Finnesse Soft Craws

Ok, here we go again. I went through this when trying to master my stick
worm technique, now I am having the same learning curve with soft craws.

Yesterday morning I hit on my pattern first thing in the morning. I
starting bouncing softcraws from the edge of the bank out to deeper water.
My location was dead on as I boated a 2+ on my first or second cast. I
managed to miss several fish, and then my next one broke off on me. A
little later I had one dance and I forgot to pull it over so it threw the
hook. My son had one throw the hook as well. On the plus side he was
Robert on the spot with the net.

With stick worms I went to a 7' medium/heavy action spinning rod with 15lb
flourocarbon, and all my problems went away, except I think I haven't gotten
as many hits on the 15lb line.

For the soft craws I was working them on a 1/4oz slider worm jig and it
worked ok. I got plenty of hits. We were fishing them on 6'6" medium
action spinning tackle in 1 to 8 feet of water using 12lb P-Line
Flouroclear. It worked ok, but I messed a lot of hits.

Finally I schooled myself to crank down and go for a heavy hookset. In
order to eliminate break off's I backed off the drag. After that I got one
more hit and I boated the little 13 1/4" LM for my second keeper of the day.
That was the last hit on my morning pattern.

I did get one more hit later in the day working a back channel with a craw
on a heavy pitching rod for a 3.1 lber and our large fish of the day.

We weighed in only 3 fish for 6.88 lbs, but on retrospect we found fish and
should have weighed in 10 to 12 lbs. We lost three fish that we should not
have lost.

I'm not sure about the one that broke off. I suppose I could have retied
the line after my previous fish, but I'm not sure. I hate to go to heavier
line since I feel I don't get as many hits with it, and its more difficult
to work lighter baits on heavier line when bottom bouncing.

A heavier bait might help with using heavier line, but the heavier baits
tend to plow into any mud or sediment ont he bottom.

Our hooks were very sharp, but since I was mostly bouncing them off the
rocks they could have dulled some. I was rigging weedless which should have
protected the points, but I did hang up a few times as well.

As to the rods. I felt that they fished very well, but I missed a lot fo
fish. I felt the hits so I figure they were sensitive enough. On the other
hand I missed a lot of hits. I think I would like a faster action, but stay
with a medium power rod. Any suggestions? Most manufacturers don't give
enough description of the action and power of their rods.

The other thing I thought might work s to go to a standup jig design, but
fish them with an open hook instead of weedless. That would probably help
with hook ups. Maybe a light mono weed guard like on the WW Hooks I have
started using for stick worms.


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