Crayfish as bait or lures........ anyone use?

[bessiedog]

I gotta check the regs...

but can a guy use em as bait?

I've heard the odd report that Ling in some reservoirs are stuffed with crayfish...... some walleye too.

Anyone try a crayfish lure? Can a guy even get them?


Also........ have these lil buggers spread to any new reservoirs like Milk River Ridge, Keho, Jensen..... or others?


Just wondering cause I'm headin for walleye on sunday.

[58thecat]

illegal to posses live crawfish;

http://www.albertaregulations.ca/fis...eral-regs.html


you can get rubber ones or look a likes to fish with....

[pinelakeperch]

Can't use natural ones as bait, but crayfish coloured cranks have worked well for me, such as crawdad shad raps. I'm not sure if they're preferred walleye prey, but I have seen crayfish claws inside of walleye stomachs.

[ghostguy6]

Crayfish cannot be used as bait. It is unlawful to possess live crayfish.

REMEMBER

It is illegal to use live bait fish or crayfish (live or dead) as bait.

There are lures out there that look like crayfish and are legal to use in Alberta.

[58thecat]

Crayfish
Crayfish can not be harvested by any means from the Beaver River or its tributaries.
When fishing for crayfish with a rod and reel (angling) a sportfishing licence is required and sportfishing regulations apply (for example no harvest of crayfish when waters are closed to angling).
When fishing for crayfish using a dip net, seine net, trap or by hand, a sportfishing licence is not required and is permitted at any time of year.
Retention and transport of live crayfish is illegal. All retained crayfish must be immediately killed.

good eating too

https://www.wikihow.com/Catch-Crawfish

[Gerald J]

I've had some success with a crayfish fly in pothole lakes.

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by ghostguy6

Crayfish cannot be used as bait. It is unlawful to possess live crayfish.

REMEMBER

It is illegal to use live bait fish or crayfish (live or dead) as bait.

There are lures out there that look like crayfish and are legal to use in Alberta.

Bait Fish may be used in waters that do not have bait bans or bait fish restrictions. Where fishing with bait fish is not allowed other baits including smelts, herring, gammarus shrimp and dead fish eggs (e.g., preserved “salmon eggs”) may be used.
No person shall angle using any fish as bait, other than dead bait fish listed above, dead smelt, dead herring, dead shrimp, dead fish eggs or the skin, fins or eyes of game fish caught by angling.
Crayfish cannot be used as bait. It is unlawful to possess live crayfish.

[pikeman06]

An orange double tailed rubber jig body with a black head drug on the bottom is deadly where crayfish exist. I don't know why it works or what the fish see but try it. Walleye pike trout goldeye. Just plain orange mister twister double tail, no sparkles. It must look like a crayfish backing up along the bottom.

[trigger7mm]

It’s too bad that live crawfish can’t be used for bait. They are absolute dynamite sturgeon bait from what I’ve heard. Too bad we can’t use live minnows either, like everybody else across the country.

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by pikeman06

An orange double tailed rubber jig body with a black head drug on the bottom is deadly where crayfish exist. I don't know why it works or what the fish see but try it. Walleye pike trout goldeye. Just plain orange mister twister double tail, no sparkles. It must look like a crayfish backing up along the bottom.

and can jig this combo for lakers too....fella at Pierce lake is all he does...

[calgarygringo]

Growing up as a kid way back in Manitoba it was a bait we bought sometimes if we were not at our favorite lake and could just round them up on the beach. They used to work very well for many different species. Not sure if they can still use them out there but that was probably 50 years ago.

[WayneChristie]

tried them for sturgeon when I was tagging since it was allowed on the research license. I caught on them zero sturgeon. One big sucker, and finally found out what ripped them off the hook every cast. Big goldeye. Tried river clams too with the same result for sturgeon and nothing else either. I believe the regs were changed to where you are allowed to use DEAD crayfish for bait now.

[Smoky buck]

Prawn tails make a good substitute when you find fish feeding on crayfish. Like was mentioned lots of soft plastic options. Even a tube jig does the trick. Lots of crayfish crankbaits out there but in my opinion the fish view them more like bait fish they crayfish because of the action. Lots of crayfish fly patterns too

My opinion for burbot eating crayfish try raw prawn tails. Lures go with one of the soft soft plastics

Never tried these options in Alberta only when I lived in BC where crayfish are common forage for everything from cutthroat to white sturgeon

[WayneChristie]

nope I was wrong. still illegal, just legal to catch them in a trap now. they suck anyways

[pikeman06]

Originally Posted by 58thecat

and can jig this combo for lakers too....fella at Pierce lake is all he does...

Bahaha. I have a cabin at pierce. Probly me. Small world.

[Soab]

Kept a couple rainbows from sask on the long weekend, stuffed with crayfish

[fishinisgood]

They make all kinds of crawfish plastics for jigs. I picked up some at Cabelas for my old man when they were heading to Saskatchewan fishing. Said they were the cats meow. Not sure how they would work here but they had a time with them out there.

[walleyechaser]

Originally Posted by pinelakeperch

Can't use natural ones as bait, but crayfish coloured cranks have worked well for me, such as crawdad shad raps. I'm not sure if they're preferred walleye prey, but I have seen crayfish claws inside of walleye stomachs.

No kidding.the crawfish colour bomber A and crawfish rippin rap produce some hogs for me in the fall especially

[klow]

Anybody ever try to eat any? I tried them in New Orleans and they were great.

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by klow

Anybody ever try to eat any? I tried them in New Orleans and they were great.

Google it.....I made my traps out of plastic jugs....put a hot dog in and place them amongst the rocks...these critters are nocturnal so,check them first thing in the morning....follow the regs on these critters....boil'em until they turn orange/reddish.....

[elk eater]

Originally Posted by klow

Anybody ever try to eat any? I tried them in New Orleans and they were great.

Tried em out of Carson lake by Whitecourt. Caught a few dozen boiled em up like a lobster. Hardly worth the time IMO. Tasted like CHICKEN !!!

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by elk eater

Tried em out of Carson lake by Whitecourt. Caught a few dozen boiled em up like a lobster. Hardly worth the time IMO. Tasted like CHICKEN !!!

you gotta dip'em in garlic butter....

got my traps out so we will see tomorrow what's up.....

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by klow

Anybody ever try to eat any? I tried them in New Orleans and they were great.

Ate them lots when I was a kid in the lower mainland. My dad used to catch them for sturgeon bait and keep the biggest crayfish for dinner.

[HuyFishin]

should send all our crayfish to wuhan, see if they are interested in reselling them at the wet markets haha