aquarium I've caught some 10+plus pound fish out of there but alot of times I'll see a monster but they just won't bite but it's cool snorkeling with them

[Nice_Bass]

Thanks everyone for all the advice I'm going to start trying some of them this weekend. It's just hard to fish tight to the bottom in most parts of it being the bottom is full of like hydrilla or some sort of weed and this pond is like fishing in an aquarium I've caught some 10+plus pound fish out of there but alot of times I'll see a monster but they just won't bite but it's cool snorkeling with them

Float a Texas rigged craw weightless below a float of some kind, make it a spook or some other lure that will not dive at all with the hooks removed. Make the leader to the craw go just below the weedline that you are fishing and make a series of three jerks so that it appears the craw is scooting out of there and let it dip slowly back into the weeds. If they start hitting your float, time to switch.