Power Crawlers

[Neal/CO]

I read a post on another site about a bass angler who has been catching a bunch of nice eye's incidental to the bass. He is getting them on a 4 inch Power crawler texas rigged with a 1/0 offset worm hook and a 1/4 oz sliding sinker. Typical texas rigging for bass, except the walleyes seem to like it also. I wonder if this might be a great way to fish flooded brush and timber in the spring, when the water is up and the eye's think they are bass? Scent, crawler profile and virtually snagless! What do you guys think?

[Grampa_Joe]

I'm sure they'd work good for that. I use them on spinners instead of crawlers all the time. The perch can't bite them in half and they catch fish.

-Joe

[Paul Fournier]

Neal,

I think this would be a great way to take early season 'eyes in both rivers and impoundments. I could see where this technique would also work great on lakes like Devil's Lake in North Dakota, Big Stone Lake in Minnesota or perhaps Winnebago in Wisconsin. Sorry for all of the midwest references but you have to go with what you know.

I can also 2nd the fact that they work extremely well when pulled on spinners as compared to the live crawlers. This will be the case on any water where you have other fish that will tend to peck the worm (I.E. perch in lakes or bass in rivers).

Give it a try! I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Good luck,
Paul Fournier

[Neal/CO]

I think I might lose the slip sinker and just pinch a large split shot at the head. It would probaly catch more fish aggressivly jigged than just pulled thru the cover??

[Goldpig]

If I had to guess, I think part of the advantage of "Texas rigging" is that when the fish picks up the lure, the line slides through the weight, thus they hold on to it a little bit longer. Although for isolated structure like you are talking about either a split shot or pegging the slip sinker would help prevent snags.

[dkooser]

Neal,
I spent a little time using a Berkley Power Crawler on a jig last spring and did catch a few. My technique was slighlty different, I used a 1/8 oz jig and pinched off about 1 inch of the crawler. I was short on live crawlers at the time. Worked ok. Maybe with a little more time and usage I might have found a pattern that worked as well as using the live stuff. We'll have to give it a shot this spring.

[Paul H]

I fish a river with some stocked waleye and saugeye - though fish it mainly for bass - get quite a few walleye - had a 4+ this year in under a foot of water on a power worm mojo rigged.

I use the mojo sinkers more than texas rigs, used something similar in Canada this year either live worm or minniw.


The mojo style sinkers do a pretty good job of not hanging up. Like a small carolina rig - but the sinker is pegged

[SetTheHook]

I've had luck with them on jigs in a small, usually muddy river I fish when the walleyes hold tight in large snags. The real crawlers tended to get too beat up as I banged them off all the wood. Never had any luck with them when fishing clearer waters, however.

[Ripstik]

Last year in very early spring I broke a 6" power crawler in half and put it on a number six hook with a splitshot about twelve inches above the hook.It worked great.I used PowerBait worms the rest of the year.I did have to keep the bait moving though.If I tried to use it on the bottom or with a slip bobber rig,I caught nothing,Can't wait to get them in the water this year.Good luck.

[GORD]

they also work good when pulled behind a bottom bouncer or a double barrel rig with a bell sinker. they must be kept moving. lift, drop, twitch etc.

[Neal/CO]

Sounds good. I am sure you know where I have in mind!!

[Bayside]

I tried them on spinners most of last year on Sturgeon Bay (clear water) and did not have as good of luck with them as live crawlers. I have caught walleyes on soft plastics but mainly in stained or darker water. Has anyone done well in clear water with power crawlers and if so what color worked better natural or pumpkinseed?

[Art/Co]

Gee, I don't know Dave and Neal????maybe your favorite Crappie Lake in the trees in some muddy bay...LOL

art

[Mattman]

Yup, it works. Bass fishin' and couldn't keep the walleyes away. I've only had the pattern work on one lake for me. Three years in a row.

[herm]

Few years back we were using night crawlers for trout. We bought 4 boxes of worms.When we used up the first box we openned the next ones, only to find that all the worms were spoiled.
So, we tried power worms that looked like the regular nite crawlers. Sure enuf, it didn't make any differece to the trout.

[JRS]

Instead of a traditional texas rig I like to use a Charlie Brewer Spider Slider head. The hook is bent to facilitate rigging texas style. I like the convenience of the jig head and in cover it can be beneficial for the weight to stay right up tight to your bait.

Another worm to try, 4" power worm, I like black with a chartruese tail. Sometimes I bite an inch or so off to shorten the lure. In one day I have caught walleye, sauger, northern, large and small mouth bass, bluegill and crappie on this rig.

[Ron Cramer]

Neal
Met you guys a that walleye central get together at this lake. Sorry but all reservations have been taken for 2001. Been using these worms for years. Much easier to keep alive and work just as well, if not better. Ice fishing has been good, with lots of ice.