Crayfish

[BigBassin144]

Originally Posted by In Eccess

make sure you're making contact with the crankbait. While I HAVE had some strikes on just a wobbling crankbait, most of my strikes accured after the lure deflected off some piece of structure, be it rock, stick, or just bare bottom. At this point of the year, I'd use a steady retrieve with a red crankbait. Do it just fast enough to let the lure make contact with the bottom and crawl along. Bass haven't seen a crayfish since late fall, and it's probably been longer since they seen a crayfish imitating lure.

Lots of luck.

I was wondering what In Eccess meant by this? Why wouldn't a bass have seen a crayfish since late fall?

They don't hibernate. We see crays all the time ice fishing on our underwater camera, heck I've actually caught half a dozen last winter and 2 this winter.

BB

[aikenyounggun]

ummmm i not really sure i catch fish during the winter imitatin crawfish with shaky heads and jigs....

[cassidyta]

They do go scarce during winter in my neck of the woods. Not sure if it is hibernation or just deep cover but I usually don't see them much after November till spring.

[3dkicker]

"What do crayfish do in winter? It's thought that they become much less active, but they do not go dormant or hibernate. Adult crayfish move to deeper water for the winter to avoid possible freeze-outs."
or
"Crayfish overwinter in their burrows or the bottom muds or shoreline banks, and emerge as the water warms. Mid-April is the time when crayfish first become active in Virginia. The optimal water temperature range for crayfish is between 40°F (4°C) and 75°F (24°C). As temperatures drop below or rise above this range, crayfish become inactive and stop feeding."

Two different points of view.

[swimbaitkid]

Originally Posted by aikenyounggun

ummmm i not really sure i catch fish during the winter imitatin crawfish with shaky heads and jigs....

Ok that is the dumbest thing I have ever heard, why do people use jigs in the winter and catch big bass, it resembles a crawfish, and Aikenyounggun what did you catch the 6lber on in the winter?

[BigBassin144]

3d, I figured they slow down a bit during the winter, but we still see them crawling all around the bottom while ice fishing.

I guess maybe it's because they have to place to hide in the reservoir we ice fish because the bottom is ALL just mud, no rocks, or other structure.

BB

[3dkicker]

I think it's one of those things that really haven't been studied but everyone assumes that they burrow up and hide during the winter. I'd guess that they continue doing what the normally do all year but just a little slower (like you found).

I posted the "Snow Lobster" pic last year of a crawfish found in my sister's yard after a snow storm. Obviously that crawfish didn't know it was supposed to be hibernating in the mud in deep water.

[BigBassin144]

I think the over abundance of craws in the reservoir is one reason they may stay more active during the winter.

I also think it's why I can never catch anything on craw baits or jigs...

BB