Crayfish come in many body types and color combinations. There are approximately 500 different species of crayfish, and half of those can be found in North America. Nearly all live in fresh water and can be found up to 10 feet below ground level. Colors can vary in black, yellow, gray, green, red and brown. Crayfish mate mostly in October and November, and fertilzation and egg laying occurs around May and June. The males's sperm is stored in the female until the eggs are ready to be fertilized. Eggs and stored sperm are released at the same time, and at that point, external fertilization takes place. A female may lay from 10 to 800 eggs. When the female are carrying the eggs they are dark in color and look like berries. At the time the eggs are layed, they become translucent so they are hard to see. It takes anywhere from two to twenty weeks, depending upon the temperature for the eggs to hatch. The fertilized eggs are then attached to the bottom of the female's tail section. Once the young are hatched, they will cling to the female's tail for protection until they are large enough to be on their own. When the young are about an inch and three-eights long, they are considered to be mature. The life span of the crayfish is about three to four years. Crayfish feed on snails, algae, insect larvae and lake vegetation.
Young craws seem to expose themselves during warm sunny days, whereas, adults are only become active during the night and cloudy days. That is why the night bite is so good during the warmer months. The spring craw spawn during May and June is at its peak during the full moon. This is one of the best times to fish rocky shores and points. So why are imitations better than the real thing? Well you must consider what a craw will do when placed on a hook and fished on the bottom of a lake. He most likely if left alone for any length of time on the bottom will find a hole to drag himself into or find anything on the bottom to latch onto if he has his claws are still attached. So what is better...the jig, craw imitation cranks and craw plastics. Why? Because imitations can be pulled across the bottom without getting hung up, cover more area and not be thrown off.
If you are using lures that imitate the crayfish, you should use natural colors and natural action that match the color and action of the crayfish in the lake you are fishing. Black, brown, green, orange and combinations of these colors are good. Pumpkin green, melon-seed, junebug and natural craw are all good colors. I can not stress enough to slow down the presentation when fishing crayfish imitations. Use a slow-constant crawl, a slow-short intermittent crawl or a short-hop with a pause. Big bass need time to think about picking up a craw because they are use to dealing with defensive claws. Once a bass makes his mind up to attack a craw, it may become a vilent act. More big bass are caught on slow moving jigs than any other lure on the market. You must keep the jig in contact with the bottom, you must keep in contact with your lure. It is also good idea to use craw scent on your jigs and plastics because bass can detect crayfish by smell as well as movement. A pork trailer is also good to use, but do not make it too long. Keep the lure as natural looking as possible. A good time to use craw imitations is during the spring craw spawn, after the fall turn-over or during lake drawn-downs which will stimulate the crayfish to move to deeper water. Get ready...the spring spawn is not far away.
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