Top 5 Tournament Baits of 2013, #3 Berkley Power Bait's Crazy Legs Chigger Craws

Texas Rigged 4" Crazy legs Chigger Craw in Black and Blue Fleck

Holding down my number three spot is none other than Berkley Powerbait's Crazy Legs Chigger Craw. This was probably one of the hottest baits on the Buckeye Kayak Fishing tournament trail this year. I knew of at least 8 different anglers who threw a chigger craw during a tournament and placed in the top five during an event. At one point there were packs of them being raffled off after tournaments. I personally threw a texas rigged chigger craw in every event but the crappie event. I may have only threw it a couple of times, but I always had one tied on and ready to go. In both river events I threw a 4" green pumpkin texas rigged chigger craw exclusively. In the lake events I used the chigger craw in black and blue as a trailer for my jigs.

A 18.25" Smallie that fell victim to the slow and steady retrieve.

The crazy legged chigger craw had both tentacles and claws that fluttered in the water whenever the bait was moved along the bottom. The claws provided a slow and steady thump while the tentacles created a fast fluttering action. This action combined with Berkley Powerbaits patented scent made the bait one tough contender. As the year progressed I found myself going back to three main presentations (All of which required a 3/0 Extra Wide Gap Hook, 3/8oz tungsten bullet weight, and a rubber bobber stop to keep the bullet weight in place.) The first presentation I used primarily in the early summer/late spring, which was a hop and stop method. I'd keep the bait really close to bottom during my retrieve while allowing the bait to settle on bottom for 3 to 5 seconds between the 12- 14" hops. The second method I found myself using more in moving water situations, primarily for Smallmouth bass, which was the slow and steady retrieve. I'd throw the bait across current and slowly start swimming the chigger craw back to the kayak. (If I was fishing pretty shallow water, or slower moving water I would use a slightly smaller bullet weight.) The final method I found myself using was using the chigger craw as punch bait in thick vegetation. I'd use a search bait such as a top-water frog to find active fish, most of the time a fish would smack the frog up off of the vegetation but fail to get the frog into their mouths. In those instances I'd have another rod rigged with a texas rigged chigger craw and a 1oz bullet weight. I'd cast back to where I had the reaction bite and allow the heavy weight and chigger craw to sink through the vegetation, once it hit bottom more often than not I got a bite.

A smallie on the hawg trought with texas rigged chigger craw still hanging on.

The chigger craw didn't land many big fish, but it was my "get fish in the yak" bait.  When I needed to get a limit of three fish it was what I threw to get there. Once I had a limit of fish, I moved onto to other baits that selected for larger fish.  It was the workhorse of my tacklebox and that's why I felt it deserved the number 3 spot.









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