Buyer's Guide: Craw and Creature Baits for Year Round Success!

Creature baits are not all created equal! In today's buyer's guide we're simplifying creatures and craws by narrowing it down to 8 baits for different situations. Each of these baits will help you catch more fish throughout the year! Whether you're punching mats, flipping, throwing a wobble head, or working a jig, there is a creature here that you can rely on.

These 8 baits all have very unique applications. One is best on wobble head, another is a bait we exclusively punch with, and yet another is the bait we turn to early in the year. There are a lot of great baits on the market but when you discover a key situation for a specific bait, you've got a bait that will put fish in the boat over and over again. If you want to shorten your learning curve, pay close attention to why and when we're throwing each of these baits, then give them a try on your lakes.

We've included links to all 8 of these baits below. We've also included our favorite colors for each, the gear we use to rig them, and a couple great "All-Around" creature bait rods at different price points. All of the links go directly to Tackle Warehouse where you can see detailed photos and descriptions of each item.

#1... 

-Big Bite Baits Flying Squirrel: http://bit.ly/2sn1FaT

Colors: Tilapia, Tilapia Magic

#2... 

-Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver: http://bit.ly/29W3RZW

Colors: Green Pumpkin Red, Tramp Stamp

#3... 

-Zoom Z-Craw: http://bit.ly/2vW7Jo5

Colors: Junebug, Tilapia, Green Pumpkin

#4... 

-Reaction Innovations Man Bear Pig: http://bit.ly/2s51oIV

Colors: Hematoma, Tramp Stamp

#5...

-Zoom Midsize Brush Hog: https://bit.ly/35Wtmst

Colors: Junebug, Watermelon Candy

#6... 

-Missile Baits Baby D Stroyer: http://bit.ly/3248BXL

Colors: Super Bug, California Love

#7... 

-Jackall Archelon: http://bit.ly/2uo4sN5

Colors: School Bluegill, Green Pumpkin Candy

#8... 

-Keitech Crazy Flapper: http://bit.ly/2c3cXrp

Colors: Green Pumpkin Watermelon, Double Trouble

Jig Heads and Rigging... 

Shaky Head- Dirty Jigs Magnum Stand Up Head: http://bit.ly/2apouhn

Lead Wobble Head- Pivot Point Football Jig (1/2 - 3/4 oz): http://bit.ly/2jOY1Ns

Tungsten Wobble Head- Swagger Swing Jig (1/2 oz - 3/4 oz): http://bit.ly/2MmBuur

Texas Rig Weight- Swagger Tungsten "Vader": http://bit.ly/2NjDYtV

Texas Rig Hook (Heavy Wire): Owner Jungle Wide Gap 4/0: http://bit.ly/2sBsR1Z

Texas Rig Hook (Light Wire): Gamakatsu Offset EWG: http://bit.ly/2d07gvp

All-Around Texas Rig Combo... 

Rod- Shimano Expride 7'2" Medium Heavy: http://bit.ly/2nTq9FL

Reel- Shimano Curado 150 DC HG: http://bit.ly/2yHtsp4

Line- Power Pro Maxcuatro 40 lb Braid: http://bit.ly/2clBRiQ

Leader- Maxima Ultragreen 12 lb Mono: http://bit.ly/2ae97J9

Budget Texas Rig Combo... 

Rod- Shimano Intenza 7'2" Medium heavy: http://bit.ly/2QADLTq

Reel- Shimano SLX 150 XT HG: http://bit.ly/2BRTYL8

Leader- Sunline Assassin 12 lb Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm

NEW Tactical Bassin Apparel: http://bit.ly/38YpPIz

Previous Buyer's Guides... 

-Ned Rigs: https://bit.ly/3fo75GV

-Deep Diving Crankbaits: https://bit.ly/3kXuH6h

-Swimbaits: https://bit.ly/395vTT6

-High End Combos: https://bit.ly/35PNOeu

-$500 Combos: https://bit.ly/3lW1o5I

-$400 Combos: https://bit.ly/3lSfwwz

-$200 Combos: https://bit.ly/2USSCJv

-$100 Combos: https://bit.ly/37aupED

Summer Fishing For Bass with Jigs, Creature Baits, and Plastic Worms!

Summer fishing is easy if you know where to look! Today Matt's Dad joins us as we target bass near deep water with 3 key summertime techniques. If you want to catch more bass, pay close attention to how the guys use the shaky head worm, jig, and wobble head creature bait to locate bass and dial in the pattern!

The guys haven't been on Clearlake for months but they start catching fish immediately. If you struggle to find Summer bass, we recommend you go back and revisit our "Where Do Bass Go In Summer" video (linked below). Today the guys targeted chunk rock in 5-15 feet of water but the key was finding these areas with quick access to deep water. If you could find that scenario, the fish were always present. They knew they could get bit on a shaky head and a jig but once fish started coming in the boat, the wobble head was employed to get the bigger bite. 

