Comparing Bass Baits to Live Crayfish Underwater

Crayfish are a primary forage for bass throughout their range so it pays to understand what different crayfish-imitating lures do and look like underwater. This video compares a wide range of popular bass fishing crayfish presentations next to live crayfish underwater. The purpose is to help anglers gain a better sense of how different baits perform and imitate crayfish, and when each may be appropriate for various fishing situations. *See FEATURED PRODUCT links at the bottom.

Host McKeon Roberts introduces each bait from a variety of lure categories to include soft plastics, jig and plastic pairings, crankbaits, Neko rigs, skirted bass jigs, swinging jigs (wobble head, Tokyo Rig, bladed jigs and more. As McKeon notes, there’s no ‘best’ crayfish bait for all situations. Some are extreme anatomical and color matches (match the hatch) while others are abstractions of the real thing and offer unique fish-triggering attributes. It’s important to note that a non-natural bait can be vital to triggering reaction bites in a sea of the same. Conversely, a match the hatch bait may outperform when natural forage is sparse, fish are pressured or conditioned to specific lures, or bass visually inspects prey before committing (ultra-clear water or conditioned).

In any case, this was a fun exercise and offered insight previously left to the imagination. All these baits catch fish in the right situation and angler experimentation remains key to success. Making smart decisions on what bait to fish and when is a byproduct of time on the water experience. Hit us up with a comment on YouTube on what you like, didn’t like, or would like us to film.