The Lure of a Crawfish

It's a proven fact that when the most popular freshwater species in the world, the largemouth bass, seems to be inactive, or unwilling to chase baitfish or lures imitating a shad or perch, they cannot resist a succulent, juicy craw fish. No secret to that. Right? Fishermen have always known it. Perhaps the appeal of the craw fish is that it simply "tastes great". We know that most bass are sight feeders, so maybe the relatively slow movement of the creature sliding over rocks and logs as it stays in the strike zone peaks the interest of Mr. Bass. Or maybe it's a combination of many factors. Regardless of the reason, bass simply cannot allow an easy meal like a craw fish to get away.

Over the years, lure manufacturers have expended much money, time and effort in attempts to develop a lifelike reproduction. Finally, one company has come along with what appears to be the perfect craw fish imitation. One that will not roll or ball up on the hook and takes no more than a minute to rig before you are back to what you came for; fishing and catching.

When the fish are off their bite a craw fish imitation is my "go-to" bait. The reason? Ease of rigging and simplicity of fishing the Sliding Weight Craw Fish. This imitation mimics the action of a real craw fish so well that it is the most perfect imitation I have found in all the years of my professional fishing career. It always maintains the character of the critter it was designed to impersonate. One reason is this lures attraction. It's tantalizing tail action. The multitude of colors offered give fishermen the ability choose the most visible color, imitating that of the craw fish in the specific waters he inhabits. Since rocks are home to craw fish, bass can be found rooting out the little crustaceans along ledges and bluff banks. Therefore, when the soft, lifelike imitation comes crawling and scooting along, waving it's claws defensively as it does so, even inactive bass find the Sliding Weight Craw Fish just too irresistible to pass up.

A major drawback to so many of these types of lures on the market have been preventing anglers from realizing the full potential of a craw. Given the choice between using the solid Sliding Weight craw and a hollow-type imitator that rolls and twists on the fall, I'll always take the former over the latter. If I wanted to fish a hollow lure I would stick with pitching a tube lure, which just happens to be one of my other favorite lures for close work where pitching and flipping are so effective; in close quarters. Whether I'm fishing bank shallow or 20 or more feet, this craw fish just plain produces.

Not long ago about the only presentation, or use, most fishermen had for "craw worms" was as a trailer, or addition to the back of jigs. Most any old craw matching the color of the jig would work as a trailer.

The advent of the Sliding Weight Craw Fish, it's adaptability to so many situations and techniques, along with the fact that it performs well in virtually every type of water, allows anglers to be successful using it practically year 'round.

I have yet to find a way to rig and fish this craw fish that doesn't produce at some point and under all conditions. Whether presented on the patented Sliding Weight system, the new Finesse Craw system, Texas or Carolina rigged, out in front of a split shot, floated and dragged over the tops of thick grass, this lure produces largemouth, smallmouth, spotted and Guadalupe bass for experienced and novice anglers alike.

I've found it effective in deep, clear, rocky highland-type reservoirs, slightly stained river run lakes and their feeder creeks and lowland, grass-filled impoundments. THIS craw fish just flat catches bass. And isn't that the main reason we're on the water, along with admiring the flora and fauna, of course? What we most like to see up close and personal are big fat bass. Try the Sliding Weight Craw Fish and you'll have more of those stretching your line.