We learned this lesson 30 years ago, when I was in the back seat catching 3 or 4 bass for every fish my buddy caught. We were both using Gene Larew salty craws in the same pumpkin and orange color. He was getting a little agitated, wondering if it was a difference in the line we were using (stained water, so no), so I finally had mercy on him and told him to tear off one of the claws on his bait. He went back to sorta liking me after that.
Randy, Did you see the Ultimate Angler Tournament?.......500k payout and NO FFS. The Ultimate Angler World Championship will take place October 5-11, 2025, on Lake Guntersville in Scottsboro, Alabama. Mark Davis is the Director.
If they just pulled the pincher off the live crawfish and placed it in the tank it will be leaking it's body fluids into the water... might explain why bass will eat the wounded crawfish and not an artificial bait with one or two pinchers removed. I know when we fished with live crawfish back when I was a kid we would removed one or both pinchers before fishing it (I was taught that by an old timer who swore by it) and it always seemed to increase the number of strikes we had compared to the ones we fished with both pinchers.
It was Berkley how come up with that study many years ago. 2 claws less bite, 1 claw a little more bite and none claw many bite. But they tought a none claw bait wold not sell so they skip making one.
Interesting study. Bass def know a live craw when they see it. They always smash it too. I have a spot thats good smallie fishing with tubes, etc but the best day i ever had there to date was while using live crawfish. This was years ago. But smallies will feed on whats available and thats not always crawfish. But i remember this old commercial that had the crawfish claws out standing in the road in front of a mack truck. They will fight back! They think their tough! I'm sure they fight off the occassional bass. Fish on!!
I read in an old fishing mag that craws w no pinchers got eaten the most-why I figured a tube, than later a ned was so good. I used to take the spin off a dark beetle spin& just drag it along bottom. bass would smash it.
My inference is that bass don't actually perceive "crawdad" baits as being crawdads. Just like they probably don't mistake crankbaits, jerkbaits, topwaters, swimbaits for actual baitfish. They just see "something near me that is behaving like prey." I've long thought this to be the case except for a minority of times when the fish make a mental error. It's all confirmation bias and marketing.
To me, if you remove both craws, the Megabass sleeper craw then resembles a basic Z Man Ned Rig or Yamamoto Yamatunuki scat bait. Both of these baits very popular.
You're asking a very good question I have tested Live crayfish and found one claw or no claws gets a bit more than two claws. I have tried this with rubber crayfish and you're right I don't get more bites. I have no idea why
I could never bring myself to rip off the claws from my lures tho. I just figured thats why they hit tubes& neds, but could look like somethin else to em'
I read this study years ago , I think it was done by Berkley , at least the one I read , they decided that no one would buy a craw imitation that was just a "nub" no claws.
I love when I get a pincher ripped off my swim jig craw trailers. Almost always get bit on the one armed bait. i keep the ones with both pinchers ripped off for ned rigs, just don’t fish them very often
Thought I read somewhere live creatures in a bass’ world give out weak electric signals bass can feel on their lateral lines. Makes you wonder about what technology maybe out there for bass lures in the future and also what weird feelings stronger sonar might ‘feel’ like on that same lateral line. Good video - thanks.
I know Dr Keith Jones has the same findings in his book for Largemouth. My findings on the riverfor smallies are way different. If a pincher gets ripped off the yum crawbug I am fishing, they refuse to hit it. Both pinchers and that do nothing bait is my number 1 fish catching bait on the river. No idea if it is a smallie vs largie thing or a river vs lake thing.
It's a statistical thing. A bass in a tank is going to go after the easiest meal, but you're fishing in the wild and presenting only one option. If you could throw three different versions at once, youd probably find they usually take the one with fewer claws, but if you're only throwing one, a bass that wants to eat a crawdad will eat. He may be a little more hesitant, he may take a few seconds more to bite, but he'll bite.
Were you adding a scent? Because Im wondering if you did that and sprayed the craw with a crawdad scent if the bass may bite the one claw craw better? Just a thought. Im going to test my theory soon.
I been tearing the bass up on Zoom Uttravibe Speed Craws and Yum Christie Craws lately! Both pincers on! I figured if the bait was missing a claw it would create line twist. Idk.
It's been my experience fishing live bait that bass prefer 2 clawed crawdads. I've tried pulling the pinchers off to keep them from hiding and snagging themselves under rocks, and the bass won't hit them. They like 'em real, claws and all.
The only way to do the study with plastic is to only feed the bass plastic first with various apendages missing to see is plastic and live crawdads get the same responses.
