When I wrote the ‘What The Future Holds’ Chapter to my 3rd Book (Bass Lure Fishing – A Guide’s Perspective Volume 2) back in late-2022, I asserted that ‘Creature Bait Lures’ were very likely to become a weapon within the bass lure anglers’ armoury in the not to distant future – mine included.
My reasoning was initially based around the fact that bass, without question, consume an immeasurable number of crabs during their open coastal reef, and more especially, their estuarine endeavours that I know occur all-year-round here in south Devon and well beyond.
‘Sight Fishing’, whereby you physically see the bass before gently placing the lure into its path, or in a manner that will arouse its interest were at the forefront of my mind into early-2023. But could I tempt them on a ‘creature’ while fishing blind I asked myself, by applying my innate knowledge of a selection of precise locations where I had routinely observed bass going about their business…?
Then there was the winter. I knew there were bass around my local coastline because I’d caught them year-upon-year on soft lures primarily since 2018, but with a caveat… In the period between mid-January, through February and into late-March pretty much all of the decent (50cm+) bass I had hooked and landed had occurred in darkness.
So… Would the much larger, crab munching and over-wintering bass that I’d witnessed mooching around the weedy margins in the colder water be tempted by something being moved very slowly, and/or paused within very specific zones – a crab imitation…? Yes they could, as my January 2024 posts illustrate here and here.
The Current Climate
Fast forward to today, and in line with the client captures achieved by these methods and this lure type already this season, and it is no wonder that the majority of those being guided by my 2nd Guide Joe and I over the past six weeks or so have wanted to learn ‘Where, When, and of course How to use a creature bait.
I have dabbled with many other creature bait lures including the Fox Rage Critters, Nine-Seven Tungsten Bay Claw, and Westin CreCraw over the past three years, but as you may well already know, the make and model that we have had the most success with so far is the inimitable Megabass Sleeper Craw. A short tutorial that I recorded of how I was retrieving them (and catching a lot of bass) throughout the winter of 2024/25 (including a February fish of 71cm here) can be found below:
Cult Following
Although only released in March 2023, the Megabass Sleeper Craw is quickly gaining a cult following among bass lure nuts like you and I! So, in conjunction with a craze that is yielding some seriously consistent results, I wanted to exhibit the captures by way of a gallery that my recent clients Adam, Andy, Alex, Barrie, Jason, Josh, Jud and Mike have achieved alongside those highlighted in my previous posts below:
- Successful Suspicion (69.5cm bass)
- My 2nd Guides 2025 Catches to Date (Multiple creature captures up to 64cm)
- Countryside Captures (60cm from well-inland)
- A Very Special Session (Bass of 63 and 70cm in the SAME session)
- The 14th 70cm+ Bass for a Client.
Note that the clients mentioned in the posts above or those in the slideshows below had either never used a creature bait previously, or they had never caught a bass on one. Therefore, my 2nd Guide Joe and I are extremely proud to have been able to assist them in this respect, by way of joining the notorious Creature Club!
Adam (above) had only used the Sleeper Craws sporadically between his surface lure fishing sessions prior to visiting me. But with some tuition, and a great deal of perseverance on his part, he was rewarded with this fine bass of 54cm. What’s more, he hasn’t looked back since this session, and has landed a number of bass to this method in recent weeks, whilst successfully teaching his friends also!
Andy (above) had specifically asked me if there any lures he should purchase ready for his sessions with me. “The Sleeper Craw” was the answer, and within a few minutes of the second session he was into a bass that snatched the lure immediately following that lethal pause.
Alex (above) was very eager to learn to how to retrieve the creature baits, in addition to discovering the type of terrain in which we have achieved the majority of the catches. Although he had to witness the 2nd client on this Guiding Day pull out a 60cm and a 70cm bass later that evening (more on that soon!!!) he was exceptionally happy to have cracked the ‘Creature Code’ having previously struggled.
Barrie (above) was another client whose appetite had been whetted via my recent social media and blog posts detailing the number of bass and their size! He was a total natural with the Sleeper Craw it’s fair to say, and despite the difficult weather conditions, he managed to land bass of 50cm and 60cm respectively on the Sleeper Craw.
Jason arrived with his fishing companion Andy with limited lure fishing experience. However, with his casting style tweaked and following a couple of near misses with some finicky bites he was well and truly ‘nailed’ by the beautiful bass above. I do believe he has since acquired at least a dozen Sleeper Craws, and very kindly posted my some to replace those he had lost! Sorry Jason!!!
Josh was the client who landed a near 70cm bass (69.5cm to be precise!) with me in my previous blog post here. But he also landed a number of other creature-caught bass during this 3 Day Package including the 55cm bass above that was hooked in literally 6″ of clear water, on a bright sunny day. These lures know no boundaries!
Jud achieved his first ever ‘creature capture’ with my 2nd Guide Joe back in April (here). So when he arrived for one of my 3 Day Packages in late-September armed with more than a few Sleeper Craws I set him to work. In all honesty, it was a masterclass, as he hooked a number quality bass from different environments, and a multitude of conditions including darkness, as you can see in the gallery above. That 70 isn’t far away my friend!
My client Mike (above) is a wizard with the surface and soft plastic paddle tails, but the creature bait phenomenon was something he hadn’t yet experienced until he arrived with his mate – ‘Mr 69.5’ Josh. Following some tutelage. after spotting a swirl close to the muddy bank opposite his stance, he made a swift cast and then immediately moved the lure to confirm the culprit was indeed a bass. This was his first by this method, and it most certainly will not be his last.
Books by Marc Cowling
(Including my LATEST RELEASE: The Lure of The Bass – The Revised Edition)
To learn ‘How’ to catch bass on lures within all of the environments and conditions in which you will encounter this spellbinding species, my three books will undoubtedly help, and are available to purchase.
For stock levels, purchasing options (BACS or PayPal) and for more information in regard to the specific contents of each of my respective publications, you can follow the links to my sister website (Marc Cowling – Bass Lure Fishing) below:
The Lure of The Bass – The Revised Edition
Bass Lure Fishing – A Guide’s Perspective (Volume 1)
Bass Lure Fishing – A Guide’s Perspective (Volume 2)
Remaining 2025, and 2026/27 Availability
(2nd Guide Joe and Marc Cowling)
The remaining 2025 Availability for my 2nd Guide Joe, and his recently released 2026 Dates, Prices, and Information can be found here.
To enquire about my Remaining 2026 Dates and soon to be released 2027 Availability please either complete the Contact Form below or email us directly at: southdevonbassguide@yahoo.com
Thanks for reading.
Marc Cowling
South Devon Bass Guide Ltd
South Devon Bass Guide Ltd 