Hey BR,

 

Gonna be ordering some new creatures/craws for texas rigs and finesse jig trailers. Since it's fall and the bite is starting to slow down a bit with the bass getting finicky what would be some good craws/creatures that have little to no tail/claw action? 

 

Tackle warehouse just simply has too many options and I can't choose, can you guys help a fellow angler out with some recommendations? 

Bass prefer crawdads without claws, bass anglers prefer soft plastics with claws and flapping features. It's your choice. Smallie Beaver always a good jig trailer.

Tom

Chuck Justice, a guide on McGee Creek Lake, OK and Lake Fork, TX turned me on to Gene Larew's  6" HooDaddy several years ago and it is my go to creature. Tie one of those on and it's "Hammer Time."

12 minutes ago, Harold Scoggins said:

Gene Larew's  6" HooDaddy several years ago and it is my go to creature.

 

Are you crazy!  ?

 

Don't be telling people that, Ole Catt needs a couple secrets!

 

Gene Larew's 6" Salty Hawg Craw has accounted for a few big bass.

Guido bugs are great on finesse jigs.

6 hours ago, WRB said:

Bass prefer crawdads without claws, bass anglers prefer sift p,attics with claws and flapping features. It's your choice.

Tom

Tom, 

 

Can you give a couple examples of a good craw without claws.  I have had bass rip off claws in a seeming attempt to get rid of them.   I have also caught a ton of bass with claws (and big claws).   So I want to experiment, and you have a ton more experience than most.  Just wondering what you use?

 

Thanks,

 

FD

I typically use the same crawls I would use in the summer, but just dont separate all the appendages to kill the action and create more of a gliding effect.  The only problem with this is that the fish will tear the appendages for you after a bite or two. 

I use baby brush hogs in the Spring and Summer when the water is warm, when the water temp is cooler I switch to a sweet beaver and leave the "claws" attached and not separated. I started using the sweet beaver last year and it has become one of my favorite soft plastics. Most of my fish in the last month or so (water temp under 60) have been on a sweet beaver.

The new Rage Tail Baby Bug on a Siebert Sniper jig is like bass candy. 

 

5 hours ago, Fishin Dad said:

Tom, 

 

Can you give a couple examples of a good craw without claws.  I have had bass rip off claws in a seeming attempt to get rid of them.   I have also caught a ton of bass with claws (and big claws).   So I want to experiment, and you have a ton more experience than most.  Just wondering what you use?

 

Thanks,

 

FD

Smallmouth and spotted bass both tend to declaw crawdads before engulfing them, they bite the claws and shake the crawdad. Crawdads release there arms to escape if necessary. 

Back in the mid 60's to mid 70's I fished with live crawdads and removing claws increase strike rate, no dought in my mind that bass prefer a easy meal without claws.

Pork trailers for decades didn't have claws, simple split tail is all that was needed to look alive and still applies to soft plastics. RI Beaver with a split tail is good choice, wide body to help the jig glide like a pork trailer with enough moment to look alive.

Smallie Beaver for finesse and standard size casting jigs or original size Beaver cut off about  3/8"-1/2" for slower fall with wider body. The Rage Tail baby bug posted above looks good!

Berkley Chigger Craw has big claws the swim like a baitfish and work when bass are targeting bluegill or other baitfish. 

Tom

This year I've gotten way more bites with a Rage Bug than with a Rage Tail Craw.

Thanks Tom.  I was not exactly sure what you defined as no claws.  Just something that moves but doesn't exactly look like claws.   I have some beavers and similar.   I will do some experimenting next year and see what I find out.  

For texas rig and small jigs I like a Gene Larew 4" Salt Craw.

@WRB wasn’t there an actual study performed several decades ago (by Berkley?) that found bass preferred plastics with no craw legs?  

2 minutes ago, GReb said:

@WRB wasn’t there an actual study performed several decades ago (by Berkley?) that found bass preferred plastics with no craw legs?  

I caught hundreds of big bass using pork trailers without anything that looked like crawdads. Senko's and Ned rigs look like ______? and don't have any moving appendages. 

I recall reading somewhere that Dr Jones of Berkley did a study that showed soft plastics without appendages were preferred by bass but not anglers!

Tom

9 hours ago, Catt said:

Don't be telling people that, Ole Catt needs a couple secrets!

Sorry, I guess the Catt is out of the bag now.

This has been a really informative thread and I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who has chimed in.  I'm going to be adding some beaver styles to the backs of my jigs and giving them a try.

1 hour ago, WRB said:

I caught hundreds of big bass using pork trailers without anything that looked like crawdads. Senko's and Ned rigs look like ______? and don't have any moving appendages. 

I recall reading somewhere that Dr Jones of Berkley did a study that showed soft plastics without appendages were preferred by bass but not anglers!

Tom

Very interesting, never knew bass preferred crawdads without claws. I always thought they got excited and tended to bite more when the craw would get in the defensive position. 

11 hours ago, Harold Scoggins said:

Chuck Justice, a guide on McGee Creek Lake, OK and Lake Fork, TX turned me on to Gene Larew's  6" HooDaddy several years ago and it is my go to creature. Tie one of those on and it's "Hammer Time."

These actually look pretty cool, reminds me of the zoom hawgs a bit, what size hooks do you throw on them?

8 hours ago, fishballer06 said:

The new Rage Tail Baby Bug on a Siebert Sniper jig is like bass candy. 

 

Do you throw those jigs on lighter casting rods or spinning gear?

Like Tom, I also like the smallie beaver, but also Maxscent Creature Hawg.  

36 minutes ago, TriStateBassin106 said:

Very interesting, never knew bass preferred crawdads without claws. I always thought they got excited and tended to bite more when the craw would get in the defensive position. 

These actually look pretty cool, reminds me of the zoom hawgs a bit, what size hooks do you throw on them?

4/0 or 5/0 EWG

45 minutes ago, TriStateBassin106 said:

These actually look pretty cool, reminds me of the zoom hawgs a bit, what size hooks do you throw on them?

I've also had very good results pegging a skirted BOSS Hub against the hook.

I've done really well in winter with a baby brush hog on a shakyhead. A Strike King Rodent on a 1/4oz swinging football head drug slowly on the bottom is another one of my favorite winter baits. 

15 hours ago, TriStateBassin106 said:

Do you throw those jigs on lighter casting rods or spinning gear?

No, quite the opposite actually. This is the 5/16oz. version, which is built on a pretty stout 2/0 hook. I'm usually throwing them on a MH or H powered rod. 

3 hours ago, fishballer06 said:

No, quite the opposite actually. This is the 5/16oz. version, which is built on a pretty stout 2/0 hook. I'm usually throwing them on a MH or H powered rod. 

I'm not the biggest fan of spinning gear like I used to be, would finesse jigs work on casting gear, a close friend of mine throws the war eagle brand finesse jigs on his 7'0 lews MH, but everyone else keeps advocating spinning tackle for them.