Crayfish: Favored Forage of the Bass Family

It’s that time of year again and the water has warmed enough to bring the crayfish from their wintering haunts!

Crayfish are one of the favored forage species on the bass’ menu.   So the next time you head out to your favorite honey hole and include a few “crayfish-type” baits in your box …

photo credit: D.Burdick

Here are a few pointers to consider when selecting “crayfish-type” baits for your tackle collection:

1. Though crayfish patterned crankbaits work well for largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass, the best color patterns vary by season.  During the spring bass fishing season crayfish are often colored with green or green-blue hues, while red or dark colors tend to work best in summer.  Select different shades of brown being tops through the fall season.
2. Plastic crayfish imitations work well from spring to fall but remember to use the color patterns mentioned in tip #1.
3. Never forget to add a few jig and pig combos to you tacklebox in colors ranging from all black, black/blue, black/green and brown/orange.

Here is a short video from the folks at Wired2Fish discussing crayfish color transitions…