®
T
o understand the predator, study the prey.
To catch more bass, study the crawfish. More
properly known as crayfish, no matter whether you call them crayfish, mud bugs, crawdads, yabbies, or
crawfish, these delicacies are on the menu whenever
bass are hungry. Crawfish are the universal food of bass
everywhere.
There are more than 640 species of crawfish in the
world, with 350 species in North America that inhabit lakes,
ponds, rivers, and streams.
Crawfish have 10 legs and are crustaceans having
an exoskeleton that can change colors matching its
environment to help conceal its
presence from predators. As crawfish
grow, they shed their shell, and the new
shell is soft before it quickly hardens.
This is when crawfish are favored by
predators.
Crawfish are omnivores and feed
on decaying organisms, aquatic plants,
bottom-dwelling invertebrates, fish
eggs, and even small fish. They move
around by crawling or slowly swimming
by their swimmerets, but when escaping
predators, they dart backwards by
flapping their tail. Understanding
these movements is key to mimicking
crawfish with artificial lures including
jigs and crankbaits.
The two front legs are large claws
which are used to hold prey and to fight
other crawfish and predators. These
claws are not as scary as they
look, and crawfish use them
in a fight to intimidate other
crawfish. The crawfish with
the biggest claws dominates.
When a bass approaches,
crawfish will raise their claws
as a defense mechanism,
but experienced bass are not
fooled into fearing the claws.
CRAWDAD COLORS
One key to mimicking crawfish is understanding their coloration. Color is determined by multiple factors. The most important factor determining overall color is the species of crawfish. The environment where it lives further defines the color. The age and sex of the crawfish and stage in its lifecycle can affect its color. Ingested nutrients can affect color. Finally, the season of the year and the presence of light will affect coloration.
Generally, crawfish coloration on its topside is dominated by green pumpkin, brown, black, red, orange, and blue. White and yellow markings are sometimes present depending on species. The underside of crawfish are
much lighter in color and usually pale white or light gray in appearance. One species found in Florida are totally bright blue.
CRAWFISH CLUES SHOW THEY ARE READY TO EAT
Crawfish generally live about three years, but some species such as the Signal Crawfish native to Washington and Oregon live as many as 20 years. As crawfish age their shells get darker in coloration, however when molting during a growth spurt the colors are less dark and sometimes
brighter. This is a clue to predators the
crawfish is at its most vulnerable stage
and an easy target should a bass find
one in the open.
Crawfish have chromatophores
which are pigment-containing cells that
can change color with light to match
their surroundings. This is a camouflage
tactic to make them less visible to
predators. Crawfish will look darker
when inhabiting rocky areas, and lighter
when in aquatic vegetation. They can
appear browner when on submerged
logs.
CRAWS THROUGH THE SEASONS
During the winter season when
water temperatures are below
50-degrees most crawfish
burrow into the mud and
remain dormant until the
water temperature warms in
the spring. Their coloration is
at its darkest due to the lack
of light and the maturity of the
crawfish. Green pumpkin and
black dominate the coloration
and are good lure color
choices.
In the early spring when
water temperature exceeds
50-degrees crawfish become
active and prepare for
mating. With the warming
temperature and available
sunlight in late spring crawfish ingest more Vitamin A, which causes their coloration to shift to increasing amounts of orange and then red. When wanting to mate, crawfish crawl on top of rocks to attract partners and are exposed, leaving them especially vulnerable to bass.
In the early summer, the increasing amount of orange is noticeable, especially in shallow clear water with good sunlight penetration.
As summer progresses and weed growth increases, coloration shifts to watermelon with red hues. Some species
Fall 2024
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