Soft Bait: Crawdads

Crawdads are the logical choice of soft bait for any lake where there's a good crawfish population, as this food source will be a big part of the bass's regular diet. If possible, get a look at the resident crawfish and try to match the coloring. They'll range from pumpkinseed orange to bright red to very dark brown. Hook them tail-first, Carolina- or Texas-style, and use a jerk-pause-jerk retrieve to imitate a crawdad's swimming style of backwards bursts. They also make great jig trailers, with the two claws flapping and waving even more than a twin-tail grub. Rocky points and slopes are a good place to try crawdad hopping.