When July and early August roll around bass have literally seen everything. Crankbaits and other traditional offerings become a little less effective. The big schools of bass often break up forming smaller schools and can be found suspending over a thermocline. There is even a shallow bite that develops or perhaps never really went away that anglers can begin to take advantage of. Under these tough conditions, you need a bait that can do everything — The Culprit 4″ Flutter craw, it’s a brand new bait and destined to become the superman of Culprits line up. During these summer months you’ll need some serious versatility to keep putting fish in the boat.
First, on Structure. To keep showing fish something different, the 4″ Flutter Craw should be tried on a pivoting Football head jig. The design of the Flutter craw will allow it to excel on various hooks, but it really shines on a pivoting football head. The kicking legs provide a teasing or fleeing action that will trigger reaction bites. While starting and stopping your retrieve the forward facing legs swing to the bottom on the nose of the bait, as if it was digging and anticipating a predator. This action is a real strong trigger that is not seen in other baits. Fish the Flutter Craw on offshore rock and shell beds near channels and above the thermocline if there is one. The deeper the water the heavier the head. Normally it is fished on a 1/2 to 3/4oz head. Use the 1/2oz in that 0-8 feet of water and 3/4oz in 8+ feet of water. When it comes to color selection, I really like the sapphire blue color on cloudy days and green pumpkin hues or bama bug on sunny days.
Second, Flipping heavy cover. Often times bass are just loners this time of year so the game is to fish as much isolated heavy cover as you can in a day. The Flutter craw flips nice into trees, around docks and so on, offering bass a look they have not seen. Think of it as a double tail grub that is more craw like, but more realistic and less mechanical in action. Flip on heavy line and 3/8 to 1/2 oz weight with a 4/0 or 5/0 wide gap hook. Stick with dark colors like black or bama bug in dirty water and green pumpkin or watermelon in clearer.
Lastly, if the water you are fishing offers current and shallow cover, the Flutter Craw can be used with a swimming retrieve similar to a swim jig or used as a swim jig trailer. Shallow weeds such as water willow or pads are good targets especially with moving water nearby. Fishing the Flutter Craw this way requires 50lb braid or 20lb flouro. If you are fishing it by itself, use a belly weighted swimbait hook, to give it that balanced retrieve. If you try it as a trailer on a swim jig, you could try and trim it down to complete the presentation of the swim jig.
The ALL NEW 4″ Culprit Flutter Craw offers something that those pressured fish haven’t seen yet. Next time you head out on the boat, pack some of these baits and you won’t regret it.
