Best/most Realistic Craw 2024

gall reply :

this is more of an opinion suggestion thing i want to know from guys who use craw baits for crik or river smallies and think which ones work the best or look most realistic in clear water situation ive been experimenting with many different craws and want to find some other fellow bronzie hunters like to use (i use primarily green pumpkin colors so craws that have color would be a bonus)

OkobojiEagle reply :

I think you may be whistling down the wrong path worrying about realism of appearance. Match a 3" tube pretty closely to the prevailing crayfish colors and learn to "skitter" it along cover edges and current breaks where smallies are expected to be.

NBR reply :

IMHO the "MadMan" is the most realistic craw I have seen but I have not had much success with it. That could be from not using it much since the first time or two I had it in my tackle.

Sam reply :

Two schools of thought using craws.

First, the claws need to move slow.

Second, the claws need to move fast.

Rage Tail craws' claws move fast and I love them. So do the bass.

If you want a very good looking small craw for smallmouth check out the Munchies that are made in Louisiana.

http://www.overstockbait.com/Lindy_Munchies_Craw_Toob_p/cr.htm

Also be sure to check out the live crawfish where you are going to fish to note their color.

tnbassfisher reply :

+1 for the Rage Tails

I also still enjoy catching real craws and using them as live bait in creeks.

S Hovanec reply :

They don't get any more real than this:

https://www.huddbaits.com/index.php?p=21&cat=1

ww2farmer reply :

Realistic is over blown. Make it look like an easy vunarable meal, or make them react to something wizzing by there faces, and thats that.

IntroC reply :

Lake fork Tackle has a very realistic craw and the smallies love them. *** sells them.

roadwarrior reply :

Rage Tail Baby Craw, Craw & Lobster. The Baby Craw is epic!

gall reply :

thanks for all the tips but the reason i asked about the realism is because usually the part of the crik i fish is extremely clear and the larger size smallies are very finicky when it comes to baits ive been using the zoom critter craw yum crawbug and yum craw papi with good success and i did match the hatch green pumpkin with a little orange on the pincers is deadly

Crestliner2008 reply :

Hard to beat a Hula Grub on a football head jig.

gall reply :

the only problem about the football jig heads is the crik i fish its mainly shallow and heavy with rock cover and limestone ive used a football jig a few times but its a real pain do you know any jig heads that are pretty good for rock?

smalljaw67 reply :

On 7/22/2012 at 9:02 PM, OkobojiEagle said:

I think you may be whistling down the wrong path worrying about realism of appearance. Match a 3" tube pretty closely to the prevailing crayfish colors and learn to "skitter" it along cover edges and current breaks where smallies are expected to be.

oe

As I told you before Gall, I fished that creek, realistic craws even in gin clear waters aren't always going to work as it needs to act like a craw. I really think the Yum crawbug is one of the top 5 most realistic, the "madman craws were very lifelike until they quit making them but the craw I showed you before works excellent in super clear water, you can get them in green pumpkin, green pumpkin with blue claws, orange claws whatever. What I noticed about the craws in that creek as well as the river it flows into is that in the spring the clas have a blueish color to them and so does the body but in the summer the tips of the claws get a bright orange so get some orange spike it dye or JJs magic if it comes in that color and put it on the tips of the claws of whatever you're using and it will make a difference.

elkriverangler reply :

I have done real well this Year with the 3.25" Predator Craw made by Winco's Custom Baits in PA. The color I use is called Mud Pie which is a Green Pumpkin with Copper and Purple Flakes. Zoom's Ultra Vibe Craw is pretty similar in shape and the Green Pumpkin Magic color is close to the Mud Pie color.

He also sell's a "Flutter Head" Weighted Hook for rigging the Craw that helps reduce the snags on Rocks. They are a bit pricy though. I have been using the Mr Twister weighted hook in 1/8 Oz and it works a lot better than a normal Jighead for snags.

gall reply :

yeah i noticed that the craws are a grayish blue with orange tips ive been trying to find a good dye that clearly makes the pincers orange i havent had much luck but ive been doing my usual retrieve and action which is slowly crawing and twitching it across the rocks into the pools but can anyone send me links of those craws you guys are talking about

mikeeasttn reply :

Try the Hudd Bug or the Rage Tail Baby Craw. They work very well in the clear water.

flyeaglesfly5186 reply :

On 7/22/2012 at 9:02 PM, OkobojiEagle said:

