The claws and appendages remain free when the body is mounted on the hook shank. On a small jig, avoid a shank that would reach their base. When fishing the Texas rig, a light weight prolongs the descent and gives the lure more time in front of the fish.
The soft plastic is salted and infused with attractant. Work it with short twitches over rocky areas or along the edges of weed beds, pausing occasionally to allow the appendages to settle.