Rage Craws...keel Weighted... 2025
Red reply :
I am sure this has been covered to some degree, I did a search but couldn't find exactly what I was looking for.
I have been reading about people using a keel weighted hook for Rage Craws/Lobsters. I am wondering if you still flip/pitch it like you would with a standard t-rig? Is there a different method for working the bait when rigged like this? Also, has anyone tried this with other baits, like the Space Monkey or a beaver style bait? Any info will be much appreciated!!! Especially since the Rage bite is picking up round here!
Thanks
Cliff
Fat-G reply :
It works welk around weeds, haven't tried it in hard cover. I'm sure Mr. Parks will chime in, he's the expert.
Red reply :
I am really just wondering about flippin/pitchin. I kinda like the idea, less hassle, no pegging and all that.
BassThumb reply :
I like to cast them and fish them like I would a jig, swim jig, or slow-rolled spinnerbait. They fall horizontally with a keel weighted hook and don't seem to penetrate weedcover very well, and that's normally what I flip. I prefer to rig them with bullet weight when flipping, but that's just my experience. It can't hurt to give it a try around the woody cover that you've posted pics of.
Shane J reply :
Of course! Flip and pitch that baby all day long! That's what I'm doing with it half the time. I've used the keel weighted hooks on Craws, Lobsters, Space Monkeys, Smokin' Roosters, and Anacondas. I switch from swimming it, to slow rolling weed edges and tops, to hopping and dragging on bottom like a jig. This actually has to be my current favorite method.
Red reply :
Yeah I don't fish much weed or grass, almost exclusively flooded timber. I guess I will have to go to Academy and get some new hooks, and you know you can neve have enough packs of craws!! Thanks for the info y'all, I look forward to more!
Big-O reply :
Red, if you want to flip in shallow cover (less than five ft) and very little wind, 1/4oz is OK but I'd advise 3/8 for deeper water and Shane covered the uses well. Hard to beat this technique when casting and fishing it identical to a T rig in 5 ft or less. Extremely effective on and over grass or moss beds too. Will work with any soft plastic presentation and keep it slow...
Big O
www.ragetail.com
Red reply :
Thats why I love this place, all my answers in no time!! Gonna pick up some hooks tonight, put it to the test tomorrow hopefully! Thanks!
Cliff
mr.mallard reply :
i like the gammagatsu weighted superline spring lock!!
Red reply :
Well my crappy Academy didn't have a whole lot of choices for keel weighted hooks. They had Gammies and Owner Beast hooks but only in 1/8. The only thing they had heavier was Big Bite Baits hooks, I don't know anything about them so I went with the Owners and Gammies. I am gonna be fishing in pretty shallow water anyway so I think it will be fine. I generally use 1/8 tungston bullets anyway. That Owner Beast looks pretty awesome, it is a 4/0 hook but it seems huge, but fits in a Rage Craw perfectly. I will let y'all know how I make out!
Thanks for all the speedy replies!
Cliff
Red reply :
Oh yeah, I was gonna ask....is there a proper "name" for this rig? Ya know, carolina rig, texas rig etc etc. Just curious.
BassThumb reply :
Bass Resource Rig. 
Those Owner Beast hooks are great. I use those and the Owner 5123 weighted hooks. Try a Sweet Beaver on a 4/0, 1/8 oz hook. It's heavy enough to get it to the bottom, but light enough that it doesn't fall straight down. Since the Beaver is flat and the weighted hook keeps the Beaver horizontal, it doesn't fall consistently, sometimes it falls to one side and then you twitch it, and it falls to the other side, etc. It's erratic and it even spirals once in a while, like a tube jig. Same reason I like those flat Beavers for swimjigs.
intheweeds reply :
Red, I love to keel weight the Space Monkey. I have had good results with swimming it through submerged timber. I just do a slow retrieve and bounce it off of the limbs or stumps and the bass just slam it. I recommend Moaner Hooks.
