The Crayfish Thread - The Undeadliest Catch

A local grocery store was selling frozen packages of peeled crayfish tails last week so I picked up a couple of pounds and added them to my favorite cajun recipe given to me by my southern friend. It's called sauce picante (Troy made it with alligator on Swamp People in season 1). It was delicious and I want more! As part of the adventure of being up north this summer at the cabin, I got three crayfish traps. I have been researching good locations and bait to use which are rocky shorelines and rock piles and fresh dead fish such as perch or walleye heads and entrails. They apparently are more active at night so we're going to "set pots" after supper, check them once before we go to bed and again in the morning. It should be fun, especially for my 12 year old son. I'm headed up to get things ready for the opener tonight and plan to do a trial run. It might be a little slow yet with the water temps but I'll post the outcome next week. In the meantime, please share any experiences or tips you have on this subject, The Undeadliest Catch.

Went out fishing on a sand/gravel hump on my lake a week or so ago historically covered with cabbage weeds. Didn't mark a single weed on the vex. Dropped down the camera and was shocked to see not a single weed. A few rotting stubs on the bottom. Looked like someone ran a lawnmower over the bed. Found the same thing on a large cabbage bed that was a go to spot. I am going on a mission this year to put a hurt on these things. Have 15 traps ready to go and enough material to make about 5 more pillow traps. Spoke to a wildlife rehab center and they said they will take any and all to feed the animals. (What I don't eat personally). I am looking forward to the eradication attempt. Will keep you guys posted on how it pans out.

I did put out 3 traps last weekend, and forgot my usual bait of immitation crab sticks so used a hot dog and stale roll. Wound up with 1. Let her go. I don't think it's too early, just wrong bait.

just curious.... it might be little early but did anyone attempt to trap crayfish this year lately? cannot wait for other tasty boil...

Jzzzzzz, call The Jambalaya House in Green Bay. The owner is from LA, has fresh shrimp and other ingredients flown in daily from the south. If he can't hook you up personally he probably has some good contacts. I think he even caters if you wanted to go that route.

thanks for the info

JZZZ I have ordered from Cajun Grocer and got good mudbugs mostly alive sent to Chicago, but that was in Feb-Mar time frame, never tried it this time of year- they do tend to send a lot of spam email tho- Two other alternatives- one, try and talk to your local grocery store and see if they can get a special order of live crawfish for you, sometimes they can at a minimal extra cost- Two, if you have the money and are throwing a big shin-dig, there are several companies down in LA or MS that travel with their cookers, cajuns, cranes, and crawdads and will drive Up North to do the cooking for you- and, if you take them out wally or musky fishing, show them a good brat and Leinies, you'll have friends for life and a place to do some black-water bassin in the winter. Seriously, if you have the money, that is the way to go- they will throw a party that is a once in a lifetime experience. Or, there is always getting the frozen stuff from wallymart, but most of that crawdad is from China or the Nam.

anybody ever order the crawdads from down south and have them deleivered??? one website out of louisiana seems the best.

Good general info on rusties: http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/mscms/fishing-articles/the-rusty-crayfish-a-culinary-delicacy/ Aieee! dem dere mudbugs be shoremighty good in dat biling pot, you betcha' If you are goona suck them heads, you should let the bugs soak for a day or two in clean, clear water before you drowned em'

Canned cat food works awesome make about 10 holes in top we used it all the time find rocks u find crawfish also wire a half hot dog in trap so they don't crawl out. They are awesome to boil 50 to 60 crawfish whole 6 ears of corn broken into 1/3rds small red taters throw the whole mess in a turkey frier with 2 gallons water 2 cups old bay seasoning 1full head of garlic 2 onions cut in 1/4s and one 5 lb lake trout cut into 2x2 chunks salt to taste bring to boil 20 min dump on table and eat like a pig

Came across a trap while fishing last weekend. Lots of rusty crayfish in it. Thought that would be a good past time to trap a few and help rid the lake - for what its worth. I assume you can eat rusty crayfish - same as any? Or is there a difference between different types of crayfish? Any special way to cook and eat them?