The crawfish, crayfish, mudbug, whatever you like to call it is one of the favorite meals for any bass. They are prevalent across the country and inhabit the same areas that bass love. Imitating crawfish with your bass fishing lures is one of the best ways to catch bass in any season. 

Go Kick Rocks

One of the best ways to pick the exact color and size of crawfish in your area is to get in the water and catch one. These crustaceans have many different strains, and they vary wildly when it comes to the correct color shade to use to match your lures. Size also makes a difference as some waters have giant crawfish that warrant the need for bigger baits that monster bass eat.

Jigs

Quite possibly the best lures ever made for imitating crawfish, jigs are a must-have when bass are eating crawfish. Picking the right jig comes down to color and also choosing a perfectly matching soft-plastic trailer. Baits with double tails or craws are best as they have the same fleeing look during the retrieve, just like a crawfish moving along the bottom.

Crankbaits

These lures can imitate anything monster bass eat thanks to the wide variety of diving actions and colors. For bass eating crawfish, it is best to first to match the color to crawfish. Selecting a crankbait with dark green, brown, or red hues and a natural crawfish anatomy design will provide some great options to get started for a crawfish imitation. Besides just the color, it is essential to choose a lure that has a small appearance of a crawfish. The other key is to think like a crawfish as you retrieve your lure. Fish them around rocky areas and other places these crustaceans live and also don’t be afraid to bang the bait into the bottom to make it appear more realistic. A crankbait swimming through the middle of the water column in 30-feet of water does not produce as well as one hitting rocks in the shallows. 

Soft-Plastic Crawfish

Lure makers have become very good at matching the look of crawfish, and there are many on the market. Pick one that looks like a crawfish, but also match the color and size based on where you live and also the size of the fish in your waters. Fishing these baits on a Texas-Rig with a sliding bullet weight allows you to fish them just about anywhere without getting hung up. They can also be fished on a shakey-head, jighead or the back of a skirted rubber jig.