I am in Washington state and many of the lakes I fish dont have crawfish. I have used crawfish presentations with fair success in these lakes but am not sure if I should be using something different to match the prey. Will bass readily take a lure that resembles prey they are not familiar with? Am I more likely to tempt a fish with something they have tasted? I have the same type of situation with hard baits. Most of our baitfish consist of small trout along with bluegill and bass but no shad. I assume that shad patterns will still be productive but will they be as productive as a trout or bluegill pattern?
Thanks