Meramec Craws

[Al Agnew]

Makes me wonder, though, if actual color is more important or is pattern.  Even though the colors of that TRD aren't far off, the pattern is nothing like the craw.  Yet it still worked.  Would it have been even better with a banded pattern?  Would it have been as good if it was banded but a different color?  Or not banded but any decent color would have worked just as well?  And what about profile?  And size?  And movement?  Not to mention scent or sound.

All those things are possible triggers or cues to make a bass hit.  I suspect that with various water conditions, some would be more popular than others.  I've generally believed that movement and size are two most important cues much of the time, but that color and profile can also be important, with scent and sound becoming more important under low light or murky conditions, or lures fished slowly.

Common sense, though, would tell you that the more cues your lure matches, the more likely it will be that the "right" cue is included.  Not that I totally subscribe to that...if I did, I'd never use anything but soft plastics that were as realistic as possible, instead of crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and such.

As I've said before, the beauty of Mitch's craw is that, properly rigged and carefully fished, it matches a heck of a lot of the cues really well, especially if you add some banding and such with markers the way Hog Wally has been doing it.  Size--check.  Profile--absolutely.  Color--very well.  Movement--better than any other craw imitating lure I know of.  Pattern--yep.  Scent--you could add it if you were sure you were really using a scent that matched a crawdad, which I'm not sure the scents on the market really do.  Only thing that I can think of that wouldn't match, and I'm not sure you can match, is sound (and yes, crawdads make a very interesting and surprisingly loud clicking sound that I've heard many times while snorkeling).

[Mitch f]

I kind of tried a couple of glass rattles in the craws, which seemed to work well. If you take a old telescoping car antenna, you can find the right diameter to core out an internal cylinder that makes a perfect spot for the rattle. They also make a coring tube that's for sale in certain fishing catalogs. 

But I totally agree Al, the number of cues in your favor could mean a few more strikes during the day, and possibly help you win a tournament. 

[Hog Wally]

Here's one for you, mostly for Al, I missed a good bite today on a craw and surprisingly it ripped both pincers clean off( haven't had that happen before).  I had just rigged it and figured to keep fishing it. I couldn't get a bite on it.  Finally but the bullet and tossed it.  First cast nailed a 14" Smallie.  Casting where I had been for ten minutes.   What the heck.   

[snagged in outlet 3]

14 hours ago, Al Agnew said:

Makes me wonder, though, if actual color is more important or is pattern.  Even though the colors of that TRD aren't far off, the pattern is nothing like the craw.  Yet it still worked.  Would it have been even better with a banded pattern?  Would it have been as good if it was banded but a different color?  Or not banded but any decent color would have worked just as well?  And what about profile?  And size?  And movement?  Not to mention scent or sound.

With all due respect.  Nothing could have worked better.  We even had multiple doubles on crappie.  I mean it go hit every time it hit the water.

[Mitch f]

Here's a couple of craws I tried to match. I just call them green and brown.

 

[Seth]

Ain't no smallmouth in their right mind that would fall for those terrible craw imitations. 
Send me a few dozen along with some of your jigheads and I'll prove it. 

[Mitch f]

29 minutes ago, Seth said:

Ain't no smallmouth in their right mind that would fall for those terrible craw imitations. 
Send me a few dozen along with some of your jigheads and I'll prove it. 

I thought you already had some?

[Smalliebigs]

3 hours ago, Mitch f said:

Here's a couple of craws I tried to match. I just call them green and brown.

 

those look nice brother!!!

I always put too much color on them....the other key is the jigheads, and I think they are some of the best you will find in the market place.

 

[Stein]

I have so much to learn for clear water.  After fishing in muddy water my whole life, if it wasn't June Bug it wasn't worth throwing.  Those look dang good.

[ColdWaterFshr]

I'm a big believer now in the Mitch Craw.  They produced pretty durn well on the upper Jacks Fork this past weekend.  Thanks, Mitch!