Craws & Creature Baits

Craw softbaits and creature baits at Charlie's Fishing: crayfish lures, hogs, shrimps and crabs for perch, zander and bass

This is our collection of craws and creature baits: the crayfish lures, hog and bug style creature baits, soft shrimps and crabs that you fish on or just above the bottom. Perch and zander eat a lot of crayfish, shrimp and gobies along stone banks, harbour walls and hard bottoms, black bass hunt craws around wood and weed, and sea bass pick crabs and shrimp off rocks and breakwaters. A craw does something a shad cannot: it stays in the strike zone, stands still, and still moves. On this page we explain the difference between a craw, a creature bait and a crab, which rig fits which bait (Texas rig, Carolina rig, Ned rig, cheburashka or jig trailer), how to drag and hop them over the bottom, and which offset hooks and bullet weights from our range go with them. The baits come from HideUp, DSTYLE, Rapala, Chasebaits, Walobaits, BIM Tackle, Westside Fishing, Capt'n Greenfin, Toppies and our own Charlie's Fishing label. For the wider softbait range per species see Zander and Perch Softbaits, Black Bass and Seabass Softbaits.

Craw, creature bait or crab: what is the difference

A craw is a crayfish imitation: a body with two claws that flap or kick on the fall and on every pull. Craws are compact, usually 5 to 10 cm, and they are the natural choice when perch and zander feed on crayfish, which is most of the year in canals, rivers and gravel pits with stones. A creature bait is not an imitation of one animal. It is a body with legs, arms, a twin tail or hair strands that pushes water and shows a bigger silhouette, so fish find it in coloured water, in heavy cover and at night. Hogs, bugs and the hair-loaded HideUp Coike all belong here. Soft shrimps and crabs are the third group: shrimp baits stand upright in a defensive posture and work for big perch and zander around stones, while a crab bait is the bait for sea bass and other crab eaters on rocky ground. All three groups are fished slowly and close to the bottom, mostly on an offset hook or a light head rather than on a standard jig head, which is why the rig matters as much as the bait.

Craws: crayfish imitations for perch and zander on the bottom

The Rapala CrushCity Cleanup Craw (8.8 cm, 7 per pack) has two large flanged claws with a tight kicking action and a heavily ribbed body that moves a lot of water and hides the hook point for weedless rigging. It fishes on a Carolina rig, a Ned rig, a cheburashka, a Texas rig and even a regular jig head, and it is the craw we reach for first on a stone bank for perch and zander. Our article Rapala CrushCity Softbaits: which one to fish and when explains where it sits in the range. The BIM Tackle Lethal Tusk Craw 7.6 cm (8 per pack) and the smaller BIM Tackle Lethal Tusk Craw 5.6 cm (10 per pack) are finesse craws in floating, flavoured TPE: the claws float up and vibrate subtly, which imitates small shrimp and crabs and gets the wary perch and zander that ignore a kicking craw. Fish them on a Ned rig, a neko rig or a micro jig, and store TPE baits apart from other softbaits.

The HideUp Stagger Craw 4" (10.2 cm, 8 g, 5 per pack) is the bigger, more controlled craw: large active claws and a flexible tail give natural water displacement without becoming aggressive, so it works on both cautious and feeding fish on a drop shot, a jig head or a Carolina rig, with a 3/0 hook. The Walobaits Maramba Craw 3" (7.6 cm, 7 per pack) from the small Spanish brand Walobaits has fine claws and two long antennae that keep moving on the drop, on small twitches and while the bait rests, plus a shrimp scent that makes fish hold on a moment longer: Texas rig, Ned rig, neko rig or a compact jig trailer for perch, zander and black bass. The handmade Westside Fishing Larry The Lobster (4 per pack) from West-Friesland has fluttering tentacles and kicking legs and was made for big perch on a Carolina rig, a Texas rig, a cheburashka or a Ned head.

