Here is a good site with a lot of information about crawdads and their various coloration and how to match them. More than I need to know, but interesting. It also has a lot of information on bait fish, frogs, and worms etc.

http://www.pixelpayback.com/craws/hoverbox/index.html

You typed the URL in wrong.

http://www.pixelpayback.com/craws/hoverbox/index.html

Many crawdads also change color as the water temp changes. From the usual dark brown, red, whatever to a more purplish or dark with blue areas.

Thanks Hamby I tried to copy and paste that

Yeah you hit a couple of wrong buttons, that's all.

The best color for crawfish is a bright red.

Right after they stop cooking and you pull them out of the pot!!!!!!  ;D   ;D   ;D

Soooo... basicaly any color is the right color?

I see those pics are geared towards luremakers. I'll stick with blacknblue, pb&j, rusty, and their variations.

Well I understand now why pumpkin and watermelon and green pumpkin are such good all around colors.

I had no idea that there were so many different colors for crawfish

There's 330+ species of crayfish in this country.  Lots of colors and shapes there.

The key is to find out what the predominant species is in the body of water you are fishing. Also their seasonal coloring.

Yes and that is not always easy to do, I am still trying to figure which ones are in my waters. I know there are some sites on line that will give information about that but sometimes it is just not specific enough.

There are leucistic crawdads? Thats wild! I can't imagine they make it to adulthood very often.

Yes and that is not always easy to do, I am still trying to figure which ones are in my waters. I know there are some sites on line that will give information about that but sometimes it is just not specific enough.

Just trap some during different seasons. Seasonal colors should be more important than the exact species.

Yes and that is not always easy to do, I am still trying to figure which ones are in my waters. I know there are some sites on line that will give information about that but sometimes it is just not specific enough.

The local fisheries biologists should be able to help ya out. THats how I do it. They are state or county employee's and usually eager to talk about it.

Oh....yeah or make a simple phone call haha.

Actually guys there are around 530 species of crawfish around the world with 400 species in the USA.

Slonezp and Bluestreak hit the nail on the head regarding colors.

So don't go nuts over matching the exact crawfish colors. It is more important to mimic a crawfish with your jig and pig or moving bait since the colors change and some disappear totally underwater.

But a beautiful red crawfish, hot and steaming out of the pot is still the best color for the mudbugs. Yum!        

species and habitat make it a bit eaiser.

For instance, in the same lake dads that burrow in clay will come out with the red tint from wintering there once it is around bass spawn temps and will gradually change- dads on the same lake that live in the rocks will be closer to the browns we all know.

Course they dont read what we do and it all changes

Don 't bother too much with the "match the hatch", match the behavior not the colors.

Don 't bother too much with the "match the hatch", match the behavior not the colors.

That's the gospel truth right there!

I may use a total of 5 different craw colors as far as plastics and jigs and could probably get away with only 2 on my home lake (black and blue and green pumpkin). I believe presentation is key to catching big bass. My biggest bass I've caught on a jig was by dragging a jig extremely slow on the bottom with extended pauses. A very natural presentation. 

Don 't bother too much with the "match the hatch", match the behavior not the colors.

Black-N-Blue, Black Neon, & Black-Brown-Amber

Don 't bother too much with the "match the hatch", match the behavior not the colors.

Black-N-Blue, Black Neon, & Black-Brown-Amber

You too, huh ?

Man, you are soooo predictable.  ;D

Don 't bother too much with the "match the hatch", match the behavior not the colors.

Black-N-Blue, Black Neon, & Black-Brown-Amber

You too, huh ?

Man, you are soooo predictable. ;D

If it aint broke don't try to fix it

"Matching the hatch" may have some validity in the fly fishing arena, but, in my opinion, not with bass. If a bass sees something eatable - a bit smaller than itself - it's going to eat....period.

Depth and speed control is much more important to hooking up. Color being the very last factor I would ever consider in any technique or presentation.

Think about this, why would a bass hit a pink Fluke? But they do!

Looking over every Dad on that first page, I'd pick this one.... A nice little small-clawed female

in about a 2 1/2" size... nose hooked, and live lined

Whoo Hooo ! Live dads are SOOOO much fun

Fish

[quote author=5667706661797C7B706727252522150 

Think about this, why would a bass hit a pink Fluke? But they do!