I think you may be whistling down the wrong path worrying about realism of appearance. Match a 3" tube pretty closely to the prevailing crayfish colors and learn to "skitter" it along cover edges and current breaks where smallies are expected to be.

oe

I'm jumping on this wagon, match the tubes to the color of the craws in the river, flip over a few rocks and watch what comes out. Skitter them across rocks, off the shore line, even slowly reel them across open water patches. I've had plenty of smallies nail a tube being slowly reeled in. I've used a fair amount of "realistic" craws and they're al a waste in my opinion. Opt for the tubes, they're also cheeper so losing a few tubes and jig heads ins't going to break the bank.

gall reply :

ok ill give tubes more time i use them sometimes now the next question whats your favorite types of tubes?

flyeaglesfly5186 reply :

Fat Gitzits 3 1/2 in, in brown or darker green based. rigged internally with a 1/8 oz jig head. Just play them, I use a medium/heavy 7' rod in the river and love the action I get with these off a twitch of the tip. I actually bought the rod I have for playing tubes in the river.

flyeaglesfly5186 reply :

Really the color depends on the local cusine but I almost always have a hit on dark brown in clear water and in darker or cloudier water. Any tube will do though, I just like the gitzits the best. What matters is the play.

gall reply :

ok thanks for the advice ill have to check them out do you use a tube jig head or an actual jig head

flyeaglesfly5186 reply :

I like to rig them internally. Just jam the jighead down the tube and pop the eyelet out the side of the tube. It also adds a bit of protection against getting the jighead jambed between rocks. Save the painted heads for the grubs.

gall reply :

so do you use an actual jig head or tube jig head

flyeaglesfly5186 reply :

Sorry, tube jig heads.

gall reply :

ok well i gotta find a color between a green pumpkin and grayish blue and ill be golden do you bounce it slow rewtrieve it or twitch it

Munkin reply :

RI Smallie Beavers in Green Pumkin or Watermelon depending on how clear the water is. T-rig them using a 1/8- 1/4oz bullet head and you are good to go. Flyseagles is correct about the tubes but personally I do not like tubes.

Allen

flyeaglesfly5186 reply :

On 7/27/2012 at 6:40 AM, gall said:

ok well i gotta find a color between a green pumpkin and grayish blue and ill be golden do you bounce it slow rewtrieve it or twitch it

Here's a few replies of mine from another thread about tubes. I just didn't feel like writing it again.

On 7/25/2012 at 5:08 AM, flyeaglesfly5186 said:

I tried explaining my techniques for tubes the other day to a friend and the best description I could come up with is random spaz. Yes there is some finesse to the tube especially working rock outcroppings, trees, ledges etc. I like to work around the structures with randomness to the play. Remember crawfish, which the tube imitates, swim very erratically and in short bursts typically. The fish are watching for this behavior. And will either hit on the move or more often than not hit while at rest. On the other hand, I’ve rigged up a tube and skittered it over top the lily pads like a frog at a quick pace and invoke the hits. You can even rig a tube Carolina style and work the bottom. I’ve caught bass, and catfish with tubes on the bottom. I see you’re down in Philly, head up to the Schuylkill if you really want to have fun with the smallies.

On 7/26/2012 at 3:37 AM, flyeaglesfly5186 said:

Back a few posts to your earlier question which I completely ignored. The reason for the ligther jig is to allow the tube to "crawl" with the current, even lakes have a slight movement to the water. Craws drift slightly with the current and the lighter weight allows for a drift. Also, the lighter weight means that if you want to reel the tube in which works great as well to trigger that active attack. The lighter weight means play is more feasible . You can use 3/16 or even 1/4 heads as well but with the 3.5-4 in tubes the size matches almost perfectly with the jigs hook. 3.5-1/8, 4-3/16, 4.5-1/4. Just jamb that jig down the back end of the tube and run it to the front. The hook should just barely arch out where the skirt begins.

To back smalljaw67 he's 100% right about smallies to buckets. Buckets hit baits that look "fishy", and typically from within hiding. Samllies tend to "search out" their meals, which is typically more "creature" like in appearance. Eg. Craws, Hellgrammites. I've hit smallies while reeling a tube on a quick retrieve only feet from where I'm standing. if they want the meal they'll earn it.

Both paragraphs have some info that would help you with tubes.

