Ethan Clarke
Soft plastic craws are a versatile and effective way to catch bass. They are one of the predominant types of forage for bass and can be fished in many different ways. When rigging soft plastic craws, the key is to present the bait in a natural way. This can be done by rigging the craw weedless, like a Texas rig, with the hook point buried in the craw's body, or with an open hook. Adding a soft plastic craw to a jig is a popular combination, and anglers can use heavy braided line, tungsten bullet weights, and a craw soft plastic bait to punch grass for largemouth bass. The ideal bait for punching through heavy vegetation should have a slim profile, a big enough body to hold a hook, and natural action.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Lures | Soft plastic crawfish lures are versatile and can be used in shallow or deep water. |
| Colors | Use bright colors like chartreuse, orange, red, or dye it black-and-blue to mimic a bluegill. |
| Rigging techniques | Texas Rigging, Punch Rigging, Carolina Rigging, Jig Rigging, Nekko Rigging, Wacky Rigging |
| Bait | Use live craws, craw trailers, or craw-style soft plastics. |
| Jig Rigging | Slide the craw on the jig hook and snug it against the skirt. Use Super Glue if there is no wire trailer keeper. |
| Texas Rigging | Use an Extra Wide Gap hook to fish around cover like grass, wood, docks, and rocks. |
| Carolina Rigging | Present the bait slowly along the bottom. |
| Punch Rigging | Use a slim profile bait with a big enough body to hold a large hook. |
| Nekko Rigging | Use line tension to make the craw stand up at an angle. |
| Wacky Rigging | Place the hook below the center line, closer to the tail with the eye on the bottom. |
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What You'll Learn
Texas Rigging
To Texas rig soft plastic craws, you will need a bullet-shaped slip sinker, an offset or straight shank hook, and a soft plastic craw of your choice. The hook used for Texas rigging should ideally be an offset worm hook or an EWG hook. The offset worm hook has a 90-degree elbow designed specifically for Texas rigging. The EWG hook is more suitable for larger soft plastic lures.
The first step in the rigging process is to insert the hook point into the nose of the craw, pushing it in about half an inch. Then, circle the hook down and out of the "belly" of the craw. Slide the craw up the shank of the hook and onto the offset, or the eye of the hook. To determine the exit point of the hook, hold the craw against the tip of the hook. Push the point into the belly, angling towards the nose, just below the exit point. Ensure that the hook is hidden within the craw, close to the inner edge but not exposed.
The Texas Rig is versatile and can be used from the bank or a boat. It can be cast, pitched, flipped, punched, and put in every hiding place a bass might use. It fishes well through wood, docks, grass, and rocks.
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Using a jighead
Soft plastic craws are a versatile lure that can be used to catch a variety of fish, including bass, trout, and redfish. When using a jighead, there are several techniques and considerations to keep in mind to maximize your chances of success.
Firstly, it is important to select the appropriate size and weight of the jighead for the fishing conditions. For deeper or swifter water, a heavier jighead may be needed to reach the desired depth. Conversely, in shallow water, a lighter jighead, such as a 1/8 or 1/4-ounce jighead, can be more effective. The weight of the jighead can also be adjusted based on the wind, currents, or the difficulty of maintaining contact with the bottom.
When rigging the soft plastic craw onto the jighead, there are two common methods. One method is to rig it weedless, similar to a Texas rig, where the hook point is buried inside the craw's body. This is effective when fishing around snaggy cover or vegetation. The other method is to use an open hook, where the hook point is exposed. This can be more effective when fishing in open water or when a faster presentation is desired.
To rig the soft plastic craw on a jighead, start by sliding the hook point into the head of the lure, ensuring that the hook exits through the center of the lure. Stop when you reach the barbs of the jighead. Then, twist the lure 90 degrees and push it over the barbs before twisting it back into place. This ensures a strong connection and can extend the life of your soft plastics. Additionally, a dab of super glue on the nose of the soft plastic can enhance the durability of the rigging.