Experiment in the tank! I'm not fishing in the Tank at Bass Pro. Why?? Makes no sense to me experimenting in a oversized aquarium. That's nothing like the location's one will be using technique of the experiment. My opinion I believe if I'm going to conduct an experiment that the results are going to determines I benefit from the technique I'm experimenting with my opinion the best results would come from the in the Bodies of Water In which the technique would be applied. Seem to me a Tank and a larger fishery would yield different results. Just my opinion
Man $9.99 for just one sleeper craw. Talk about the sport becoming elite. I am a disabled vet on a fixed income. I will keep buying what they have at Walmart. Sorry Randy.
My opinion is fishing in the real world is not a controlled study. You're not offering the bass a choice between different craws side by side, you're only giving them a choice to bite or not bite. While they may prefer a craw without pinchers, that can only be proven if they're offered a choice of another craw side by side at the same moment.
IMO bass in controlled environments are totally different than the wild bass. Bass eat baby ducks, pinchers don’t slow bass down at all in natural survival mode
We learned this lesson 30 years ago, when I was in the back seat catching 3 or 4 bass for every fish my buddy caught. We were both using Gene Larew salty craws in the same pumpkin and orange color. He was getting a little agitated, wondering if it was a difference in the line we were using (stained water, so no), so I finally had mercy on him and told him to tear off one of the claws on his bait. He went back to sorta liking me after that.
Randy, Did you see the Ultimate Angler Tournament?.......500k payout and NO FFS. The Ultimate Angler World Championship will take place October 5-11, 2025, on Lake Guntersville in Scottsboro, Alabama. Mark Davis is the Director.
I've seen smallmouth yank the claws off of big crayfish before they ate them
Randy, can you please post a link to this study and any information you have on it?
Loved the info
If they just pulled the pincher off the live crawfish and placed it in the tank it will be leaking it's body fluids into the water... might explain why bass will eat the wounded crawfish and not an artificial bait with one or two pinchers removed. I know when we fished with live crawfish back when I was a kid we would removed one or both pinchers before fishing it (I was taught that by an old timer who swore by it) and it always seemed to increase the number of strikes we had compared to the ones we fished with both pinchers.
It was Berkley how come up with that study many years ago. 2 claws less bite, 1 claw a little more bite and none claw many bite. But they tought a none claw bait wold not sell so they skip making one.
A. Crawdad with no pincers is a tube.
My favorite smallie bait.
Interesting study. Bass def know a live craw when they see it. They always smash it too. I have a spot thats good smallie fishing with tubes, etc but the best day i ever had there to date was while using live crawfish. This was years ago. But smallies will feed on whats available and thats not always crawfish. But i remember this old commercial that had the crawfish claws out standing in the road in front of a mack truck. They will fight back! They think their tough! I'm sure they fight off the occassional bass. Fish on!!
I read in an old fishing mag that craws w no pinchers got eaten the most-why I figured a tube, than later a ned was so good. I used to take the spin off a dark beetle spin& just drag it along bottom. bass would smash it.
My inference is that bass don't actually perceive "crawdad" baits as being crawdads. Just like they probably don't mistake crankbaits, jerkbaits, topwaters, swimbaits for actual baitfish. They just see "something near me that is behaving like prey." I've long thought this to be the case except for a minority of times when the fish make a mental error. It's all confirmation bias and marketing.
I agree. The more I fish and the more I look at artificial lures the more I believe the fish feel the bait more than they see it.
To me, if you remove both craws, the Megabass sleeper craw then resembles a basic Z Man Ned Rig or Yamamoto Yamatunuki scat bait. Both of these baits very popular.
Great video, gives us something to think about! I think freshwater fish have more in common with their saltwater cousins than we realize!
You're asking a very good question I have tested Live crayfish and found one claw or no claws gets a bit more than two claws. I have tried this with rubber crayfish and you're right I don't get more bites. I have no idea why
I could never bring myself to rip off the claws from my lures tho. I just figured thats why they hit tubes& neds, but could look like somethin else to em'
I read this study years ago , I think it was done by Berkley , at least the one I read , they decided that no one would buy a craw imitation that was just a "nub" no claws.
Why I usually use a shortened swimbait body as the trailer for my jigs. Plus the kicker tail of the swimbait makes the jig body wobble a bit.
The fact that you can control your lures to your best advantage can in certain situations beat a live bait hands down
I love when I get a pincher ripped off my swim jig craw trailers. Almost always get bit on the one armed bait. i keep the ones with both pinchers ripped off for ned rigs, just don’t fish them very often
Thought I read somewhere live creatures in a bass’ world give out weak electric signals bass can feel on their lateral lines. Makes you wonder about what technology maybe out there for bass lures in the future and also what weird feelings stronger sonar might ‘feel’ like on that same lateral line. Good video - thanks.
