Soft plastic crawfish - technique? Good morning, o great and wise mentors. What’s your go-to technique for fishing a soft crawfish? All I know is to Texas rig them, but I’m not sure...

Betts Loc: Finger Lakes NY

Good morning, o great and wise mentors. What’s your go-to technique for fishing a soft crawfish? All I know is to Texas rig them, but I’m not sure whether I should be fishing them fast, or slow, or lift and drop, or what. Thank you in advance for your help!

Fredfish Loc: Prospect CT.

Betts wrote:

Good morning, o great and wise mentors. What’s your go-to technique for fishing a soft crawfish? All I know is to Texas rig them, but I’m not sure whether I should be fishing them fast, or slow, or lift and drop, or what. Thank you in advance for your help!

Good morning Betts. You are basically trying to imitate the natural way a crayfish scoots along the bottom. After you let it settle to the bottom, lift your rod tip and take a half turn on the reel and let it settle again. Repeat all the way back to the bank. We also use them as a trailer on a weedless Jig, fished the same way. Real ones swim backwards, tail end first, like a Lobster. Their tail is their propulsion. Good luck, and don't forget some pictures.

Go on U Tube and look for "Crayfish swimming in slow motion ". I don't know how to share the link, but look it up, its a cool video.

Grizzly 17 Loc: South central Pa

Betts wrote:

Good morning, o great and wise mentors. What’s your go-to technique for fishing a soft crawfish? All I know is to Texas rig them, but I’m not sure whether I should be fishing them fast, or slow, or lift and drop, or what. Thank you in advance for your help!

Gmon Betts I've also used them on stand up jig heads. They sort of rock back n forth. Then apply the method Fred described to you. Stand up jig heads was around long before ned n neko rig came around. Good luck SIS have fun 👍😊🎣

OJdidit Loc: Oak Creek Wisconsin

Drag it a few inches…let it sit…lift the rod tip 6”…let it settle…watch the line to move.
If a crayfish is trying to escape they flick their tail 2-3 times to get away and can move 4-5’ very easily.
If you have any doubts, try to catch one 😂

saw1 Loc: nor cal Windsor

Betts wrote:

Good morning, o great and wise mentors. What’s your go-to technique for fishing a soft crawfish? All I know is to Texas rig them, but I’m not sure whether I should be fishing them fast, or slow, or lift and drop, or what. Thank you in advance for your help!

Well the expert hasn't chimed in yet. Matt, Bassmatter, uses them ALOT. Hopefully he'll tell you how he does it.
Basically it's the same as all the others have said, except he uses a small splitshot right on top of the hook and Texas rigs the craw.
You could PM him also.

Seegundo Loc: Lake s minole Georgia

Try a Carolina rig as well as Texas rig soft pitches with zoom speed craws on grass edges. Dipping always is a good go to

Seegundo Loc: Lake s minole Georgia

Flipping it keeps changing what I wrote

Betts Loc: Finger Lakes NY

Fredfish wrote:

Good morning Betts. You are basically trying to im... (show quote)

Thanks for suggesting the YouTube videos, Fred - I hadn’t thought of that! Now I get the idea…

Betts Loc: Finger Lakes NY

Grizzly 17 wrote:

Gmon Betts I've also used them on stand up jig heads. They sort of rock back n forth. Then apply the method Fred described to you. Stand up jig heads was around long before ned n neko rig came around. Good luck SIS have fun 👍😊🎣

I just found some weedless jig heads in my tackle box (every time I go through it, I get a surprise or two, lol). Thank you, Butch, I’ll try ‘em today with Liam. 😁

Betts Loc: Finger Lakes NY

OJdidit wrote:

Drag it a few inches…let it sit…lift the rod tip 6”…let it settle…watch the line to move.
If a crayfish is trying to escape they flick their tail 2-3 times to get away and can move 4-5’ very easily.
If you have any doubts, try to catch one 😂

I used to be pretty good at catching them when I was a kid, but that was a couple of years ago. 😂 Thank you for the specifics, OJD. I’m taking notes here…

Betts Loc: Finger Lakes NY

saw1 wrote:

Well the expert hasn't chimed in yet. Matt, Bassmatter, uses them ALOT. Hopefully he'll tell you how he does it.
Basically it's the same as all the others have said, except he uses a small splitshot right on top of the hook and Texas rigs the craw.
You could PM him also.

Thank you, Saw!

Betts Loc: Finger Lakes NY

Seegundo wrote:

Flipping it keeps changing what I wrote

Lol, flipping makes more sense so thanks for clarifying. I’m all over the banks and edges lately, been catching a lot that way on senkos and power worms. Spots are already getting pressured, tho, so I’m looking to mix up my baits. Thank you, Seegundo!

Seegundo Loc: Lake s minole Georgia

You are welcome flipping works on timber and rocks as well Carolina rig on ledges.

Ivey Loc: South Central Tennessee, Tim's Ford Lake

Betts, when I use those weedless jig heads with a craw I like to point the end of the rod at the bait and slowly pull the bait with the reel, add a few twitches of the rod tip per crank and it's a pretty good Crawfish imitator. Try to bounce of as much stuff as possible without hanging up it draws attention to the bait.

Betts Loc: Finger Lakes NY

Ivey wrote:

Betts, when I use those weedless jig heads with a craw I like to point the end of the rod at the bait and slowly pull the bait with the reel, add a few twitches of the rod tip per crank and it's a pretty good Crawfish imitator. Try to bounce of as much stuff as possible without hanging up it draws attention to the bait.

Thanks, Ivey. I’ll try that!