Backward crawdads

[milkman 0]

Crawdads move slowly headfirst unless spooked, and then they dart backward very quickly. As I understand the research, bass prefer to suck in an undisturbed crawdad. Less effort expended due to no chase needed and no effort expended to turn the prey around to swallow.

 

So why does every crawdad fly version I see have the hook point at the head end and pull the crawdad backward? We're supposed to fish them slowly, and crawdads don't creep backward.

 

Yes, it looks a bit awkward with the point exposed back there instead of sort of lost in the area of the antennae and claws. But virtually every other imitation has the hook blatantly exposed, so it shouldn't be a deciding factor here.

 

Also, research has shown that bass prefer smaller claws, yet most crawdad flys seem to make a big feature of the claws. Sure, it looks more crawdaddish to us, but who are we trying to please here, us or the fish?

[JSzymczyk 0]

Fish aren't really that smart, or they wouldn't try to eat ANYTHING with a relatively giant steel hook protruding. The best crawdad fly in the world is a brown or olive woollly bugger with a short tail, soaked in crawdad scent. Of course that notion is blasphemous to the cult of "thou shalt not use scent" fly fishers.

 

Clouser's Crawfish is an outstanding pattern designed to be dead-drifted or used with tiny twitches to imitate a small craw. It works extremely well.

 

Fish DO chase and eat fleeing crawfish though. To assume otherwise is just plain wrong.

[deerhairdan 0]

The hooks are pointed up to avoid being snagged on the bottom....this is typically where crayfish live.....and typically where fish eat.

[Saltybum 0]

I fish saltwater and prefer my shrimp patterns to swim forward. When watching them in a tank the definitely swim very well but as JS said a hungry fish will attack them anyway.

[Kentuckysteve 0]

I think most crawfish trying to escape a big bass mouth will be spooked and fleeing backwards so the presentation may look more natural if it is swimming with the claws behind it.

 

Crawfish also make a clicking sound and this sound is what the bass key in on.Has anyone ever tried to add a rattle to a fly or add something that imitates this sound?When i fish them on spinning gear the rattle always makes a huge difference.

[cheech 0]

I fish soft plastic craws on my heathen gear in the "fleeing" orientation like they are designed, and the fish definitely approve. They also have large claws. I think we give fish too much credit sometimes.

[Cold 0]

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[mikechell 0]

As has been stated above, crayfish don't just sit there and wait to be eaten. Even if it doesn't flee, it WILL assume a defensive posture ... tail flat to the ground, head and claws raised and extended. This is the posture most bass see and respond to. It's not the fleeing, compact prey the bass eats ... but rather that's what it follows. The crayfish then stops and if the bass was on target, it's rapidly approaching the now motionless, defensive craw-dad.

So tying the craw-dad pattern to swim tail first also leaves it sitting on the bottom with claws outstretched and raised, defensive posture.

 

What hasn't been mentioned is that, regardless of what it looks like, tying a crayfish pattern with the claws forward, would result in a BADLY twisted tippet, leader and fly line. Anytime you wanted to pull it out of the water for the next cast, that thing would spin like a pinwheel.

[milkman 0]

I'd say my question was fairly well answered. And based on what has always worked, they'd probably eat a crawdad fly tied sideways. And yes, whatever way, the hook point must be up. I never thought about the problem of probable twist with the rudders forward, Mike. Thanks, and thanks to all. I'll tie them backward.

 

 

 

 

...Crawfish also make a clicking sound and this sound is what the bass key in on.Has anyone ever tried to add a rattle to a fly or add something that imitates this sound?...

 

I understand they make a scraping sound as they crawl on rocks, and bass home in on that. I was wondering how to add something to scrape, maybe little wire whiskers. Saw a fly somewhere (here?) with 4 beadchain pairs beneath, plastic I think. Don't recall the explanation, too big and too dark to be in berry, but I saw an answer. Multiple metal beadchain would provide the scrape sound and eliminate the need for lead. I'm sort of guessing I need a little strip of foam topside to assure which way is up. Maybe foam body which will also keep the beads from wrapping and getting too high relative to hook shank. Experimenting will answer all, as usual. Probably overkill, they eat crawdads any ol' way, but aint it fun thinking we're outwitting them.

[vicrider 0]

milkman, I think you're looking down a good path. Continue and keep us aware of results. Test on Friday. KYSteve, yes a rattle can make a big difference AT TIMES. Many times it make no difference because both been outfished and outfished the front of boat when I did not rattle and they did.

 

An interesting article I read some time back fit very well with some of the experiences I've had fishing bigger craws in clear and clean bottoms. I'm exuberant about fish and everyone knows when I find one. I'll often be heard to say in that situation, "There's one, dropped it, he's back, GOTEM". Turns out underwater studies have shown both largemouth and especially smallmouth don't like to get their nose nipped so they suck and grab the craw and jerk it into open water, zero on the best way to hit it and BAM. Fits very well with that feeling of something wrong down there (they jerk it to open water) to bang, got one. I have not found this to be true fish heavy cover, which I love to do. Thick pads, tules, rice, cattails, they are wonderful to work between with jig and pig and watch the water literally boil as the bass tries to (and will) find the food that just dropped into his kitchen.

[phg 0]

As a kid, fishing smallmouth with bait, part of the discipline was to let the fish take the bait and run with it. The bass would run, maybe 3 or 4 feet, and then stop. After a couple of seconds, it would start to move again, more slowly. That was when I was to set the hook.

 

Obviously, we can't do that with a fly, but it illustrates the snatch and run behavior of a smallmouth bass.

[Brian Myers 0]

 

 

Fish DO chase and eat fleeing crawfish though. To assume otherwise is just plain wrong.

Fish small rivers or streams in the summer for smallmouth and you see this is usually the the case. It doesn't take much to spook a crayfish and when one shoots off, others that are close by will to. Now put yourself in the bass' place, several nice meals just popped up into the current but you are not the only that saw that. It's not just you the bass against the crayfish , you have half a dozen brothers and sisters that will knock you out of the way for that crayfish. Priority one is getting a hold of it before it gets to safety or gobbled up by the fat slob hanging over your shoulder. I love watching smallmouth ram each other when one takes the fly and others want what they now have . Little do they realize they don't want it , it's a one way ticket into the Light . When Hopping or stripping a crawfish pattern across the current and I've noticed they will hit it sideways. They may like to get a crayfish in certain position but crayfish have other ideas. You want your meal then you do want ever you need to but you do it quickly. In the end they are doing something to get the crayfish in tail first. I have yet to catch a smallmouth with a crayfish already in it's mouth that isn't going down tail first. Like Mike said try casting something that will propeller on you , tying a crawfish "backwards" makes more sense.

[Cold 0]

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[Cold 0]

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[Brian Myers 0]

 

 

 

 

Fish DO chase and eat fleeing crawfish though. To assume otherwise is just plain wrong.

Fish small rivers or streams in the summer for smallmouth and you see this is usually the the case. It doesn't take much to spook a crayfish and when one shoots off, others that are close by will to. Now put yourself in the bass' place, several nice meals just popped up into the current but you are not the only that saw that. It's not just you the bass against the crayfish , you have half a dozen brothers and sisters that will knock you out of the way for that crayfish. Priority one is getting a hold of it before it gets to safety or gobbled up by the fat slob hanging over your shoulder. I love watching smallmouth ram each other when one takes the fly and others want what they now have . Little do they realize they don't want it , it's a one way ticket into the Light .

That's when this happens:

 

Nice double.