Crayfish Catching, Keeping and Fishing

[Muddvein]

best place to find them is a rocky bottom. just tie a length of cord around a chicken leg throw it in the drink and fish for a little while. go back every now and again and check the chicken leg. you should get a few every time you haul it up. there's something about the chicken leg that drives them nuts. they will be too busy fight over and eating the leg they won't even notice until you drop them in the bucket.i've filled a five gallon bucket in about five hours and i was fishin so i got to bring home a couple of nice keeper smallies to boot.
                                                                 Muddvein

[reelcharacter]

Trapper Arne,

GREAT Website!!!

I look forward to spending some more time looking around it in more detail in the next couple of days. (I christen you an official expert in my book).

-Reelcharacter

[Trapper Arne]

So where are the experts on catching Crayfish?

How do you catch them, is there a trap you have made? How about a picture?

How do you keep them and how long can you keep them for? Do you feed them while "raising" them for fishing.

What is your best way to fish with them?

This duffer has netted a few from streams. Have never "trapped" them before or kept them for more than a week or so. In fishing them I have found them to be good used whole for larger game fish, with parts of the Crayfish good for panfish and even stream trout.

-Reelcharacter

[Reelmaster]

When we were kids I used to craw fish all the time. Not with traps though. We used a piece of rope and a chunk of a hotdog on the end. The craw fish would grab on to the hotdog and wouldnt let go. You had to pull them up slowly to get them.

[Trophy Hunter639]

Reelmaster TJ's eh  We did the same thing too tasty little guys mmm......

[MikeVT]

I have used them for trout fishing and the big ones love crayfish.  Most of the fish I catch over 20" always have a few in their stomachs.  However, I usually catch 50-100 at a time from a few small streams in my area, and boil those little buggers up.  Eat them with butter or Hot sauce, those cajuns are definitely onto something.

[Reelmaster]

Ok this sounds wierd but true. Last night I was fishing and was getting little bites. I reeled in and caught a craw fish on a frog. Tried a minnow and the same thing happened. Switched to worms and ditto. I couldn't believe my eyes. I caught 20 crawfish and every other cast the bait was clawed. They were aggressive because they would hold on for a 25 yard reeling.  Trying again tonight. What species like crawfish. We dont have bass where I was fishing  so any other species that might be on a feeding frenzy  . What do you think guys. Maybe I am fishing for the wrong species.  Oh well try again and see.

[AD]

Ok this sounds wierd but true. Last night I was fishing and was getting little bites. I reeled in and caught a craw fish on a frog. Tried a minnow and the same thing happened. Switched to worms and ditto. I couldn't believe my eyes. I caught 20 crawfish and every other cast the bait was clawed. They were aggressive because they would hold on for a 25 yard reeling.  Trying again tonight. What species like crawfish. We dont have bass where I was fishing  so any other species that might be on a feeding frenzy  . What do you think guys. Maybe I am fishing for the wrong species.  Oh well try again and see.

A couple channel cats I have cut open and even a few of the walleye/sauger have had crawfish in them, nad not just 1 but 2 or three sometimes

[Water Wolf]

Reelmaster, I know that certain time of the year when the crayfish molt they are a target for most of the predatory fish in the lakes or rivers. In my area I know that pike and walleye really like them, as do big trout, never tried the live ones though, the rubber ones sure do work.
 
 WW

[brookiebandit13]

My suggestion is buy a 20.00 crawdad trap at wal mart or bass pro or cabelas and use dead chubs or any meat for that matter in a holy deli cup




Brookie Bandit