Crawfish imitating baits excel during the fall for largemouth bass as well as smallmouth bass, like the one shown here by Deron Eck. Jeff Knapp/Special to the Eagle

Come fall, a bass’ fancy turns to crayfish.

Not that facsimiles of this tasty crustacean won’t catch bass throughout much of the year. But when the leaves turn brown, both largemouth and smallmouth bass respond exceptionally well to crayfish imitations.

Here are a few of the instances I’ve found over the years in which bass respond to craws.

This is the modern version of the classic jig-n-pig that was prevalent when I was getting serious about bass fishing back in the 1980s. That version mated a skirted jig (either living rubber or silicone) with a natural pork chunk.

Today, the pork chunk has largely been replaced with soft plastic crawfish imitators, though real pork baits have returned to the market carrying a sizable price tag. The jigs themselves have evolved as well with various head shapes and line tie locations available depending on whether the angler cares to flip or swim the jig.

On our local lakes, the jig-n-pig combo has a history of producing bass on both Yellow Creek and Keystone lakes. On the former, edges of remaining weeds can collect largemouth bass, as well as the numerous laydowns found in abundance along the north shore of the lake.

Keystone bass — both largemouth and smallmouth — also respond well to jig-n-pig combos along weeds, though Keystone’s weeds tend to remain green well into the fall and extend out into deeper water, approximately 18 feet.

The jig-n-pig has also produced some fine largemouth bass over the years on Lake Arthur, particularly in the lower end of the lake near the dam. This part of Arthur is rich in structure with long points and flats that drop into deeper water along the primary and secondary creek channels.

A more subtle presentation can be offered up in the form by way of Texas rigging, which is simply a worm-style hook combined with a free-sliding bullet-shaped slip sinker.

There are dozens of soft plastic crayfish imitators. One of my favorites is Zoom’s Speed Craw, a 3.5-inch bait that has delicate pinchers that act like tiny swimbaits during the retrieve. When rigged on a 3/0 worm hook and a ⅛- to ⅜-ounce bullet weight the Speed Craw is ideal for working along weed edges and submerged timber for largemouth bass. It’s also a great offering for river smallmouth bass that tend to gravitate toward rocky, snagged spots as the autumn waters chill.

Though not typically Texas rigged, the classic tube jig in the 4-inch range is also a semi-weedless offering that works in many situations where a crawfish imitation is preferred. Look for a tube with a thick body so the offset of the hook will seat securely in the head of the bait.

Strike King’s Bitsty Bug, when coupled with a small crawfish imitator like the smaller version of Yum’s Craw Papi, results in a compact jig-n-pig combo that’s ideal for smallmouth bass in both rivers and lakes. Think of it as a downsized version of that which was described earlier.

Like the Texas rigged Speed Craw, the Bitsy/Papi combo can be worked around rocky areas with minimal hang ups due to the jig’s weedguard. The relative light weight of the jig — 3/16 ounce — is perfect for plying the 3- to 8-foot depths river bass feed in during the fall.

Finally, when bass are turning their collective nose to standard crawfish baits, switching to a Chatterbait-style blade jig can make a big difference. Such lures come in a variety of sizes, with the smaller appropriate for smallies and the bigger ones for green bass, and all can accept a crawfish profile trailer. But rather than swimming the lure in typical Chatterbait fashion, hop in along the bottom like a standard jig-n-pig.

Jeff Knapp is an outdoors columnist for the Butler Eagle.