Edited July 28, 2012 by flyeaglesfly5186

Matt22Ratcliff reply :

Rage tail craws are probaly the most realilstic, but in my experience tubes have always caught more fish for me. If you can master dragging the tube about a foot at time pause and repeat it can be a deady techinque that every smallie fishermen should have in their arsenal.

fishinkeebs reply :

Tubes are great to use. Anyone ever tried the Dahlberg clacking craw? It looks real just not sure how well it works.

gall reply :

thanks for the advice flyeagle it really helped i used a tube yesterday the only problem i ran into was with the exposed hook on the jig head i got so many d**n hangups i just gave up ha but im gonna give them another try and attempt to figure out a way to get less snag ups

flyeaglesfly5186 reply :

Keep the rod tip up at about 2:30 at rest and when you twitch or pull raise to 12:00.

Or try getting a jig head with an aberdeen hook, they're thinner and have less of a profile which is ok since the tube is such a soft body even if the hook gets burried the sharper and smaller profile of the aberdeen will still hook the fish.

AZfishrman01 reply :

You want real? Take at look at the River2Sea yabbies!! They kill. Especially in the smaller creeks and rivers. The exposed hook does present a problem with hang up sometimes, but if you're not putting it somewhere tough to fish then you're missing out on a lot of fish.

Nashua Nev reply :

Keel weighted rage tail craw. I find the craw to be extremely versatile. I like the rage craw or chunk is a little smaller. I have not tried the new lobster.

I really like keel weighted but you can fish it any way. Thin lightweight hook with no weight for a slow drop , keel weighted or on a jig. fast or slow even trolled across. They definatly catch fish. Anything that looks like a meal. Green with Blue tints is working for me right now.in smaller darker water.

I like them on these.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Fishing/Fishing-Jigs-Rigs/Bass-Jigs|/pc/104793480/c/104736780/sc/104203080/Strike-King-Pro-Model-Jig/702752.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2Ffishing-fishing-jigs-rigs-bass-jigs%2F_%2FN-1100356%2FNs-CATEGORY_SEQ_104203080%3Fpcrid%3D12987221898%26WTz_l%3DPPC%253Bcat104736780&WTz_l=PPC%3Bcat104736780%3Bcat104203080

Backwoodsbasser reply :

Yum craw bug has 2 sizes and a nice variety of colors they work awesome here in the north east on river smallies match the hatch with size and color options and you have a d**n near real craw. It's hollow body so tube jigs tuck in them nicely and on skitter retrieve on bottom the rubber body bounces and kicks erratically along as a real craw would. When you to a small piece of rock or structure pull lightly as to allow the claws to raise up in defense position

Backwoodsbasser reply :

gall reply :

ive been using the crawbug a lot and i found the netbait baby paca craws are down right deadly on them too those and green pumpkin tubes have been really working for me and ive caught plenty of big smallies on them

GRIZZ reply :

^{HuddBug......}

ducks19 reply :

Favorite on the Susquehanna River (Flats) in Northern, MD is the 3.75 Yum F2 Craw Papi (Green Pumpkin with purple speckles). Texas rigged (skin hooked).

Smallies' kill this bait!

* Only knock would be that the claws do have a tendency to come off easiy. On a strike, your almost guaranteed to lose a claw or two. Although who would complain about that?

gall reply :

i use those a lot too and noticed the same problem i recently changed to paca baby craws and have a little better durability

1234567 reply :

On 9/28/2012 at 5:32 AM, GRIZZ said:

^{HuddBug......}

I wish Ken would make a 4 inch version of these!

gall reply :

dang those are nice what size are they?

retiredbosn reply :

On 7/29/2012 at 6:12 AM, gall said:

thanks for the advice flyeagle it really helped i used a tube yesterday the only problem i ran into was with the exposed hook on the jig head i got so many d**n hangups i just gave up ha I but im gonna give them another try and attempt to figure out a way to get less snag ups

Leave a little space between the jig head and the end of tube when inserting the jig head. The little air pocket acts like a spring, the tube will hit the rock and deflect just enough to prevent most hang ups.

je1946 reply :

Hula grub on a round ball jig in grn pumpkin, ragetail craw keel wgt in grn pumpkin, I like to dip the tips of the craws in chartruse/red/blue in JJs magic something about that garlic they seem to like.

jhoffman reply :

The tube youre looking for in green pumpkin light blue swirl is made by powerteam lures - food chain

Brian Needham reply :

On 1/6/2013 at 11:19 PM, jhoffman said:
The tube youre looking for in green pumpkin light blue swirl is made by powerteam lures - food chain

Thanks for that color!! I love the Strike King "Blue Craw" color and I always wanted it in a Tube!

jhoffman reply :

No problem

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