Craws w/o claws

[Patrick Krueger, Jr.]

You guys know how some live bait fisherman remove one claw from crayfish for more bites? I've been doing it with plastic craws, but I don't know that it has been more effective. I remember reading that bass will hit them more without any claws at all. Has anyone tried this?

[JB]

I have used one removed for years as others I fish with will change the bait as soon as they see one missing....I dont remove it beforehand, rather if a gill or bass has taken off on claw, I always leave it on...I found this out years ago when I had some black and blue power craws, and only had a few left, one craw came up missing, and I also shortend the tube part by an inch and started getting much bigger fish.

[dampeoples]

Dontcha love it! Folks always looking for the dying or wounded baitfish, but can't have a wounded or dying crawfish, no sir, them boys are cockroach tough.

[3dkicker]

Been there, done that and caught fish. Yes, bass will hit crawfish with and without claws. Does it make a difference? I've never actually done a study on the subject matter. Maybe Professor Flyrod has done one.

[Patrick Krueger, Jr.]

I need to get a friend to try with both claws while I use one claw so we can compare the differences. When we know they're on the crawdad bite.

[3dkicker]

The bass on the Potomac river get on a crawfish bite during the summer months. I start throwing all kinds of creature and crawfish baits and do very well with them. I like using Sweet Beavers and the Zoom baits: Super Hog, Baby Brush Hogs, Ultravibe Craws, and Critter Craws. This year I'll be playing with the Gambler BB Cricket. I've never had the need to pull off the claws but then again most of these baits don't have large claws.