Catching Crawfish??

[trucknmusic]

I was interested in maybe setting up a trap or something to catch some crawfish while I am bass fishing. I do not plan to keep them but just want to see what they look like (at that time/lake) to aid in lure selection. Any recomendations on what I can use to catch them? Any restrictions I should be aware of? Thanks.

[Shad_Eating_Grin]

there's a mimimum size requirement. The season is currently closed, but opens up sometime around springtime. If you are going to use a trap, there are certain regs specifying size of the mesh, use of buoys, and escape doors.

Sorry I can't be more specific--I don't have the rules in front of me. They're kinda complicated.

[A9]

Just buy a cheap trap at Joes (under $15 bucks, buy 50 feet of line and a yellow float) catch a perch, slice it up for bait, throw it in there, and drop the pot down to anywhere from 10-30 feet, rocky preferably (not a complete weedbed) and let soak overnight for best results..

[fishnislife]

trucknmusic, be sure to check out the thread that the WL.com community put together that lists all the bodies of water that hold crayfish.
Here it is - http://www.washingtonlakes.com/Forum/vi ... .php?t=834


As far as lure selection, go with Huddlebugs. Amazing likeness and great action. They have the color to match craws up here. I have bought a ton and they work great. They are going to be my secret bait in 08'. If you need help or have questions about gettn them, just shoot me a PM. The craws in Washington have a rusty redish orange color.


Here is the Huddlebug:





fishnislife

[Dave]

If you catch some legal crawfish during the open season, you might think about cookin em up. Very tasty! Also, if you do leave a trap overnight with a buoy attached, I believe your chances of being the victim of theft are very good. There are methods for setting your trap to avoid theft. One is by using a sinking trap line (they come in black), which you run to shore and attach to a small twig or something else tangible on shore. Then mark the spot on shore with something small that you will see but others won't notice, or use GPS. That will likely insure your chances of not getting your trap stolen by the many unethical people out there who don't give a dam about others or their property. Good luck and knock em dead.

[VooDuuChild]

they are dang good to eat, don't forget once you break off the tail to suck out all the goodness in the head! That is the best part!!!! Although in this neck of the woods, people kinda look at you funny as they're not accustomed to crawdad grubbin. If you can get your hands on salmon heads/parts, they love that for bait!! They really like oily fish.

[gpc]

Like sam said you can get them for really cheap. Joes, sportsmans, cabelas, bass pro all have them. I paid $8 a piece for mine. You do have to modify them a little bit, if you loose your pot and it dosnt have a bio degradable clasp that hold the pot together the trap will attract and kill craw fish for years to come, but its really to do. You also need weighted rope so a boater dosnt get the rope wrapped around his prop. The rules say that you have to get a "real" bouy too, no milk cartons or stuff like that, they have to be the red/white bouys with all your info written on them. I believe that the min. size is 3/4 ", and I am pretty sure they are open for harvest starting the 1st monday in may. This is all off the top of my head, so dont quote me on it but this should give you a pretty good idea.

Also dont make the mistake I did and buy a minnow trap instead of a crawdad pot. They are exactly the same thing, but the hole to get in the pot is way smaller on the minnow trap. Nothing that cant be worked out with a Dremal though.

[trucknmusic]

I read the rules last night... open season was 1st mon in may through Oct 31st. min length is 3 1/4". You are allowed to have 2 pots w/ bouy (did not see they red/white rule except for crab pots) and weighted line. But what if you want to run your line to the shore w/out a bouy is that legal? Also interesting is that it is illegal to check you pots at night.

And what are the chances of me getting in trouble for setting out pots early - I plan on fishing a lot before May and would like to know the color before then... don't know if any game warden would believe me though. Might just put out a line with bait tied to it instead - that would look like harvesting, would it??

Finally, do I need to weight the pots? And if I don't have any perch (usually only catch them by accident) to use for bait what else will work - catfood, or can I buy frozen bait somewhere around here?

