Understanding crayfish behavior will help you fish these patterns better. Crayfish (also called crawdads, crawfish, and mud lobsters) are closely related to lobsters, and are widespread throughout North America. The Great Lakes region, the Midwest, and the southern states hold the largest populations. They are found in some Rocky Mountain and southwestern rivers, though they are not nearly as common there.

There are over 300 species of these crustaceans in North America, but knowing the species isn't really that important when you are trying to imitate it. What is important is knowing about their life cycle.

Smallmouth bass love crayfish. Because crayfish can molt up to eight times a year, find a lie specimen to make sure your pattern matches the prevalent size of the naturals.

Young crayfish hatch early in the spring and grow steadily throughout the summer. Catch a few when you are fishing to see what the predominant size is. Size is more important than color when it comes to fly selection.

Early in the summer, the young crayfish are an inch or less long. They are usually light in color and inhabit shallow areas near cover. This time of year, I like to fish areas of current near expansive rock flats with patterns like Theo's Dream, Clouser's Crayfish, or similar small imitations. Because these crayfish are so small and light, they are occasionally swept away in the current, so fishing a #8-10 crayfish imitation in early summer is productive for trout, bass, panfish, and carp. As the summer progresses and the crayfish grow, increase the size of your imitation.

Crayfish molt several times a year, and when they do, they are vulnerable. As crayfish grow, they shed their hard exoskeletons that become too small, leaving them defenseless with soft shells for a few days until their new shells harden. Because younger crayfish grow so rapidly their first year, this can happen eight or ten times a season. They also cannot swim well with a soft shell or use their claws to defend themselves against hungry predators. While they progress through this phase they are aggressively eaten by fish simply because it is less work. A crayfish full of fight with a hard shell and nasty claws takes time and energy for a fish to tackle. A molting crayfish is dinner in one gulp. A soft-shell crayfish is lighter in color than one with a hard shell, so fish patterns that are lighter in color than the crayfish you see to imitate this vulnerable stage.

James' Outcast Crayfish

HOOK: #4-8 3XL streamer hook. THREAD: Black 6/0. WEIGHT: Lead wire (optional). SHELL BACK: Brown raffia or Swiss Straw. CLAWS: Olive rabbit strip. RIB: Copper wire. BODY: Tan chenille.

There are times when large bass and trout will attack huge crayfish regardless of the hardness of their shells, but given a choice they eat small crayfish more readily-especially those with smaller claws. So when you are designing your flies, remember you are trying to impress fish with nice little claws-not impress your fishing buddies with realistic giant claws. Crayfish under 11/2 inches, including the claws, are fair game for any fish you would want to hook up with.

Crayfish live on the bottom and forage under rocks and around vegetation. They generally crawl along and are only occasionally swept downstream in the current. However, when alarmed they use the powerful muscle in their tails to quickly swim backward. They can travel in short bursts until they are out of harm's way, but they do eventually settle back on the bottom. This activity leaves them exposed and vulnerable to hungry fish, and on a few occasions I've seen brown trout, carp, and smallmouth flush crayfish from cover and chase them.

Crayfish spend most of their life in and around bottom cover like rocks and boulders. For this reason, this is also where you should present your imitations if you are going to be successful at coaxing fish into eating your fly.

The fact that crayfish patterns catch fish is no secret. Anglers, especially smallmouth bass fishermen, have used imitations of these little crustaceans for decades. Trout, panfish, and carp also relish these abundant food items that are found in many rivers and lakes throughout North America.
 

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