All 3 of these are simple techniques to use and they will work on your local water. Focus on the shaky head worm to find a consistent bite. Of the 3 techniques, it is the easiest to get bit on day in and day out. If your fish are dialed in on eating crawdads switch to the jig and you'll almost always see the size of the fish increase. Once you've located fish on hard bottom, the wobble head is an incredible technique for catching those "kicker fish" you're looking for. It will cover water quickly, get big bites, and is very snag resistant. 

Below are related videos you should check out, followed by links to all of the baits and equipment used in today's video. We've even included color recommendations for each item. The links go directly to Tackle Warehouse where you can see detailed photos and descriptions of each item. 

Related Videos…

Where Do Bass Go In Summer Video: https://youtu.be/wzXL9aY0SAk

Wobble Head Video (Swing Head Jigs): https://youtu.be/DPk5YDdaZxo

Shaky Head... 

Worm- Netbait T-Mac Worm: http://bit.ly/2jndwj9

Colors: Junebug, Bama Bug, Texas Craw

Hook- Canterbury Shaky Head 1/4 oz: http://bit.ly/2aFOs0V

Alternative Hook- Stand Up Shaky 1/4 oz: https://bit.ly/3hI1tqQ

Jigs... 

Dale's Jig- Compact Pitchin Jig 1/2 oz (Molting Craw): http://bit.ly/2hAIyCV

Trailer- Missile Baits D Bom (Green Pumpkin Red): http://bit.ly/2d2dVlt

Matt's Jig- Dirty Jigs Football Jig 1/2 oz (Molting Craw): http://bit.ly/2d0iJbd

Trailer- Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver (Green Pumpkin Red): http://bit.ly/29W3RZW

Wobble Head...

Head- Pivot Point Football 3/4 oz (4/0 Hook): http://bit.ly/2jOY1Ns

Bait- Zoom Z Craw (Regular): http://bit.ly/2vW7Jo5

Colors: California Craw, Junebug, Huckleberry

Matt's Wobble Head Combo... 

Rod- Shimano Expride 7'6" Medium heavy: http://bit.ly/2nTq9FL

Reel- Shimano Curado DC HG: http://bit.ly/2yHtsp4

Line- Power Pro Maxcuatro 50 lb Braid: http://bit.ly/2clBRiQ

Leader- Maxima Ultragreen 20 lb: http://bit.ly/2ae97J9

Matt's Jig Combo... 

Rod- Dobyns Xtasy 7'5" Heavy (755): http://bit.ly/36fIHCg

Reel- Shimano Metanium DC HG: http://bit.ly/2qrSZvs

Line- Power Pro Maxcuatro 50 lb Braid: http://bit.ly/2clBRiQ

Leader- Sunline FC100 16 lb Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2O4UElB

Budget Jig Combo... 

Rod- Shimano Intenza 7'2" Medium Heavy: http://bit.ly/2QADLTq

Reel- Shimano SLX DC 150: http://bit.ly/2LWzw2Q

Line- Sunline Assassin 15 lb Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm

Budget Shaky Head Combo... 

Rod- Shimano Intenza 6'10" Medium Heavy: http://bit.ly/2QADLTq

Reel- Shimano SLX DC 150: http://bit.ly/2LWzw2Q

Line- Sunline Assassin 10 lb Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm

NEW Tactical Bassin Apparel... 

TacticalBassin Reaper Hoodie: http://bit.ly/2TwBWs7

TacticalBassin Shadow Hoodie: http://bit.ly/2FVD9Rs

TacticalBassin Sun Shirt: http://bit.ly/2TvFMBD

TacticalBassin Hooded Sun Shirt: http://bit.ly/38cVi9G

Summer Bass Fishing- Crankbaits And Creatures For Offshore Bass (Matt Loses a 10 LBER!!!)

Summer bass love to move offshore and today we're going after them! We're fishing ledges, current breaks, humps, and island tops in search of big bass on Chickamauga. Most anglers focus on the bank because its comfortable and easy to fish what they can see but the vast majority of fish are behind them. Come along for a fun day of fishing and see the kind of bass that live away from the bank in Summer. 

Offshore bass can be caught with a variety of techniques. Truthfully, they can be caught on just about anything but there are a few techniques that really shine for this style of fishing. A few that come to mind include small swimbaits, wobble heads, spoons, crankbaits, and big worms. Today the guys focused on fast moving baits. Tim spend most of his time with a lipless crankbait while Matt focused on a swing head jig (wobble head) and occasionally mixed in a deep crank. 

While today was a grind, that 10+ lber shows the exact caliber of fish that live on these off shore haunts. If you're a bank fisherman, focus on the bass that hug the shallow cover and shadow edges but if you're a boater, take advantage of that offshore bite. Get out of your comfort zone, head out deeper, and you just might connect with the bass of a lifetime!

Below are a breakdown of the baits, colors, and equipment that the guys were using in the video. The links go directly to tackle warehouse where you can see detailed photos and descriptions of each item. 

Crankbaits... 

Tim- Lucky Craft LV-500 (Aurora Black): http://bit.ly/2aAUUbd

Matt- Azuma Z Boss 24 (Grand Shad): http://bit.ly/2poLKUC

Wobble Head... 

