Match Your Crawfish Lure to the Situation

When you hear “Rebel Crawfish” you almost certainly picture a small crankbait that has accurate crawfish shaping and markings. The Wee-Crawfish is an iconic multi-species lure that has been an angler favorite for decades, especially for fishing in creeks and ponds, and includes several models that vary in size and running depths achieved. There’s a new Rebel Crawfish in the mix, though. The Rebel LIVEflex Creek Craw is a soft-plastic Rebel Lures crawfish imitation.

Like the Rebel Wee-Craw, the Creek Craw is a highly natural crawfish imitation. It’s not a replacement to the original Rebel Crawfish. Instead, it provides a perfect complement because each has its own appeals and fishing values. Both are genuine multi-species lures that excel for various species of black bass, trout and panfish (anything that ever eats a small crawfish). Both also work in a broad range of water types and conditions.

The Creek Craw is one of five new Rebel LIVEflex soft plastic lures, all of which are bite-sized offerings that imitate important forage for various fish species. The LIVEflex baits continue Rebel’s tradition of lifelike forage imitations that are easy to use and that produce fishing success.

Characteristics of the LIVEflex material included buoyancy, which creates a natural claw-up posture for the Creek Craw as it falls though the water or hops along the bottom, and incredible durability. LIVEflex baits also have a strong fish-attracting scent.

The Creek Craw is compact, with realistic crawfish shaping, complete with legs, craws and antennas to match the real critter. The tail end is flat for clean rigging. Like all the LIVEflex baits, a package of Creek Craws includes two baits that are pre-rigged on KEG Head Jigs – one each on a 1/10- and 1/16-ounce head – so they are ready to tie on and fish. The package also includes one extra 1/16-ouce jighead.

At 1 7/8 inches, the Rebel Creek Craw is similar in size to the Teeny Wee Craw and Middle Wee Craw.

Set a Teeny Wee-Craw and a Creek Craw side-by-side, and you’ll see two lures that very naturally imitate a small crawfish. Watch each in the water and you’ll see that they differ substantially in how they move, with the Teeny Wee-Craw hitting a prescribed depth and wobbling steadily along and the Creek Craw sinking slowly and moving with wavering, fluid action.

The key difference in how they appeal to fish is that the Wee-Craw prompts reactions, wobbling side to side and flaring when it hits bottom or bumps cover, while the Creek Craw coaxes strikes with its slower, softer action.

Some situation favor one of the two craws. Strong current puts fish in ambush position ready to react, and stained water tends to favor a reaction lure. The Wee-Craw models also work best for working quicky to cover water and find fish. Ultra clear water and bluebird skies, meanwhile, often make fish fussier, favoring the coaxing approach. The Creek Craw is also best for areas that are deeper than the crawfish crankbaits run.

Often it takes experimentation to gauge the mood of the fish and to figure out which crawfish is the best fit for the day. Some days, using the baits like teammates will produce substantially more fish than using either exclusively. A great strategy is to begin with a Teeny Wee Craw and to stay on the move until you find fish. When you do, fish the area thoroughly with that bait. When the bite wanes, switch to a Creek Craw and fish the same area. Many fish that wouldn’t react to the Wee-Craw will be unable to resist the Creek Craw.

• KEG Head – The pre-rigged option is tough to beat for many situations. The KEG Head Jigs were designed to pair with LIVEflex baits and therefore are sized perfectly. KEG Head rigging allows you to swim, hop or crawl the Creek Craw to match crawfish behavior, and the sharp hook provides good penetration even with light line.
• Drop Shot – A drop shot rig comes into play when you want to keep the bait just up from the bottom or work it essentially in place with a vertical presentation. A drop shot weight also moves more freely across craggy bottoms, and when it does snag and won’t shake free, you only lose the weight.
• Split Shot – A split shot rig fishes like a miniature Carolina rig, keeping the Creek Craw just off the bottom, in the prime ambush zone, whether the water is 2 feet deep or 20 feet deep. Use and short-shank bait hook and hook the Creek Craw bottom to top through the center of the tail so it moves backward like a real craw.
• Finesse Jig Trailer – The Creek Craw’s natural shaping and coloration, buoyancy and toughness all make it and ideal trailer when you want to drag or hop a finesse jig like the Great Lakes Finesse Matte Finesse Jig.

Creek Craw – Compact, lifelike 1 7/8-inch crawfish with claws that stand up and quiver as the bait move though the water.

Creek Creature – The Creek Creature hybridizes the most common aquatic insect nymphs and has highly buggy appearance. It’s well suited for bottom-oriented presentations on a KEG Head Jig or dropshot.

Hopper – The Hopper is a highly natural imitation of a grasshopper or cricket, both important forage for game fish of many kinds.

Cata Crawler – Fashioned after a catalpa worm, the Cata Crawler is a stellar finesse worm, and the buoyancy of the LIVEflex material makes it stand up with bottom-oriented jighead presentations.

Shore Shiner – A slender swimbait with quick tail action, the Shore Shiner aptly suggests a shiner, darter or other minnow-like baitfish and can be worked anywhere in the water column.

KEG Head Jig – The jigs that come with every LIVEflex lure package are also sold separately in three-packs and are available in four colors (Black, Brown, Green Pumpkin, Pearl) and two sizes (1/10 and 1/16 ounce).