I have a package of these, but they are bright orange with black on top.

http://www.vtackle.com/store/usangler/default.cfm?i=products.cfm&mo=Rattle%20Hot...

I understand that crawfish are only orange on a seasonal basis, but are brown most of the year.  So when ARE they orange?  Has anyone ever used these baits?  What is the typical movement behavior of crawfish (i.e. how should I fish them?).

This is your chance to help out the "slimer fisherman". 

Thanks Rich, that's a great article! 

I have found that traditionally, when Crawfish get into my bag of Cheetos they end up with that bright orange coloration....seasoning rather than season seems to be the culprit.........

I've only seen live crayfish twice. Lk. Washington in September, they're battleship grey with pale red and pale blue splotches. In a small lake in E. Renton, they were black with red splotches, Spring or Summer, can't recall. The ones in Lk. WA were about 9" long, 1 1/4" across the shoulders. The others were about 12" long, and maybe 2" across.

FWIW, I think the black and orange craws will work, if you put them in the right place, and drag them along the bottom. Splitshotting is a suitable method for shallow, football jighead for deep.  Check the Crayfish Website. Didn't know they were online, didja? http://crayfish.byu.edu/index.htm ;  

C&R, Steve

I have only seen one live crawfish in the last few years (on Steele Lake) and it was bright orange.  I guess when I saw the package in the store, they looked so life-like that the "marketing machine" worked to catch me. 

They come with football jigs attached to hooks and the directions show rigging the hook through the body and out through the back.  I checked the action in shallow water and found short hopping it off the bottom seems to be an enticing action, but I don't know if that is representative of their movement or not.

Thanks for the crawfish link, Steve.  I see that thing comes from my Alma Matter so it's GOT to be good! 

When there on Rice with a little andalais sausage mixed with.
RB