Jighead- Dirty Jigs Pivot Point Football 3/4 oz 4/0 Hook: http://bit.ly/2jOY1Ns

Creature- Zoom Z Craw (Junebug): http://bit.ly/2vW7Jo5

Other Great Colors: Green pumpkin, Tilapia, Blueberry

Worms... 

-Netbait T-Mac 6.5": http://bit.ly/2jndwj9

Tim's Lipless Combo... 

Rod- G Loomis IMX Pro 906 CBR: http://bit.ly/2og0BmK

Reel- Shimano Curado 150 DC XG: http://bit.ly/2yHtsp4

Line- Sunline Sniper 14 lb Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2p7fxju

Matt's Wobble Head Combo... 

Rod- Shimano Zodias 7'5" Heavy: http://bit.ly/2cgmMAe

Reel- Shimano Curado 150 DC HG: http://bit.ly/2yHtsp4

Line- Power Pro Maxcuatro 65 lb Braid: http://bit.ly/2clBRiQ

Leader- Maxima Ultragreen 20 lb Mono: http://bit.ly/2ae97J9

NEW Tactical Bassin Apparel... 

TacticalBassin Reaper Hoodie: http://bit.ly/2TwBWs7

TacticalBassin Shadow Hoodie: http://bit.ly/2FVD9Rs

TacticalBassin Sun Shirt: http://bit.ly/2TvFMBD

TacticalBassin Hooded Sun Shirt: http://bit.ly/38cVi9G

How To Fish Swing Head Jigs For Summer Bass (Watts Bar Lake)

Swing Heads paired with creature baits and swimbaits are one of the most effective baits for BIG Summer bass. Today is Matt's first time on Watts Bar Lake and he's armed himself with swing heads in search of bass. Come along as he explores the lake, teaches the fine details of fishing swing heads for Smallmouth, Largemouth, and a surprising mix of other species in today's video. 

The swing head gained a ton of popularity a few years ago when Tommy Biffle saw tournament success with the Biffle Head. In recent years the hype has died back and many anglers have forgotten this technique. While effective year round, our favorite time to throw it is post spawn into Summer. There is just something about it that draws a consistently larger bite than other baits. Its great for covering water, locating fish, and catching those key kicker fish that we're all searching for. 

While it can be done with a variety of creature or swimbait trailers, all of our favorite options are hard kicking creatures. The two that really stand out are the Keitech Crazy Flapper and the Zoom Z Craw. Both baits have a great profile and a ton of action on the back of the swinging jig head. Below is a breakdown of all the baits and equipment Matt used in today's video. The links go directly to Tackle Warehouse where you can see detailed photos and descriptions of each item. 

The Heads... 

-Dirty Jigs Pivot Point Football: http://bit.ly/2jOY1Ns

(1/2 oz 4/0 Hook and 3/4 oz 5/0 Hook)

-Swagger Tungsten Football Swing: https://bit.ly/2ZM9PIq

(3/8 and 1/2 oz with 3/0 Hook)

Today's Baits... 

-Keitech Crazy Flapper 4.4: http://bit.ly/2c3cXrp

(Green Pumpkin Watermelon, Double Trouble, Electric Junebug)

-Zoom Z Craw Standard: http://bit.ly/2vW7Jo5

(Green Pumpkin, JuneBug, Tilapia)

Other Great Trailers... 

-Strike King Rage Bug: http://bit.ly/2aAsuiV

-NetBait Paca Craw: http://bit.ly/2wlVAfh

-Keitech 4.3" Fat Swing Impact: http://bit.ly/2ab7s8v

-Xzone Swammer Swimbait: http://bit.ly/2PogV0q

Matt's Combo... 

Rod- Shimano Zodias 7'5" Heavy: http://bit.ly/2cgmMAe

Reel- Shimano Curado 150 DC HG: http://bit.ly/2yHtsp4

Braid- Power Pro Maxcuatro 50 lb: http://bit.ly/2clBRiQ

Leader- Maxima Ultragreen 15 lb Mono: http://bit.ly/2ae97J9

Favorite Combo For Tungsten Swing Heads... 

Rod- Megabass Orochi XX Extreme Mission Type F 7'5": http://bit.ly/2OSVNwH

Reel- Shimano Curado 150 DC HG: http://bit.ly/2yHtsp4

Line- Sunline Assassin 15 lb Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm 

Budget Combo For Swing Heads... 

Rod- St. Croix Bass X 7'4" Heavy: http://bit.ly/2r0xWAs

Reel- Shimano SLX DC 150 HG: http://bit.ly/2LWzw2Q

Line- Sunline Assassin 15 lb Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm

NEW Tactical Bassin Apparel... 

TacticalBassin Reaper Hoodie: http://bit.ly/2TwBWs7

TacticalBassin Shadow Hoodie: http://bit.ly/2FVD9Rs

TacticalBassin Sun Shirt: http://bit.ly/2TvFMBD

TacticalBassin Hooded Sun Shirt: http://bit.ly/38cVi9G