Always seem to be more heavily populated in creeks. Rocky bottoms for sure. 

 

Now for a new spin... I've always wanted a dye that I could put my live Craws in and keep them alive and they come out a bright chartruese. I dunno if that's a thing or not but I can dream... 

22 minutes ago, Spankey said:

It’s a shame we live so far apart. I’d like to go on one of these crawdad expeditions. 

You just want to eat all the bacon 

5 minutes ago, Smells like fish said:

Always seem to be more heavily populated in creeks. Rocky bottoms for sure. 

 

Now for a new spin... I've always wanted a dye that I could put my live Craws in and keep them alive and they come out a bright chartruese. I dunno if that's a thing or not but I can dream... 

You could prob find a way to inject them but not before PETA got to you

4 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

You just want to eat all the bacon 

I just had a BLT myself, just wanted you to know lol

1 minute ago, Ohioguy25 said:

You could prob find a way to inject them but not before PETA got to you

I don't think peta would mind me just lovingly adding a colorful dye to my favorite crustation. But now adding the hook might throw a twist to their panties 

2 minutes ago, Smells like fish said:

I just had a BLT myself, just wanted you to know lol

I don't think peta would mind me just lovingly adding a colorful dye to my favorite crustation. But now adding the hook might throw a twist to their panties 

How did you catch them in creeks, and was it difficult? I remember doing it as a kid but not how it went specifically.

It's almost more fun than fishing lol. Any sizable rock I saw in 15" or less of water I'd grab the side pointing upstream and slow slow slowly raise letting the oncoming current wash away the muddy water. Then if Mr Crawdad is still there id ease my hand toward him til as close as I dare and try fast as I can to pin him down. 

4 minutes ago, Smells like fish said:

It's almost more fun than fishing lol. Any sizable rock I saw in 15" or less of water I'd grab the side pointing upstream and slow slow slowly raise letting the oncoming current wash away the muddy water. Then if Mr Crawdad is still there id ease my hand toward him til as close as I dare and try fast as I can to pin him down. 

I agree catching crawdads for bait at the start of every trip on the river is a big part of my routine, can’t wait to be back on my feet. I use a net and lift rocks and swipe in one quick motion, usually pretty high success rate. They seem to hit the smaller ones more, but I’ve had smallmouth devour decent sized ones too. Something primally satisfying about catching your own bait, especially a crawdad and having it eaten whole.

 

Yea using a net would be smart but that's something I'm not accused of much, being smart lol

How about hellgramites? I find a few them from time to time and the river fish love them

1 hour ago, Ohioguy25 said:

I’ve now tried bacon, hot dogs, cat food and tuna. 

 

Yeah but did you read the article, not in there is on your list.

49 minutes ago, Smells like fish said:

Now for a new spin... I've always wanted a dye that I could put my live Craws in and keep them alive and they come out a bright chartruese. I dunno if that's a thing or not but I can dream...

You can dip them in JJ's.

My grandson and a friend of his caught several crawfish recently, using small wire basket traps. They cut small holes in the wire with tin snips, and drove two stakes into the traps to hold them in place. They use raw meat and wire some pieces into the trap. Set them in the evening and check them in the morning. If crawfish are present, you'll get some.

They're using them to try and catch big catfish. Another kid they know caught a 13lb channel cat on a craw a few nights ago, so now they're all fired up about catching some big cats. The kids dad is a big catfish guy, and has caught some whoppers. After he cleans them, he puts the skulls on a tree in his backyard, from largest down to smallest. The biggest head is about 8" wide- a 20+ pounder.

There's no baitshop around our area that sell live craws, so they have to catch they're own.

Another good bait for them is to catch a few bream, and cut them into pieces. Leave the skin on them, and wire the pieces into your traps. The skin helps them stay in place. Crawfish seem to like dead fish. If it's stinky, they like it even better.

37 minutes ago, Catt said:

 

Yeah but did you read the article, not in there is on your list.

