Fall Crayfish

[Red Bullets]

Just a note to say if anyone is interested in harvesting crayfish October is the month to gather them. In October they start gathering in deeper holes on creeks and rivers. Pre-rut if you may. They breed in November.

[Dewey Cox]

I had no idea.
Thanks for the heads up

[pikeman06]

Flush them with salty water. It makes them clean all that mud out of their system. The only ones I've had were from the gross old battle down by hardisty wainwright. Because of the laws we caught a bunch and boiled them right away and they were gross because of the "mud vein". Next time we put them in salty water that killed them slowly and made them clean out them selves. We were camped by myrNam that time. I don't think they would be any good killed as soon as they are caught then boiled. Maybe we did something wrong but I know you sure don't wanna get caught with live ones for what you get in return. It's a metallic, sloughy, taste. We did the butter and hot sauce dip and cooked em proper but still tasted like the river smeled.

[Dewey Cox]

If you were to try to target them in a minnow trap, what would you use for bait?
Meat?
I've caught them in minnow traps before, but I assume they were going for the minnows and not the catfood in the trap.

[Okotok]

Originally Posted by pikeman06

Flush them with salty water. It makes them clean all that mud out of their system. The only ones I've had were from the gross old battle down by hardisty wainwright. Because of the laws we caught a bunch and boiled them right away and they were gross because of the "mud vein". Next time we put them in salty water that killed them slowly and made them clean out them selves. We were camped by myrNam that time. I don't think they would be any good killed as soon as they are caught then boiled. Maybe we did something wrong but I know you sure don't wanna get caught with live ones for what you get in return. It's a metallic, sloughy, taste. We did the butter and hot sauce dip and cooked em proper but still tasted like the river smeled.

Probably still taste a lot better than those fresh water mussels. Tried them a couple of times and you may as well eat mud.

[raw outdoors]

Anything stinky will work. I like fish guts and heads as it takes a while for them to eat it away. I see guys use cat food like canned stuff. I will have to try the saltwater thing as the last time they where so muddy, I said I wouldn’t catch them again.

[timsesink]

Ones I've had out of the NSR were great. Did the flush then removed the vein via the middle back fin. Boiled for a bit in salt water then butter dipped. Delicious!

[o.w.l]

Originally Posted by Okotok

Probably still taste a lot better than those fresh water mussels. Tried them a couple of times and you may as well eat mud.

I tried mussels out of the beaver river once, wouldn’t recommend them to anyone! Soaking them in salt water might help though!


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[dsbooyah]

I have been trapping crayfish for the last few months and found that cheap dry dog kibble in a pantyhose tied with elastic band works wonders. The bait last all day and brings all the crayfish to the yard.

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[WayneChristie]

remember the regs, no bait in traps unless there is a hook attached to it
"it is illegal to set out or use bait to attract fish unless the bait is attached to a hook used in angling."

[Pioneer2]

Apply to invasive species like crayfish?

[pikergolf]

Originally Posted by WayneChristie

remember the regs, no bait in traps unless there is a hook attached to it
"it is illegal to set out or use bait to attract fish unless the bait is attached to a hook used in angling."

Say what? You cannot put bait in a trap to catch minnows?