Big-O reply :
When you get time ck out the Moaner Weighted Stroker hooks... excellent design and quality with best prices anywhere. I've been rigging like this for over 30 years, long before weighted hooks. Used to pinch split shot on the belly of the hook. I call it a "Rage Rig" but you can call it anything you want... just go have FUN with it
Big O
www.ragetail.com
Red reply :
I am going to try to get an hour or two in the AM before the wind kicks me off the water. They were killin a t-rigged Rage Craw yesterday evening, hopefully they still are!
eyedabassman reply :
On 4/30/2011 at 9:56 AM, Red said:I am going to try to get an hour or two in the AM before the wind kicks me off the water. They were killin a t-rigged Rage Craw yesterday evening, hopefully they still are!
Red, If you are in a hurry to get some just make a few of your own untill you can order some. Just take one the them lead weights that have them rubber inserts and take the rubber out and crimp the lead part on the hook. They come in alot of weights. Do you know what weight I am talking about?
intheweeds reply :
Good luck out there Red. Let us know how you do. I like the name Big O has for that rig. "Rage Rig" is what I will call it from now on.
Glenn reply :
Like Big-O said, Moaner hooks does the trick. I also have used splitshot pinched on the shank in the past.
Greed reply :
The bunch of you must be psychics or everyone must be on the same page around here because I was just thinking about using a swimbait hook on a rage craw as well when I woke up this morning. I fish a lot of timber (beaver lodges) and was looking for something to drag across the wood without actually falling into it and a rage lobster and a keel weighted hook seems like the answer. I was going to head out in a bit so an update is required from me as well.
Alpster reply :
This is what I use on creature baits and it works great on the "Rage Craw". It's a 4/0 Mustad Powerlock needlepoint. I buy them in boxes of 100.
Ronnie
MNGeorge reply :
Nothing wrong with the Moaner hooks, but they only go up to 1/4 oz. Many times in the current of the upper Mississippi, 1/4 oz. is not sufficient to keep the bait on or even near the bottom. Reaction Strike makes weighted swimbait hooks in weights up to 5/8 oz. and hook sizes up to 10/0. I looked on our major sponsors' websites, but couldn't find Reaction Strike on any of them. They are available from TW, however.
MNGeorge reply :
I just got some Moaner hooks in the mail and sent an email telling them the hooks had arrived and were in good condition. I also asked if they ever thought about offering a 3/8 oz. version. Here's a cut and paste of their response...
George,
I so glad the hooks arrived already, sure hope they work well for you. As for your inquiry about a 3/8oz, you will be happy to know we have not only considered it but, will hopefully have it available in the next few weeks. We have been testing them and making a few revisions to be sure they are just right. If you just check back to our website from time to time, they will be available in 5/0 & 6/0 shortly.
Thanks for the reply,
Matt
JaxBasser reply :
This thread popped into my head while I was fishing today and I put a Baby Brush Hog onto a keel wighted hook. First 6 casts, 6 hits, 5 fish. They were just destroying it after the first twitch every time.
I wanted to try it with my rage craws and anacondas but I wasn't about to switch when I was getting bit like that. Next time though....
CWB reply :
The beauty of flippin' this rig is it looks like something has just fallen in or got knocked of whatever you are flippin' to and it will fall naturally, not nosedive. If you don't get bit, you can fish it back like a T-rig also.
Punkinseedfyretailz reply :
shhhhhhhhhhhh it was a secret..... lol great hooks for almost any soft plastic, it was pure chance that put me on to this method, i ran out of bullet heads, and was left with these hooks, at first i wasn't sure about it but it didn't take long to be sure
Micro reply :
Red, I fish the Space Monkey rigged on an Owner 4/0 twist lock hook with 1/8 oz weight. This rig has produced more fish for me in the last few years than any other bait I've used. It's my absolute go-to bait and I always have at least one rigged, usually two, rigged in my boat at any given time. The bait will flip and pitch very well. The weight hook makes the bait sink horizontal to the bottom which I like very much. The 1/8 makes it sink fairly slowly, but the arms and legs flap nonetheless. You can usually work the weight up and down the hook shaft to make it sink at some desired angle.
Hooligan reply :
I just started fishing the Monkey rigged that way this year. It's been killer on brown fish, which was completely unexpected.
Red reply :
As of now it is looking like the wind is going to be down this weekend. I haven't been able to give them much of a chance due to high winds, I will be flippin a Rage Craw, and now, a Space Monkey as well. Looking forward to it!
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