The tail of the soft plastic craw should face downwards, opposite from the hook, to create maximum action as the bait falls. This is especially important for paddle tail baits, as they are designed to swim through the water with the tail generating movement. For straight tail baits, rig them with the belly down, and for curly tail grubs, maintain constant contact with the bottom.
By following these techniques and considerations, you can effectively use a jighead with soft plastic craws to target a variety of fish species and improve your chances of success on the water.
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Using a slender creature bait
Creature baits are a great alternative to plastic lizards when fishing with a Carolina rig, as they better imitate a crawfish. When using a Carolina rig, ensure your bait floats just off the bottom as you drag the weight along. This rig works well in sparse weed beds, gravel, the base of structures, flats, or open water. Avoid heavy thick weed beds, as the bait will get stuck.
When using a Texas rig, the soft plastic creature is rigged similarly to a plastic worm. Push the hook point into the nose of the lure, circle it down and out of the belly of the bait, then slide the bait up the shank of the hook and onto the offset. Drive the hook point through the bottom rear of the bait and skin hook it on the top of its body. This rig is great for flipping and pitching presentations. When flipping weed beds, use a 1-ounce weight to punch through the vegetation.
There are many creature baits available on the market, including the Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Stank Bug, the Geecrack Bellows Shad, and the Strike Rage Bug, which uses Coffee Scent Technology to mask human scents and oils.
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Carolina rigging
The Carolina rig is similar to the Texas rig in how the plastic bait is rigged onto the hook. The main difference is that the Carolina rig requires the use of some sort of weight, while Texas rigs can be fished weightless. The weight on a Carolina rig is positioned between 3 and 18 inches above the hook/plastic and is never pegged right to the hook. This creates a circular swimming motion as the lure descends or is retrieved along the bottom.
When fishing with a Carolina rig, cast and then drag the rig across your target area. Position your rod parallel to the water's surface and use a smooth sweeping motion to move the lure. Avoid heavy thick weed beds as the dragging technique will get hung up. Instead, use the rig in sparse weed beds, gravel, the base of structures, flats, or any type of open water/bottoms.
Some popular soft plastic craws for Carolina rigging include the YUM Spine Craw, Gene Larew Salt Craw, and the Strike King Rage Craw.
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Punch Rigging
When using a punch rig, there is a technique that anglers must remember. After pitching the lure, lightly apply pressure to the spool to stop the forward momentum and allow the tungsten weight to drop first into the water. Once the bait has gone through the vegetation, keep it tight to the surface vegetation mat to imitate a crawfish feeding. Slowly let the jig sink to the bottom, then repeat as needed until the bass bite.
The soft plastic craw is one of the most effective bass fishing lures. Anglers swear by them, and bass love them. Crawfish are a food source found in many freshwater lakes in the United States. Live craws are a nutritious snack, and bass of all species enjoy them. Therefore, fishing lure companies have invested time and money to create the perfect artificial craw.
Professional bass fisherman Jacob Wheeler is a big fan of the soft plastic craw's versatility in bass fishing. He notes that a craw-type lure catches them all over the country, and this bait can also look like bluegill. Wheeler designed a crawfish imitator called the Punch Out Craw, which he could alter to serve multiple purposes. Wheeler likes to keep things simple, so he separates all of the Punch Out Craw's connection points and lets the pinchers wave. He also removes the center tail flapper to free up the claws for maximum motion.
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Frequently asked questions
There are several ways to rig soft plastic craws, including the Texas Rig, the Punch Rig, and the Carolina Rig. The Texas Rig is ideal for fishing around cover like grass, wood, docks, and rocks. The Punch Rig is perfect for punching through heavy vegetation, and the Carolina Rig is suitable for pressured waters.
A slender creature bait with minimal appendages works best when fishing in thick grass. A large craw bait, such as the Rage Tail Lobster, can also be effective when rigged with a nail weight in the tail.
Focus on the fall of the bait, as this is when it acts most naturally. You can also make the bait dance around with its claws floating high, which is an effective way to attract fish.
Recommended products for rigging soft plastic craws include the Xcite Raptor Tail Craw, the Damiki A weights, the E2 Shakey Head from Mega-Strike, and the BioSpawn VileCraw.