The Greenfin Laola Craw 7 cm is different again: it is made entirely of bioactive proteins, plastic-free and biodegradable, and its water-soluble attractant keeps working during pauses and slow bottom contact. Fish it for perch on a cheburashka, a Carolina rig or a free rig around stones and hard spots. The Chasebaits Mudbug (7 cm, 14 g) is a ready-rigged crayfish in tough TPE with a jig hook, a wire weed guard and a weighted egg sack: let it rest on the bottom in its defensive pose, dead stick it or crawl it slowly along structure. And our own Charlie's Tube (10 cm, 3 per pack) is a cross between a tube and a craw with a hollow body for a tube jig or a regular jig head, for big perch and zander. More crayfish eaters and their lures in Perch and Zander.

Creature baits, hogs and bugs: more presence in cover and coloured water

When a slim craw lacks presence, a creature bait with legs, arms and a twin tail does the work. The DSTYLE SVSB Big 3.4" (8.6 cm, 10 g, 5 per pack) is a sinking creature bait with legs integrated into the body, so they vibrate subtly instead of flapping, and a twin tail that grabs water and flutters. Its dense core makes it skip easily under overhanging trees and jetties, which is exactly where perch, zander and black bass sit in summer. Rig it Texas style or on a 5/0 offset hook, or use it as a trailer on a rubber jig. The HideUp Stagger Wide Hog 4" (10.2 cm, 20 g, 4 per pack) is the power option: a wide body with multiple active appendages that produce strong vibration on the retrieve and on the fall. Fish it on a jig head, a Carolina rig, as a jig trailer, weedless through vegetation on a 5/0 hook, or on a heavy drop shot in coloured water and heavy cover. The HideUp Wapper 4" (10.2 cm, 7.2 g, 7 per pack) sits in between: a balanced body with a natural panic action on the fall that switches between wacky, Ned, neko, Texas and heavy drop shot without changing the profile, with a 3/0 hook.

The HideUp Coike family is the odd one out: a small core with long elastomer hair strands that quiver with the slightest current or line tension, even when you hold the bait still, and a floating body that stands upright on the bottom. The HideUp Coike 17 mm and the HideUp Coike Mini (8 mm core, 3 per pack) are the finesse sizes for pressured perch in clear water on a drop shot, a weighted wacky, a neko rig or a light jig head. The HideUp Coike Fullcast (13 g) casts further and shows a bigger profile for larger perch and bass on wacky, drop shot, neko and weightless rigs, and the HideUp Coike Shrimp Magnum Softbait (8 cm, 23 g, 3 per pack) is the oversized version with a dense hair body for murky water and cover, on a 5/0 offset hook for wacky, Texas, neko and free rigs. Read HideUp Lures: Japanese finesse baits such as Coike, Stagger Stick, Stagger Craw for how we fish them. The Chasebaits Wiggle Bomb 35 (3.5 cm, 8 g, 2 per pack) is a slow-sinking TPE creature bait with a tadpole silhouette, a wiggling tail on the drop and kicking legs on the retrieve, pre-rigged on a double weedless hook, so you can slow-roll it through weed beds, timber and drop-offs where a treble would snag.

Soft shrimps and crabs: for big perch, zander and sea bass

The elastomer shrimps from DSTYLE reproduce the escape of a fleeing shrimp and stand upright in a defensive posture when you add a small nail sinker in the tail. The DSTYLE Ebison Boy 2.7" (7 cm, 2.2 g, 2 per pack) is the perch size with a 0.1 to 0.45 g nail weight, on a 3/0 offset hook with a sinker around cover or wacky style on a #1 neko hook. The DSTYLE Ebison Mommy 4.1" (10.4 cm, 6.5 g, 2 per pack) is the bigger version for big perch and zander, with a 0.2 to 0.9 g nail sinker, a 3/0 offset hook or a 1/0 neko hook: twitch and pause it or swim it slowly along stones and drop-offs. Both also work as a trailer on a rubber jig. Keep elastomer baits in their own packaging, away from standard PVC softbaits.