I know Dr Keith Jones has the same findings in his book for Largemouth. My findings on the riverfor smallies are way different. If a pincher gets ripped off the yum crawbug I am fishing, they refuse to hit it. Both pinchers and that do nothing bait is my number 1 fish catching bait on the river. No idea if it is a smallie vs largie thing or a river vs lake thing.
Ive always wondered about that.
It's a statistical thing. A bass in a tank is going to go after the easiest meal, but you're fishing in the wild and presenting only one option. If you could throw three different versions at once, youd probably find they usually take the one with fewer claws, but if you're only throwing one, a bass that wants to eat a crawdad will eat. He may be a little more hesitant, he may take a few seconds more to bite, but he'll bite.
Learned this from richard gene the fishin machine a few yrs ago on lizards n craws...wrks great
Were you adding a scent? Because Im wondering if you did that and sprayed the craw with a crawdad scent if the bass may bite the one claw craw better? Just a thought. Im going to test my theory soon.
I been tearing the bass up on Zoom Uttravibe Speed Craws and Yum Christie Craws lately! Both pincers on! I figured if the bait was missing a claw it would create line twist. Idk.
I noticed the same thing when I tried it 😅
You literally just explained why a Ned Rig and a tube bait works so well…. And it’s not the aggressiveness it’s the ability to digest the claws.
i personally think ur giving bass way to much credit...idt theyre that smart to think about how they digest food...but im not a big bass fisher so idk
It's been my experience fishing live bait that bass prefer 2 clawed crawdads. I've tried pulling the pinchers off to keep them from hiding and snagging themselves under rocks, and the bass won't hit them. They like 'em real, claws and all.
The only way to do the study with plastic is to only feed the bass plastic first with various apendages missing to see is plastic and live crawdads get the same responses.
dr keith jones published a book that had a section in it on just this long, long ago. Knowing Bass by Dr. Keith A. Jones
Live bait fishing smallies in rivers,smaller the crawdad ( minus claws) always worked best for us.
Water clarity. Dirty water needs to be pincers for vibration to be detected. Live bait obviously has smell real motion.
Don’t tear up your baits people. It just means you can keep using them if you lose a claw.
What colors are molting craws normally Randy? Light pumpkinseed??
Google is your friend
@@craqerjaq lol yep
I just let the bluegills take one off for me and keep on fishin 😂
All these newer "Poop" baits work well. They look like a craw with no claws
Rip a pincher off the Sleeper Craw thinking it’ll get you more bites. You just ruined a $10 lure.
Lol, for real
Note, he said he didn't get any MORE bites. He didn't say he got fewer.
He probably gets them free
It’s not ruined if it gets more bites
@@timothywalsh6776he literally said he didn’t get more bites.
Guess micro sound and smell must be the answer!
Experiment in the tank! I'm not fishing in the Tank at Bass Pro. Why?? Makes no sense to me experimenting in a oversized aquarium. That's nothing like the location's one will be using technique of the experiment. My opinion I believe if I'm going to conduct an experiment that the results are going to determines I benefit from the technique I'm experimenting with my opinion the best results would come from the in the Bodies of Water In which the technique would be applied. Seem to me a Tank and a larger fishery would yield different results. Just my opinion
$10 is alot of money to be tearing up that bait.
Man $9.99 for just one sleeper craw. Talk about the sport becoming elite. I am a disabled vet on a fixed income. I will keep buying what they have at Walmart. Sorry Randy.
My opinion is fishing in the real world is not a controlled study. You're not offering the bass a choice between different craws side by side, you're only giving them a choice to bite or not bite. While they may prefer a craw without pinchers, that can only be proven if they're offered a choice of another craw side by side at the same moment.
Ned rig=no pincher craw 💯
Your lure may look like a crawfish to you but it doesn't smell like one to bass. The wounds from removing the claws probably turned the bass on.
Spray your crawfish with crawfish bait spray. Did you know blue cats gobble up grape flavor plastic worms?
Channel cats in the clear highland reservoirs near me will absolutely hammer a crankbait and will even hit topwater baits at times.
Bottom line is, fish will put anything in their mouth that will even come close to fitting. The question is, for how long? 🦂🐟
I caught a perch with one massive pincer in its stomach that’s all 🤔
🧐
IMO bass in controlled environments are totally different than the wild bass. Bass eat baby ducks, pinchers don’t slow bass down at all in natural survival mode
If you’d be as comfortable grabbing a crawdad with your eyes closed as a baby duck, your comment makes sense.
@@chaentz hmm I guess you got me there pal. 😂
Must be the scent