Craw / Craw Trailer
Soft Plastic — craw
The craw is a soft-plastic crawfish, fished on a Texas rig or as a jig trailer. Crawfish are prime big-bass forage on rocky Central Texas lakes, and a craw around rock and cover is one of the most reliable ways to catch quality fish and smallmouth.
Why: Crawfish are candy to bass.
Evidence: Verified knowledge from Bryan Cotter, 26+ years guiding all 16 Central Texas lakes.
Related: Football Jig · Flipping & Pitching · All bass lures
Verified Answered by Bryan Cotter, Texas Hawgs guide · Updated Jul 12, 2026
Why it works
It imitates a crawfish, a high-calorie meal bass key on around rock, especially in the pre-spawn.
Brands that make this style: Berkley PowerBait Chigger Craw sponsor, Strike King Rage Craw, Zoom Speed Craw
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Craw / Craw Trailer at a glance
- Family
- Soft Plastic
- Sizes
- 3 in, 4 in
- Weights
- trailer or 1/4-1/2 oz
- Water temp
- 45-80°F
- Skill level
- ●●○○○
- Bryan's confidence
- ●●●●○
Catches: Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass
When to throw it
Best seasons: Winter → Pre-Spawn, Spring, Fall
Best conditions: Warm Front, Spring Warm-Up
Where to throw it
Depth: 2-20 ft; cover: Rock, Wood; structure: Riprap, Rock, Points, Laydowns.
How to fish it
Rig it with: Football Jig, Flipping & Pitching, Texas Rig.
Retrieve: Drag and hop on the bottom around rock, or add as a jig trailer for a lifelike kick.
Color selection
By water clarity — Clear: green pumpkin, brown · Stained: black-blue, red
By forage — Craw: green pumpkin, brown-orange, red
Lakes where it produces
Lake Buchanan · Inks Lake · Stillhouse Hollow
Common mistakes
- Hopping when a slow drag is more natural
- Wrong color for the local crawfish
- Fishing it away from rock
Pro tips
- Match the trailer to the crawfish color in that lake
- Red and orange shine in the pre-spawn
From Bryan's logbook
Based on Bryan Cotter's on-the-water observations.
The number one thing I look for on Buchanan is rock - the largemouth love it, partly because it lets them tuck away from the striper, and the best rock holds the best fish. In cold water, when you think you're fishing slow enough, slow down more; that's how the giants come.
Keep exploring
All bass lures · Football Jig · All techniques · Central Texas bass fishing guide
Want to catch 'em on a Craw / Craw Trailer? All tackle is provided on a guided trip. See rates and book or call 512-762-0190.