It depends for me. A "natural" trailer with claws that don't flap, I'll keep throwing it with one missing. But something that has action as it falls, I want both claws flapping.

I'm not sure if the bass can tell something different or not, but when a claw gets pulled off I change baits.

I just keep fishing them if I lose a claw. Only time I won't is if it really changes the action of the bait.

Allen

What if a craw bait was made with thrree claws?

On 7/4/2026 at 10:36 AM, Pat Brown said:

Caught piles of fish on destroyed plastics that I continue to cobble back onto the hook and toss back into the cover. It’s a game every time I rig a new plastic that I enjoy playing: “how many bass will this worm catch and will it get the biggest fish when it’s full sized or when it’s a nub of worm on my hook?”

I went to a pond that had some male bass on the bed-no females in sight. One by one, I went down the bank teasing them into biting a trick worm. The last bass would pick the lure up by the tail and move it away every time no matter what I did. So I cut it down to about 1" and wacky rigged it on the EWG hook to catch that one. Everybody wants the new bait right out of the bag. But the truth is, the smaller the bait gets, the more bites it will entice, generally speaking.

I lose a claw, I replace the bait.

And I have replaced a lot of baits this past week.

Very unusual and specific bite on c-rig the last several days: I get a hit, start feel for weight, and nothing. Seconds later, rod loads up. Fish on, claws gone. I suppose it could be a second fish following up after seeing one interested, but it happened so many times, that I assume the first fish gets the claws first, and then for some reason decides to inhale what's left. I think I need a go-pro on my sinker.

Cover Scat was made to mimic this.

And they get bit!!

There's an interesting anecdote in this video. The guy says when he was little he'd catch crawfish embedded in rocks. During the course of removal, the crawfish would lose a claw (or two) and he noticed when he let them go, the ones with no claws get eaten immediately.

8 hours ago, Choporoz said:

I lose a claw, I replace the bait.

And I have replaced a lot of baits this past week.

Very unusual and specific bite on c-rig the last several days: I get a hit, start feel for weight, and nothing. Seconds later, rod loads up. Fish on, claws gone. I suppose it could be a second fish following up after seeing one interested, but it happened so many times, that I assume the first fish gets the claws first, and then for some reason decides to inhale what's left. I think I need a go-pro on my sinker.

Bass will grab a bigger craw by the claws to dislodge their position, then suck them in tail first. That's why you see pincers sticking out of their throat. Speaking of a carolina rig, I need to run it again as I've had quite a few drops and feel the c-rig would change those to hookups.