Your article was for commercial crawfishing in the bayou, hardly the same as catching little bugs in creeks in the Midwest.  Diff climate and species entirely.

@Mobasser that makes me wonder Mo, does hardcore catfishermen keep and kill their fish or does he just keep the odd one now and then?

27 minutes ago, Mobasser said:

My grandson and a friend of his caught several crawfish recently, using small wire basket traps. They cut small holes in the wire with tin snips, and drove two stakes into the traps to hold them in place. They use raw meat and wire some pieces into the trap. Set them in the evening and check them in the morning. If crawfish are present, you'll get some.

They're using them to try and catch big catfish. Another kid they know caught a 13lb channel cat on a craw a few nights ago, so now they're all fired up about catching some big cats. The kids dad is a big catfish guy, and has caught some whoppers. After he cleans them, he puts the skulls on a tree in his backyard, from largest down to smallest. The biggest head is about 8" wide- a 20+ pounder.

There's no baitshop around our area that sell live craws, so they have to catch they're own.

Wow that’s creepy, skulls on the tree? Haha.

1 minute ago, Smells like fish said:

@Mobasser that makes me wonder Mo, does hardcore catfishermen keep and kill their fish or does he just keep the odd one now and then?

He keeps and cleans them to eat. The biggest ones he cuts into pieces. Smaller ones he skins and leaves whole.

1 minute ago, Ohioguy25 said:

Wow that’s creepy, skulls on the tree? Haha.

Yea, he also hangs a deer from a tree in his yard every year. He lives outside of town, so he doesn't have any homeowners group to bother with. He cleans and butchers his own stuff. He's an old school guy.

1 hour ago, Ohioguy25 said:

Your article was for commercial crawfishing in the bayou, hardly the same as catching little bugs in creeks in the Midwest.  Diff climate and species entirely.

 

Dude are you serious?

Absolutely will work any where there's crawfish. 

 

Your response to failure and frustration is over-complicating theory and technique. 

 

2 hours ago, Catt said:

 

Dude are you serious?

Absolutely will work any where there's crawfish. 

 

Your response to failure and frustration is over-complicating theory and technique. 

 

Ok so then tell me what I’m doing wrong 

2 hours ago, Ohioguy25 said:

Ok so then tell me what I’m doing wrong 

 

Tomorrow 

 

No wanting to learn from commercial crawfishing is tantamount to not wanting to learn from a fishing guide.

 

They do it for a living, they have to be good ?

Have you read Knowing Crawfish Traps by Dr. Kieth Jones?  It's hard to find and expensive but worth it.

 

But seriously, is there anywhere you can just buy some softshells while you heal up?  They're a big thing up here at bait shops.  Basically freshly molted craws, that fish go crazy for.  Then when you're better you can catch your own again.  It sounds like it's your injury is the main thing getting in the way because you said you can catch them before.  Just an idea.

 

5 minutes ago, J Francho said:

Have you read Knowing Crawfish Traps by Dr. Kieth Jones?  It's hard to find and expensive but worth it

 

I like that one ?

15 hours ago, J Francho said:

Have you read Knowing Crawfish Traps by Dr. Kieth Jones?  It's hard to find and expensive but worth it.

 

But seriously, is there anywhere you can just buy some softshells while you heal up?  They're a big thing up here at bait shops.  Basically freshly molted craws, that fish go crazy for.  Then when you're better you can catch your own again.  It sounds like it's your injury is the main thing getting in the way because you said you can catch them before.  Just an idea.

 

Unfortunately no, I’ve called every bait shop within 50 miles and no one sells craws, let alone soft. I went today, set a trap back in a small trapped area of stagnant water right alongside the river but not connected to it in any way. The water looked pretty gross and murky, you think there may be crawdads in it? I’d hope there would be, considering when it’s raining more there’s a creek that flows right by it into the river.  I would think when that dried up they migrated to the stagnant mini pond, unless you think they couldn’t survive there and migrated to the river instead. I don’t know how much oxygen they need.