Do crawdads exist in all waters? I live in Philadelphia. I fish mostly some small quarry lakes and the Delaware River sometimes. Do you think they are in these bodies of water? Ive never seen one so i have no idea. Is there a way I can find out?

And if they dont, does it make sense to use crawdad imitating lures?

You can bet you got crawdads about anywhere, even in your backyard.

To answe your first question, NO, crawdads don´t exist everywhere.

To answer to your second question, YES, crawdad imitatators work where crawdads don´t exist, actually, they work great.

To add more answers to your questions, "match the hatch" for bass fishing ---> to me is nonsense, as long as it looks alive, as long as it looks as an easy prey, as long as it moves like something a bass can eat it will eat it. In my 3+ decades of bass fishing I´ve caught thousands of fish with lures that imitate something have never seen.

I dont think they exist everywhere, but in most places. And I would try a craw imitator no matter what. I have caught some of the biggest bass of my life using lure's that are not supposed to look like anything, just like a prey target.

They're in the Delaware, what you can do is walk along the shore and slowly move rocks out of the way that are in the water, you'll probably find some scurrying away

No, they don't exist everywhere. However there are several species of crawdads that can and do survive in many different environments. I think most people think of crawfish as one species that prefers a singular environment, and that is not true.

In my experience they are usually hard to spot unless you are turning rocks over and looking for them.

Look on the banks. If you see dead body parts on the banks that's a good indicator.

According to the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries there are 530 species worldwide with over 400 species in North America and 29 species in Virginia.

I have a chart in my fishing room from the Virginia DG&IF that has photos of some of the Virginia crawfish. Anyone in Virginia can get these posters from DG&IF. You can purchase one from the DG&IF if you attend the Richmond Fishing Expo.

The best crawfish are those that have been boiled and are on a table in front of you. I can usually put away close to 6 or 7 pounds at one time.

Yea i didnt think they did. I figured they were in the delaware being as its such a large fishery. I doubt theyd be in my local quarry lakes i fish a lot. I use craw plastics and jigs a lot and the bass eat em so ill continue to use them. I know bass will basically eat anything as long as it moves and looks like an easy meal. @Raul, i think matching the hatch can be important sometimes. Ive had days where i couldnt buy a bite, then switched to something that looks like the forage and the bite was on. I agree its not as important as some say. I googled it and there is 13 species of crayfish in PA.

Crayfish are found worldwide as numerous different species. Some say as many as 500 species, 330 of which are here in the US. The only continents with no crayfish are Africa and Antarctica.

Yes, there are crayfish in every state of the Union. But while some waters have plenty, some have hardly any.

Yea i didnt think they did. I figured they were in the delaware being as its such a large fishery. I doubt theyd be in my local quarry lakes i fish a lot. I use craw plastics and jigs a lot and the bass eat em so ill continue to use them. I know bass will basically eat anything as long as it moves and looks like an easy meal. @Raul, i think matching the hatch can be important sometimes. Ive had days where i couldnt buy a bite, then switched to something that looks like the forage and the bite was on. I agree its not as important as some say. I googled it and there is 13 species of crayfish in PA.

BassAssassin, bass hit plastic worms and big Senkos. Worms don't live in water so why do the bass hit the daylights out of them?

Same is true for the creature baits and Ika's. What in the world do they look like in Nature that makes the bass hit them? And whoever heard of a lizard swimming on the bottom???

So to use a craw bait in waters where there are no crawfish is perfectly acceptable and you will probably catch your personal best on a craw imitation.

If you do, please post a pic!!!

YEa, like i said I know a bass will eat anything as long as it looks alive and easy to eat. Believe me if i catch a PB ill post it on here. So far my biggest ever was a 5.8 caught on a Havoc Boyd Duckett Juice Worm. Love those things. A small weight and a steady retrieve kills the bass in my quarry lakes.

Whether they're there or not bass will eat craw imitations. I'm sure bass just see something that they could possibly eat that they can catch so they grab it. A brush hog looks like nothing yet fish eat it. Bass eat shad and trout colored lures in lakes where there aren't any.

Well I guess this post answer my question. i fish a man made reservoir that most likely have no crawfish in it.

Speaking of craw imitators, caught this 3.8 pounder, 20 inches today on a brown jig with a wooly bug trailer. Skinny fish but she took me for a ride into a tree. Patience paid off as she finally came out of it.

nice.....