I have never used a jig much at all. But they sure do catch bass!

 

I found another bass with a real crawfish in its mouth after catching it. Obviously, bass love crawfish! What about flipping/pitching just a soft plastic craw with no jig? Do you think a jig is 'necessary?' What does the jig do other than it's a bigger body shape? Personally, I find it too bulky and heavy but I am accustomed to fishing weightless flukes and senkos and t-rig worms with 1/16oz to 3/16oz bullet weights, so, not a lot of bulk, nor weight. What do you guys think? These modern craw plastics look so real, why not just use that and a weighted hook? Or bullet weight. (It has to be weedless around here, lots of cover.) However, lakes are pretty shallow here. The vast majority of fishing here is 8ft deep or less. I do understand that if you are punching through thick cover, more weight can be needed.

 

I guess if you are trying to mimic a bluegill, a jig kind of rounds out the shape.

I fish a craw on a Texas Rig A LOT!!!! Great way to catch fish!

Rage Craw.  Oh ya .

5 minutes ago, BaitFinesse said:

A Texas rigged craw has been a thing for ages 

 

And how.

 

25 minutes ago, livemusic said:

I guess if you are trying to mimic a bluegill, a jig kind of rounds out the shape.

 

Bass aren't so smart (or picky) that they'll look for a 1:1 resemblance of a bluegill, for example. We all know this, but sometimes it's nice to be reminded.

 

Skirted jigs are handy for combining a lot of stuff one might want into a nice, neat little package, with the weighted hook, a weedguard, a skirt to bulk it up and add some secondary movement to the lure, etc.

 

But you ain't gotta have all that.

Rage Craw or Zoom Z craw tear it up on a t rig .

1 hour ago, livemusic said:

What does the jig do other than it's a bigger body shape?

If you’re trying to get into the salad, you need a heavier spoon. 

I’ve had good luck with an XZone Adrenaline Craw lately on a TR. 

Rage Tail Baby Craw in particular.

Heck yeah, a T-rigged Berkley Chigger Craw has saved many-a-outing for me when I'm skunking out around docks with my usual jig/craw combos.

A T rigged craw is deadly. You can also rig one on a bare jighead. It will get a few more bites and cull fewer small fish than the whole jig with skirt. When I do I like to use a lighter jighead because it will sink faster. I caught the bass in my profile pic on that rig.

I've relied on a Texas rigged craw worm for 25+ years. It's one of my primary lures in south Louisiana.

You could always add a punch skirt to any t rigged plastic. 
 

That’s the thing about imitating a craw. 
Many options to make look, feel and act anyway you want. 
 

Don’t get hung up specifics 

 

 

 

 

Mike

A t-rigged ultra vibe speedcraw is a standard for me.

I've been using them for decades . The Larew salt Craw , Guido Bug  , the WalMart Renegade was a good one to Texas rig . Riverside had the Big Claw , I still have a lot of them . Love to pitch them in wood .

Nope doesn’t work. Don’t even try it. Total jinx. Like a banana in the boat. You’ll never catch another fish again. You were warned.!

I have had some very good days using a Zoom Ultra Vibe Speed Craw or the Berkley Crazy legs Chigger Craw. I also like to use them as jig trailers. Sometimes the extra bulk and weight is needed to catch fish.

1 hour ago, scaleface said:

I've been using them for decades . The Larew salt Craw , Guido Bug  , the WalMart Renegade was a good one to Texas rig . Riverside had the Big Claw , I still have a lot of them . Love to pitch them in wood .

i miss the old Renegades

I hardly ever fish craws on jigs.

Craw worms are my favorite thing to texas rig.

3 hours ago, BrianMDTX said:

I’ve had good luck with an XZone Adrenaline Craw lately on a TR. 

Just looked at those today online...look like a great swim jig trailer rigged vertically 

Texas rig it with a pegged or unpegged weight depending on what you're doing. Proven fish catcher as old as the soft plastic. 

Crock-O-Gator ring craw on a 1/8oz slider head is deadly early spring when the small craws are hatching here. 

CAUTION DO NOT put a Craw Worm on a Shaky Head!

 

Ya might get your arm broke!

I Texas rigged  them a lot when I lived in Nc, fishing for small mouth. 

Bass in my profile pic was caught on a t-rigged 3" Berkley Pit Boss. T-rig craw or creature bait is deadly.

9 hours ago, DitchPanda said:

Just looked at those today online...look like a great swim jig trailer rigged vertically 

 

They look like they'd work about as well as a Zoom Speed Craw, which is to say they'll likely  be fantastic swim jig trailers.