No matter where they live, bass of all three species can’t resist a live craw. They’re readily available; provide tons of nutrition – and drive bass absolutely crazy. For obvious reasons, this makes crawfish imitating plastics staples in even the most novice basser’s arsenal.

As versatile as they are effective, there’s almost no wrong way to rig a craw, provided it’s in the water of course.

Here are a couple lesser utilized ways to catch more bass on craws.

1: Carolina Rig A Craw

When you talk about Carolina rigging, many anglers automatically think of a lizard, worm, or French fry as the typical offering. Carolina rigs present a bait slowly along the bottom – which is what makes the craw an ideal alternative to more typical offerings. In addition to being presented in a natural way, Carolina rigging a craw offers bass in heavily pressured waters a slightly different look which can be the difference between a good and great day on the water.

2: Shakey Head A Craw

If you’ve ever seen a crawfish flitting about in the rocks, you may have noticed that they swim by quickly, jetting up off the bottom, and then gliding back down. With the weight-down design of a shakey head, a crawfish can emulate this action almost exactly. Try quickly hopping one off the bottom in clear water and watch the action – it’s spot-on. The shakey head is another presentation where bass can get numb to the same old thing – in this case typically a finesse worm. By standing up off the bottom, the shakey head makes a craw look like it’s in an alert, defensive posture – which is enough to get even the most pressured bass riled up.

3: Punch Rig A Craw

The ideal bait for punching through heavy vegetation should have a slim profile to slip through the thick stuff, a big enough body to hold a large hook, and a natural action. Unsurprisingly, craws fit the bill here in every way. Tie it on a punch rig!