Crawfish Advice

[mrodri30]

Hi Guys,

Later in the year I am planning on putting down some traps to try and catch some crawdads for the first time and Im looking for your best tips and practices:

Best bait?

Best time of the year?

Best time to drop trap in water?

How to keep alive for a day or two while waiting to catch more?

AND anything else you think would be helpful for a first timer like me.  

 

[GreyGhost85]

I used to use bacon or chicken and drop my traps at night and pull them first thing in the morning. I am not sure if crawdad traps are regulated the same as others that require you check them every 24 hours. If you’re in a good spot, they’ll fill up quick. No need to keep them in the water very long. They’ll start killing and eating eachother as soon as the bait is gone. 

[jdown]

Can of cat food with some holes punched in it is our favorite. Easy to keep fresh and transport vs liver or anything else perishable and works better than anything else we have tried.  We typically soak for 2-4 hours and pick up or leave overnight if we really want to (traps need to be marked with ID and license number).  I'm not sure it is legal to transport them live, we always just pull tails put on ice to boil and dispose carcasses (not into the whole sucking the crap out the heads or whatever people do).  Good catching all summer long in almost every northern lake. I've never tried in southern lakes.  Don't overlook any smaller water way, stream or bog.  We pulled over 1000 'keepers' in 2 days out a little nothing stream a few years ago and I'm sure could have kept going and going.  They get big and multiply quickly.  

[oz31p]

We’ve been doing an annual boil at bear canyon for the last 5 years. 15 traps check every 2-4 hrs

 

I woulnd even know how to count them...ya can food cans 

[MULEPACKHUNTER]

What about traps? My favorite so far is the cone shaped 2 pc style , the one pc square ones from bass pro seem to catch way less . We have caught them any time of day or night on any water we have tried, we usually leave traps for 10 hours minimum up to 24 hours. 

Just organized our traps 2 days ago while cleaning up another mess. 

[wildwoody]

There invasive, why do you need a license, which we all have anyway. Got four traps I need to try out this year

[muledeerarea33?]

Part of a straw bail in a cone trap, bacon and chicken liver. Leave out for a few hours and harvest. The straw helps keep the scent. Another method is to just walk creeks and pick them up. Both have been fruitful.

[CatfishKev]

I got square shaped traps for bluegill that I use dog food in, always catch some crawdads. Not the best shape though if crawdads sre the target. The barrel double cone design mentioned above is probably a good one.  

[PRDATR]

FYI, you can't transport them while they are alive so eat them at the lake.

[wildwoody]

I buy the from jlional lobster company for $35.00 for 10# Cajon mud bugs, bigger cooked delicious 😋 

[trphyhntr]

23 minutes ago, wildwoody said:

I buy the from jlional lobster company for $35.00 for 10# Cajon mud bugs, bigger cooked delicious 😋 

u wut m8 

[wildwoody]

Wha..

[mrodri30]

Awesome thanks for the advice guys!!

Look forward to have myself a crawdad boil later in the year!

[dmoto]

Long Lake used to be loaded with huge craws. Not sure how it is now after it dried up a few years back. But we just used leftover chicken drumsticks and t-bone steaks bones from the BBQ from the night before. 

 

 

 

[wildwoody]

There a good looking pot of critters..