For sea bass we stock the Chasebaits Smash Crab JNR (7.5 cm, 19 g, pre-rigged on a 2/0 hook, sink rate about 4 seconds per metre). It rights itself on landing, the legs and claws vibrate on the drop, and you can slow-roll it, jig it or leave it motionless on the bottom. Sea bass feed on crabs along rocks, breakwaters and harbour walls, so fish it where the bottom is hard and let it sink on a tight line between short lifts; the Seabass page has more on where and when. Store it apart from other softbaits, as the TPE can react with PVC. The Chasebaits Flacid Shad 7.5 cm (7 per pack) is the finesse companion in this collection: a shrimp-scented minnow with a ribbon tail that flutters on the drop and a belly slit for weedless rigging, for perch, zander, trout and sea bass when fish want a small baitfish rather than a crayfish.

Worms and Ned baits in this collection

A few straight worms and Ned baits live in this collection because they fish on the same rigs and the same spots as a craw. The Toppies Wormius (9.5 cm, 8 per pack) is a floating, flavoured and lead-free worm with a double channel for a nail sinker and the hook, a weedguard on the back for an offset hook, and a curved body that keeps moving on a drop shot, a Carolina rig, a free rig or a wacky rig. The Rapala CrushCity Salted NedRoll (8 cm, 4 g, 7 per pack) is a floating TPE bait with a spade tail that imitates gobies and small whitefish on a Ned head or a drop shot, and the Rapala CrushCity Ned BLT (10 per pack) is the classic Ned bait that stands upright on a Ned jig head for perch and zander. The DSTYLE Torquee Straight Type HG 3.8" (9.7 cm, 3.2 g, 10 per pack) and the DSTYLE Torquee Straight Type HG 4.8" (12.2 cm, 4.2 g) are high-salt straight worms that fall faster and keep bottom contact on deeper spots; they work by themselves on a neko rig, wacky or an offset hook, the 3.8" for perch and the 4.8" for zander. The complete worm range is in Ned's & Worms.

Texas rig, Carolina rig, Ned rig and jig trailer: how to rig a craw

Texas rig: a bullet weight slides on the line in front of an offset hook, the hook point tucked back into the bait. This is the rig for weed, wood and stones, because nothing can snag. Use a 3.5 to 7 g bullet for perch in up to 3 m and 7 to 14 g for zander, deeper water or current: the Toppies Tungsten Bullet Weight (3.5 to 14 g) is small for its weight and clicks against a glass bead, and the Green Bass Fishing Lead-Free Bullet Weight (4 and 6 g) has a punching shape for dense vegetation. For the hook, the VMC Hook 7316 Texan Strong Wide Gap (size 2 to 5/0) was made for worms, craws and creature baits, and the VMC Cheboo offset hook (size 4 to 5/0) has a bait keeper that holds the craw in place on long casts. Match the size to the bait: 1/0 to 2/0 for a 7 to 9 cm craw, 3/0 for the Stagger Craw and the Ebison, 5/0 for the SVSB Big, the Wide Hog and the Coike Shrimp Magnum. For big creature baits in heavy cover the BKK Titan Rider with its locking spring holds the bait firmly weedless.

Carolina rig: the same bullet weight, but 30 to 60 cm in front of the hook with a bead and a swivel in between. The weight drags over the bottom and the craw floats or glides freely behind it, which is perfect for a floating craw like the Lethal Tusk, the Laola Craw or the Wormius on a sandy or gravel bottom. Ned rig: a small flat head of 2 to 5 g with a short, buoyant bait that stands upright; the Charlie's Tungsten Ned Rig (2.8 g) keeps the Ned BLT, the NedRoll, a Lethal Tusk or a Maramba Craw standing on the bottom and lets you feel every stone. Cheburashka: a tungsten ball weight like the VMC Cheburashka weights (2 to 5 g) clipped to an offset hook, so the craw hinges freely and you can change weight in seconds, our choice for the Cleanup Craw, Larry The Lobster and the Laola Craw along stone banks. Jig trailer: a compact craw or creature bait on the hook of a chatterbait, spinnerbait or rubber jig adds a kicking profile; the Maramba Craw, SVSB Big, Wide Hog and Stagger Craw all do this, with the blades in Chatterbaits & Spinnerbaits. For wacky and neko rigs use the Gamakatsu G-Finesse Weedless Wacky or the BKK Predator WG. All hooks and weights are in Hooks and Rigs and Weights.