If I start to catch them good, I would be willing to donate to a crawfish boil if anyone else is interested.

Man, Man seems forever away! - Jon

[fishnislife]

You could always go to the local grocery store or meat market and ask for their salmon trimmings. It would be free! Any oily fish will work. Remember, the more bait the more crawfish.




fishnislife

[fishnislife]

I know I sent this to you already trunknmusic, but I was thinking that I should post this pic up just in case anyone else around here has a questions about what our crawfish look like. Now they can vary a little in color depending on the water but you can get an idea from this.






fishnislife

[tnj8222]

they can also get very bright orange. i know of two lakes like that pine and trout. lots of really bright ones.

[A9]

they can also get very bright orange. i know of two lakes like that pine and trout. lots of really bright ones.

Pine lake has the Louisiana Red craws in it I believe...Not-native, so they are much different in appearance to the native craws we got in our lakes...

[tnj8222]

if you look a little deeper they have two breeds of craws, in pine lake. not just the louis. craws

[Gisteppo]

Just a tidbit to add:

Try not to fish for crawdad using their natural predators in the same body of water.

I have used smallie/largie carcass, whitefish, and carp. I catch more successfully with carp chunks and whitefish than I do with even the most putrid, nasty entrails of a bass. I think there might be some scent-oriented issues with them smelling a predator that they dont like.

E

[Dave]

Good info Eric. Also, nice catch in that bucket fishnislife. I'm lookin forward to this coming season.

[A9]

if you look a little deeper they have two breeds of craws, in pine lake. not just the louis. craws

Yep but the native ones are getting crowded out pretty quickly I hear...

[tnj8222]

if you look a little deeper they have two breeds of craws, in pine lake. not just the louis. craws

Yep but the native ones are getting crowded out pretty quickly I hear...

yeah i heard the same thing. they will probably be gone pretty soon.

[A9]

if you look a little deeper they have two breeds of craws, in pine lake. not just the louis. craws

Yep but the native ones are getting crowded out pretty quickly I hear...

yeah i heard the same thing. they will probably be gone pretty soon.

I guess these louis. craws are just monsters and eat so much food the native fish can't even pick up the scent trail before they are gone....

Oh well, I guess a bunch of craws will be good bass bait for those pigs in Pine...

[A9]

If you want a fun/different way, just jump in the lake with some goggles and go down and flip some rocks upside down and there will be plenty of craws under there. Pick em up, go to surface, check em out, and throw em back down (or in a bucket if your keeping them)

I do this a bit in the summer at some spots in Lake Washington for fun. Just throw on goggles and go flip rocks to see how many you can find while swimming around on a nice day....Sometimes you'll find some MONSTROUS craws that look like lobsters when you flip a rock over and they come scooting out.....

Often times a smallmouth (or a few) will realize that I'm helping them get an easy meal and will just follow me and will catch the craws that come out from the rocks...Didn't realize they were that smart to know that I'm there to help them. I can literally get face to face with them and sometimes they are digging their heads under the rock that I'm flipping before it's even flipped over...

[tnj8222]

If you want a fun/different way, just jump in the lake with some goggles and go down and flip some rocks upside down and there will be plenty of craws under there. Pick em up, go to surface, check em out, and throw em back down (or in a bucket if your keeping them)

I do this a bit in the summer at some spots in Lake Washington for fun. Just throw on goggles and go flip rocks to see how many you can find while swimming around on a nice day....Sometimes you'll find some MONSTROUS craws that look like lobsters when you flip a rock over and they come scooting out.....

Often times a smallmouth (or a few) will realize that I'm helping them get an easy meal and will just follow me and will catch the craws that come out from the rocks...Didn't realize they were that smart to know that I'm there to help them. I can literally get face to face with them and sometimes they are digging their heads under the rock that I'm flipping before it's even flipped over...

i met this one kid at coulon that was flipping rocks in the shallows. he was saying they go shallow to have there babys and you can get a ton at that time. i havent ate them since i lived in NC do people eat the ones they catch out here?