I remember this thread came up a LONG time ago, shortly after I joined BR. Let's see if everybody still thinks the same way.

All ponds/lakes have baitfish, not all have craws.

Kind of hard to say they like one more than the other.  There are times when the bass will key in on baitfish, other times they'll be keyed on craws.

I wouldn't be surprised if this poll is split down the middle.

I think bass eat more bait fish than craws over the course of the year as a whole.

i think bass find a craw to be an easier meal while a baitfish is much more tasty and filling!

I wouldn't be surprised if this poll is split down the middle.

When this came up several years ago, one of the two choices dominated. 

I couldn't say which they prefer,but I recall reading somewhere about alot of the biggest bass caught were caught on a craw.

I answered shad/baitfish.  They are more nutritious than crabs, and are easier to catch.  If you've ever seen video of bass eating crabs, especially smallmouth, you'd see what I mean.  That said, bass seem to really like to eat crabs.  Put a crab in a lake where there aren't crabs, I bet the bass go nuts for them.

I think bass like the taste of crawdads better...

I voted shad as well but they hammer craws as well.

Out on the lake tonight there was a ton of baitfish being chased to the surface. Made for some good fishing. My son and I caught 17 LMB / 2 northerns in 3 hours.

A bass will eat a craw over a shad if given a choice.

I Know I love craws lol especialy dipped in some warm hot melted butter with a side order of corn on the cob and red potatoes

This thread has 90 views with only 17 votes.  :-?

So far, it's leaning one direction again...but it's not the same as last time. Go figure.

I don't think they prefer one over the other for taste/nutrition etc... The prefer which ever one is abundant and easiest to catch and eat in the bass's location at that time.

  I would guess that a bass would find a baitfish easier to digest. A crawfish would be generally easier to catch, being slower moving. I also consider bass to be opportunistic feeders that eat whatever happens to be the easiest meal in front of them at the time.

  The most important aspect as far as I'm concerned is the season and water temp...Up here in the Finger Lakes the fish generally feed up in the water column until the water gets into the 50's then they start feeding down on the bottom...in the summer many of the smallmouth here spend all their time suspended out in the baitfish all summer, even in water over 100' deep(but usually within 30' of the surface. I bet many of these fish go months without even seeing a crab but In the late fall and winter you can bet that these same bass will be down on the bottom digging crabs.

Chalk up one more vote for shad.

I've seen a lot of crawdads coughed up in the bottom of the livewell to know they aren't a good choice, but I've never seen a school of smallies herd crawdads like they do alwives in the spring, or gizzard shad in the fall.

Add that to the fact that the vast majority of artificial baits imitate shad/baitfish which speaks volumes as well.

I don't think they prefer one over the other for taste/nutrition etc... The prefer which ever one is abundant and easiest to catch and eat in the bass's location at that time.

Agreed.

A meal is a meal and a bass won't pass up either choice in hopes of finding something better.

No frog option? ;D

I think the word is "prefer."  I believe Bass prefer crawdads over anything else but not all bass have access to crawdads.   Therefore, I say shad/baitfish are eaten more than crawdads.

I think

I don't think they prefer one over the other for taste/nutrition etc... The prefer which ever one is abundant and easiest to catch and eat in the bass's location at that time.

Agreed.

A meal is a meal and a bass won't pass up either choice in hopes of finding something better.

Ever tried tossing out a pork chop? ;D

I don't think they prefer one over the other for taste/nutrition etc... The prefer which ever one is abundant and easiest to catch and eat in the bass's location at that time.

Agreed.

A meal is a meal and a bass won't pass up either choice in hopes of finding something better.

Ever tried tossing out a pork chop? ;D

Yeah, it's my go to lure.

A study was performed several years ago where one hundred crawfish and one hundred shad were in a tank of water with all species of bass (Smallmouth, Spotted, and Largemouth). To much surprise, the crawfish were eaten 8 to 2 over the shad.

I had the opportunity to hand feed a 5 lbs+ wild largemouth live crayfish. So let me tell you they love crawdads. He also wouldnt bite anything I threw at him the next day. > Of course I didnt try any plastic craws that would have been unfair.

Whichever presents itself at the moment and this includes other types of opportunities as well. The most visible to us of course is the shad schools.