Dragging and hopping: how to fish a craw on the bottom

A craw is not a bait you wind in. Cast it, let it sink on a slightly slack line and watch the line on the drop, because many bites come while the claws flutter down. Once it is on the bottom, keep the rod low and pull it 30 to 50 cm sideways with the rod, then wind up the slack and let it rest for a few seconds. That drag and pause imitates a crayfish crawling and stopping, and the pause is where perch and zander pick it up. On stones and gravel, add short hops: a small lift of the rod tip makes the craw jump and the claws flap. In cold water, slow everything down and lengthen the pauses to ten seconds or more; floating craws and shrimps then stand upright with the claws up, exactly like a crayfish defending itself. With a Carolina rig you drag the weight and feel the bottom through the sinker while the bait follows quietly. Bites feel like a tap, a tick or sudden weight; wind down until you feel the fish and strike firmly with an offset hook, because the point has to come through the bait. Our article River Fishing: 9 lures we always bring for perch, zander and pike shows where craws fit in on the river.

Which craw or creature bait for which situation

• Perch and zander on stone banks and harbour walls: Cleanup Craw, Larry The Lobster or Laola Craw on a cheburashka or a Carolina rig.
• Pressured perch in clear water: Lethal Tusk Craw 5.6 cm, Coike Mini or Coike 17 mm on a Ned rig, neko rig or drop shot.
• Big perch and zander around cover: Stagger Craw 4", Ebison Mommy 4.1" or Charlie's Tube on a 3/0 offset hook or a jig head.
• Skipping under trees and jetties: SVSB Big 3.4" or Wapper 4" on a Texas rig.
• Coloured water, heavy cover and night: Stagger Wide Hog 4", Coike Shrimp Magnum or Mudbug.
• Weed beds and timber: Wiggle Bomb 35 or any craw Texas rigged with a Titan Rider or a VMC 7316.
• Jig trailer on a chatterbait or rubber jig: Maramba Craw 3", SVSB Big 3.4" or Stagger Wide Hog 4".
• Sea bass on rocks and breakwaters: Smash Crab JNR; small baitfish instead of a crayfish: Flacid Shad 7.5 cm.
• Cold water and deep spots: Torquee Straight Type HG, NedRoll or Ned BLT on a Ned head. See also Perch, Zander, Black Bass and Seabass Softbaits.

Why buy craws and creature baits at Charlie's Fishing

We picked these craws, creature baits, shrimps and crabs for the way we fish them here: Japanese finesse baits from HideUp and DSTYLE next to European craws from Rapala, BIM Tackle, Walobaits, Westside Fishing and Capt'n Greenfin, with the offset hooks, bullet weights, cheburashkas and Ned heads from our own stock to rig them. Everything ships from the Netherlands with fast delivery across Europe, and if you tell us your water, depth and target fish we are happy to tell you which craw and which rig to start with.

What is the difference between a craw and a creature bait?

A craw imitates a crayfish with two claws that kick on the fall and on every pull. A creature bait is not one animal: it is a body with legs, arms, a twin tail or hair strands that pushes water and shows a bigger silhouette, for coloured water, cover and night. Both are fished slowly on or just above the bottom, mostly on an offset hook or a light head.

Which rig is best for a craw: Texas rig, Carolina rig or Ned rig?

A Texas rig with a bullet weight and an offset hook is the snag-free choice for weed, wood and stones. A Carolina rig keeps the weight 30 to 60 cm in front of the bait, so a floating craw glides freely behind the sinker over sand and gravel. A Ned rig with a 2 to 5 g head suits short, buoyant baits that stand upright for pressured perch. Along stone banks a cheburashka with an offset hook lets you change weight in seconds.

Which size craw for perch and for zander?

For perch, 5 to 9 cm craws such as the Lethal Tusk 5.6 cm, the Laola Craw 7 cm or the Cleanup Craw 8.8 cm on a 1/0 to 2/0 offset hook cover most situations. For zander and big perch, go to 10 cm creature baits such as the Stagger Craw 4", the Ebison Mommy 4.1" or the Wide Hog 4" on a 3/0 to 5/0 hook, with a heavier bullet or cheburashka for depth and current.