🍃 SPRING – Craws on the Move
Natural Behavior:
As water warms into the 50s, crawfish emerge from winter burrows and start roaming the shallows looking for mates. Their colors are often bright orange, red, and rusty brown due to molting and mating hormones.
Fishing Tips:
Where: Rocky shorelines, creek mouths, and riprap.
How: Slow-drag or hop the craw along the bottom, letting claws stand up in a defensive position.
Colors: Lunchbox Red, Cheeto Fingers, Coffee
Rig: Football jig or Texas rig to mimic the natural skitter and pause of early-season craws.
Key Tip: Use a scent or “flavor-infused” bait to trigger bites when bass are sluggish.
🌳 SUMMER – Aggressive Feeders
Natural Behavior:
Crawfish are most active at night and in low light, hiding during bright hours. They shift to greenish-brown or watermelon tones that blend with algae-covered rocks and weeds.
Fishing Tips:
Where: Under docks, shaded ledges, weed edges, or boulder fields.
How: Swim your craws mid-column or flip them into cover. Think reaction bite over finesse.
Colors: Ganja Green, Coffee
Rig: Texas rig or punch setup to get through vegetation.
Key Tip: Speed up your retrieve — short hops or steady swimming imitating a fleeing craw triggers ambush strikes.
🍂 FALL – Bulk Up Before the Chill
Natural Behavior:
Crawfish are still active but start moving deeper as water cools. Their shells darken — more brown, copper, or purple hues dominate. Bass gorge on them to build winter fat.
Fishing Tips:
Where: Transition zones — from shallow flats to first drop-offs.
How: Use slow hops or dragging retrieves along rock transitions.
Colors: Coffee ,Black Onyx , Cheeto Fingers ,Schnozz Berry
Rig: Football jig or Carolina rig to cover water efficiently.
Key Tip: When in doubt, drag slower — craws are conserving energy now, and a patient presentation gets more bites.
❄️ WINTER – Hibernation Mode
Natural Behavior:
Crawfish burrow deep into mud or rock crevices. Very little movement happens — but when water warms briefly, a few may emerge and move sluggishly.
Fishing Tips:
Where: Deep rocky points, channel edges, or bluff walls.
How: Crawl the bait as slow as possible, keeping bottom contact.
Colors: Black Onyx, Coffee , Schnozz Berry
Rig: Stand-up jig head or finesse football jig.
Key Tip: Silicone shines here — it stays supple and realistic even in cold water, unlike plastisol which stiffens up.