Crawdad plastics...

[VinnyH]

This off season I thought hard about the basic artificial baits I wanted to use on the reservoirs. From everything I have heard and read, the basic rule is to match your baits to what the bass are eating.

There are a few different kinds but my main purchase was a few different colors and sizes of "Rockraws" from Hookerz Tackle. I went with a brownish/rootbeer color and a watermelon/green color.

I've been Texas-Rigging them with nice results. Around rocks and sandy areas I use a Hookerz corkscrew #3 hook by itself and near or in weeds, I add a small 1/4 ounce bullet weight.

I think I'll be using them as much or more then senkos this year.

Best to All,
Vinny

[unionbass3]

Vinny, a great small soft plastic to use at Kensico is a Paca Craw.  The Paca Craws led to my double personal best in the same day.  I rigged trhem on a football jig head 3/16 oz.

[VinnyH]

Dominic,
I do have some of the small Paca Craws, I've been using them as a trailer on my jigs. I really like their claw action.

Best Always,
Vinny

[unionbass3]

Another good craw that I recently have found is the Berkely Chigger Craw.  I have used it a couple times towars the end of the season and it produced everytime.

[joel137]

gonna have to give those a try .I kill em on a black grub and jig

[unionbass3]

You guys have to take a look at a new craw I found and have been starting to use with great success so far is the Dream Craw by Venom Lures. 
 These craws are hot and when they tear you can use them as an awesome trailer on your jigs.  They are available at Venomlures.com incase anyone is interested.

 


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[orsrt05]

just curious.....can these crawfish lures be used on any reservoir to catch bass?  i always had the idea that crawfish were mainly used in small ponds.....i didnt think crawfish lived any of the reservoirs in the area. i just read that there are smallmouth bass in the new croton and i really want to start fishing for smallies.  i read that crawfish are their favorite treats as well

[unionbass3]

Crawfish do live in these reservoirs in the area.  Crawfish lures are very good in any of the reservoirs.   Infact I have used crawfish lures in lakes that had no crawfish in there and caught a lot of fish.  It is one of the bass' natural types of forage.  As for smallies in new Croton, that is going to be tough.  there are smallies but they are few and far between.  I have heard and also found to be true through my own experiences that the small mouth population is way down in new Croton and it is very hard to find them.  There are some spots that hold some smallmouths at cretain times of the year.  I am not sure exactly where they are but all this is word of mouth.  If you really want to get into small mouth try Kensico or Bog Brook.  You are definitely on the right track using crawfish to entice smallies.  Good luck.

[orsrt05]

good to hear!!!!  thanks for the heads up on the smallmouth population in the new croton......i guess ill have to chase after those largemouth with the crawfish lures.....thats fine by me though.  how are crawfish lures usually fished?  do you let em sink to the bottom and reel em in slow?  any particular color pattern that works well in the new croton? 

[joel137]

bounce them along the bottom with short hops,make alot of noise ,dragging it trhu the mud bounce off rocks etc.a real crawfish stays on the bottom and will hop along .good luck.where are you on NC im down by 31where the outflow isin that little cove

[unionbass3]

You will not be dissappointed bychoosing to mainly target largemouth in New Croton.  Those largemouth fight like they are on steroids.  A 3 pond largemouth fights like a 5 pound smallie.  Just weight untill you stick a 5 pound largie in the weeds and you think you hooked a rock.  Good luck!

[orsrt05]

that is awesome to hear   i cannot wait until the day i hook the big one.....i have never caught a largemouth any bigger than 10 inches long.....im being totally serious by the way.....hopefully my day will come this saturday morning when i venture out my with my father and father in law

by the way joel137 im at spot 20 on the NC on the east side off route 100.....about 1/2 mile down from muscoot farm....i dont see too many guys out on boats down by my end.......maybe next season ill switch my boat down to the west side.....i see alot of you guys on here have boats down that end and that seems to be where all the bass are....hopefully i find some bass of my own on my end

[joel137]

my buddy has a boat b that area there is a bunch of bass in there fish all along the rt 100 side go into all the little coves etc.we fish the whole lake.do you ever hear those noooooooo birds?they scream noooooooooo ,we got a theory about it

[orsrt05]

well thats great to hear that there is actually fish there.....i was beginning to think i was on the "dead" side of the resivoir  

we just heard one of those birds last week at about 830pm while i was docking my boat.....it scared the pants off of my fiance & stepdaughter.......it flew right us

dare i ask what your theory is about these birds?  when you see these birds do you find fish?  or is it the opposite?

one thing i forgot to ask about these crawfish lures......is there a certain time when they should be used over other times of day?  or can they be used whenever?

[joel137]

we think they are doing something to the birds ;Dcrawsdads are active mostly at night so early morn or late in the day are the best times to use them.i guess you can try them all day if the water is dark enough