How do you catch crawfish?

[shalegac]

Anyone out there into catching crawfish? I was thinking about trying for a few over the weekend. My buddy lives on a stream that has quite a few in it.

So I guess I’m wondering how you would go about catching them? Do you use traps? Make or buy? When they are caught, how do you keep them until they are ready to be cooked?

Thanks,

Shaun

[Nine Milly]

My question is, are the ones in our streams as good tasting as the ones they get in N.O. ?

[dtg]

I've taken my 4 yr old daughter into a creek near our house and just caught them by hand. I let her use a net, we don't eat them though. I bring a 5 gal bucket and we put them in there so she can get a good look at them and then release them.

[axisgear]

The crawfish in Mi are just as good as the "mudbugs" they have down south!(maybe better;) )

I just dive right in and grab them with my hands.I keep a few in my other hand until it's full and put them in a 5gallon pail full of COLD water.I can't stress COLD water enough! When you get enough for a crawfish boil,you're done. A net works too ,I guess:lol: .

Another side benifit from using your hands is the comic relief of the almost constant wincing and yelping:yikes: . It keeps the kids occupied and gives them something to always remember and laugh about. It only hurts for a second or two;) .

Oh yeah! They have to be alive when you drop them into the boiling water.

[Shoeman]

I used to use one of those umbrella type minnow nets. Take a ham bone and tie it in to the middle, add a couple of rocks to hold it on the bottom. Give it a couple of hours. Sneak up on your retreiver rope and with one smooth motion bring it to the surface. I've had them piled 4 deep.

[crittergetter]

Cut the top end of a 2 liter bottle off about 5" down from top... Turn it around and glue it, so the top is now facing the bottom...( may want to enlarge opening a bit, oh and put your weight rocks in first before glueing) Drill a hole near where the two pieces were glued together, attach your string throw in some liver and Waa la, one crayfish trap. You can drill small holes thoughout the body of the bottle for vents for scent, or to let out water as you pull up and in.

[boots741]

I used to use one of those umbrella type minnow nets. Take a ham bone and tie it in to the middle, add a couple of rocks to hold it on the bottom. Give it a couple of hours. Sneak up on your retreiver rope and with one smooth motion bring it to the surface. I've had them piled 4 deep.

Yep, same thing, use it right below a dam, does not take long to fill a bucket.

[shalegac]

Looks like I am going to plan to throw some traps out in the creek Friday night while out eye fishing on the SCR. Hopefully they will be full upon returning the next morning.

[Fishndude]

I have a wire mesh minnow trap, and can bait it with any dead fish, and just leave it in the water overnight, and have some crayfish. If there are a lot around, you can make quite a haul. They taste good, but it takes a lot to make a meal. 2 inch crayfish with the pinchers broken off make great Bass bait:lol:

[SPITFIRE]

im surprised no one said a minnow sein! if you want a lot fast, get a partner and a sein. Run it up under the banks of the creek or stream and you will be amazed at how many you will get. I must add though you may get some unwanted species also like large SNAPPING TURTLES :yikes:

[fishonbb]

Friend of mine bought some crawfish traps from louisiana and gave me a couple. Is bacon a good bait to use? Thats what he was trying but he didnt have any luck but we werent there long.

[Buffalo2112]

Nothing like catching them by hand for fun though.
Use one hand in front to keep their attention, then using the other hand,
slooooowly come in from behind and grab them behind the head, and you won't get pinched either.

Why do you have to remove the pinchers to fish with them?? Unnatural if you ask me.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm...Michigan Lobster! Good stuff with some Cajun Hot Sauce and a frosty one.

[Michigan Mike]

Friend of mine bought some crawfish traps from louisiana and gave me a couple. Is bacon a good bait to use? Thats what he was trying but he didnt have any luck but we werent there long.

Bacons way too expensive and good to eat.
Any type of fish works for me but you need to stomp them a little so they
don't float in the trap and leave it out overnight.
5 or 6 small bluegills, rock bass ect

Mike

[glnmiller]

Yes MI crayfish taste good, but it is getting a little late to eat them this time of year. The tails get hard, you are better off waiting till fall.

[Krull]

if you have are near a fast moving creek or river with a lot of rocks, you can catch a couple dozen by hand in an hour or less very easily. Take a small net or container, hold it next to a larger rock (one that is large enough that a crawfish could be under but can easily be tilted or moved, think the size of a baseball or bigger) Tilt the rock in the opposite direction of the net or container and a crawfish will scoot out into your net/ bucket. They always flee backwards. It is amazing how many crayfish there are, at least in the rivers I have done this you get one 50% of the time.

[Chawazz]

on a minnow. never got enough for a meal though :lol:

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/533/medium/crayfish.jpg

[Johnny G]

i did that a couple years ago on the ice at the mouth of the spillway! i was usin spikes though. too funny!

[Fishndude]

I saw a guy catch a crayfish on a pinkie jig fished under a bobber for Steelhead, in Alpena, a number of years ago. :lol: His bobber slowly went under and he thought he had hooked a rock, but when he pulled it up, a crayfish was hanging on tightly. It was released unharmed.

I used to use crayfish for Bass fishing sometimes, when I was young. I got some bites, but then an old-timer suggested that I break off the claws. I did that, and had better results, so I still do it. Since I am hooking them anyhow, they won't survive, so I figure there is no harm in it.

[Johnny G]

fish get apprehensive sometimes when a big craw is showin them claws. did AWESOME one day on jumbo perch with small dads with the claws pinched off. was fishin for bass and caught 35 perch 9"-12.5" and only like two bass. was a nice bonus.

[BrokenWing]

Well I can not let out how I grab the little monsters but it is at night. Also you may want to think about spawn bags.

1. Remove the meat from the tall and place it within a spawn bag.
2. Tie the bag closed
3. freeze till ready

-Rich

[sirslurpee]

Is the one in the picture a rusty or native?