Smallies eating craws~ what to throw?

[fishwhore]

Hi all-

I was fishing on a local river last weekend and doing just ok using spinnerbaits for smallies. I noticed that almost every one I caught was coughing up crayfish parts as I pulled them in.

The river current moves along pretty good and we are drifting while casting so I don't have alot of time in any one area and the baits get swept along once in the water.

What do you all suggest using as a bait when the primary source of food is crayfish and there is a current to contend with?  ???

I know I could slay the smallies if I could match this food source realistically!

Thanks!

[roadwarrior]

Live minnows on a split shot rig. Live crawdads don't work on a river, they ball up and look like cut bait. I haven't found a way to make them look natural. Even though the smallies are feeding on craws, and probably prefer them, they will bite live minnows...trust me.

[Curado]

Try a tube with a real heavy weight or a big jig.

[Phishn_Phool]

I used to guide on the Gasconade river in Mo.  If you can throw a crank bait and want to catch numbers try a Rebel 1/5oz crawdad.  There are several things to try on the back of a jig, like this

http://www.pacacraw.com/pacachunk.asp

                                CPR ;D

[Pond-Pro]

           A brownish colored tube jig should work. I have caught smallies that had their bellies full of crawsfish on green curly tails. I don't think they are that picky.

[7Lbass]

Try a 1/2 Ounce Strike King Bitsey Flip in a color that matches your rivers crawfish on a baitcaster...

If your using a Spinning Rod try a 3/16 ths Bitsey Bug  in the same matching color....

Sometimes a 3" mister twister on a Lead Head is kick butt smally bait in rivers...

[Wabassin]

Jig and zoom jr chunk will work great. A 3/8ths to 5/8ths oz will work great  in a situation with current. A Hula Grub or Smallie Beaver on a heavy foot ball head will also work great if you drag it across the bottom.

[Strap]

What Wabassin said.  Also try a Berkley Power Craw, or a Netbait Paca Craw.  You can use either of these baits as a trailer on your jig-n-pig, T-rigged, or on a jig head.  I've had a lot of success using them as trailers on a jig.

[fishwhore]

I did some looking around the internet to educate myself on some of the baits that were mentioned. Very helpful. I picked up some Power Craws and tubes. I have some twister tails and I will defiinitely try the live minnows. Thanks all. I will let you know how I do this week.

[senko_77]

use a rebel wee-craw.  thaey will love this!!! and its a crankbait so u can use it fast.  i use this lure with great succes on spotted bass to.

[A-Rob]

I would throw a tube or creature bait. Play around with the weight, just enough to manage but not overweight it. There's tons of creature baits out there and pick one that you think looks legit and you will have confidence in. I use brown tubes and a creature called a "beaver"

[retiredbosn]

Baby Paca Craw, Berkley Chigger Craw, tube or green double curly tail grub.  All fished with just enough weight to keep it on the bottom, the craws t-rigged, the tubes and grubs jigheads.  Good luck

[bassnleo]

Umm, the original post/question is 4 years old?

[roadwarrior]

Umm, the original post/question is 4 years old?

Yeah, and the guy brought it back to recommend

a "tube or creature bait". I guess things haven't

changed too much in the last five years...

[Crestliner2008]

Good question regardless of the age. The problem is not what to throw, but how you are dealing with this the river current, which is "moving along pretty good" as you say. The solution is to "slip" the current; boat bow facing upstream and the main engine putting along, just enough to allow the boat to "slip" backwards.

This allows your bait the opportunity to get down into the eddies and subsequently, into the fish's strike zone. Once you are able to accomplish this form of boat control, the current will become your friend and your offering will find it's place close down near where the fish are holding. You can adjust the speed of drift and accurately re-position your boat (side to side) by merely moving the engine slightly.

As far as what to throw, a 1/4 oz. tube and/or a unweighted Fat Ika, will get down to where it needs to be with this technique. If a smallie sees food coming toward him, close to the bottom (from an upstream position), he's going to take it.

[jacobhookem]

I would recomend a heavy football head jig (3/4 to 1 ounce) with a poor boy's pork chunk trailer. I a brown or craw color.

[midnighthrasher]

tubes or rage tail craw

[bassattackerdad]

You might try a Huddle Bug http://www.huddlestondeluxe.com/huddlebug.html. Good looking craw, very realistic. We've caught some nice smallies in the Umpqua river on these thrown upstream and drifted down.

[A-Rob]

TIKI Wave company makes a wicked looking craw. I like it better than the yommomato fat craw. Extremely realistic, the flavor is awesome.

[Eternal Angler]

Tube or a Berkley Powerbait crawdad.

[Lund Explorer]

I'm not going to suggest any specific bait, or the weight of a jig/jighead.  Needless to say, everyone would need to match these to the river and current they are facing.  You should also match your bait to the size and coloration of the crawdads that those smallies are feeding on.  Making casts that quarter upstream, the bait should make light bottom contact while moving along at about the speed of the current.  This way, the bass should assume it is a crawdad that either broken free, or has been driven from their cover.

As far as how to hold boat position, a number of ways could work.  My choice would either be with an electric trolling motor (this is one of the few places a minnkota power drive comesin handy), or with a river anchor.  My favorite anchor when fishing rivers is a length of logging chain.

On a side note - Its nice to see that someone took the time to use the "search" option to find a discussion on a subject.  That is what we are supposed to do, right? 

[Northern Strain]

The current in my river is fast and tubes work fine.

[GRIZZ]

Tubes, Hudbug And i to like the Fat Ika

[spinnerbaitking]

I drift local rivers backwards in my canoe and do very well throwing crankbaits up stream & bringing them by the rocks, wood or any other structure, also small profile heavier spinnerbaits to get them down or back to plastic just about any thing that gets down deep enough

Sbking

[fishing4smallies]

When fishing areas that the main forage is crawfish i try to stick with tubes as much as I can. I try to stick with natural reds and browns to match the crawfish. When i want to cover more area while fishing i like throwing a rebel craw.