Lunker777 Posted June 26, 2012 Report Share Posted June 26, 2012 Hey guys Im at work right now... odly enough the MNR wedsite is blocked, and not OFC haha I wanted to check the regs to see if it is legal to use crayfish as live bait ? Im fishing lake st.clair ..... we were planning on trying to trap a few and see how the smallie fishing is with them ? If I CAN do it..... whats the best way to trap crays ? thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broker Posted June 26, 2012 Report Share Posted June 26, 2012 I just go in the water with a butterfly net , flip a rock and scoop! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopheraaron Posted June 26, 2012 Report Share Posted June 26, 2012 Bait traps with some meat left over night works, also take a stick and bucket, turn over some rocks once you see one poke it in the face and wait for it to grab on, you can also dig a few holes near the river, fill them with water and check them in the morning for hiding crayfish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squid Posted June 26, 2012 Report Share Posted June 26, 2012 Best method that I ever used was a toy sand sifter. Force the crayfish backwards into the sifter, lift ( all the water comes out) and all that's left is the Crayfish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lunker777 Posted June 26, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 26, 2012 thanks for the quick replies guys ! Buddy and I will be going out tonight to try and get some Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralph Field Posted June 26, 2012 Report Share Posted June 26, 2012 I've caught hundreds over the years by lifting rocks and shifting them slowly then use your hands to catch them. If you move slowly you won't miss many. Tie a floating minnow bucket to your waist to keep them in. I can already recall the the pain in back after a good crayfish session. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopheraaron Posted June 26, 2012 Report Share Posted June 26, 2012 Just bagged 8 of good sized crays for saturday by tying a bit of ham to a fishing line, add a bit of shot and let it sink in a rocky pool, watched the meat until it disappeared and started to move, then slowly pulled the cray into my net. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funfishing Posted June 26, 2012 Report Share Posted June 26, 2012 Just bagged 8 of good sized crays for saturday by tying a bit of ham to a fishing line, add a bit of shot and let it sink in a rocky pool, watched the meat until it disappeared and started to move, then slowly pulled the cray into my net. FYI, it's illegal to transport live crayfish anywhere but from the body of water where you caught them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Live2fish85 Posted June 26, 2012 Report Share Posted June 26, 2012 (edited) Sorry double post. Edited June 26, 2012 by Live2fish85 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Live2fish85 Posted June 26, 2012 Report Share Posted June 26, 2012 (edited) ^Yep. Though I've never used them for bait...they are really good boiled on the campfire. Mini-lobsters! http://www.terrybullard.com/tips&tricks.html I have to agree with you on that. A few years back in Havelock my friend and I were fishing and we caught a few and ate them lol. We weren't sure how they would taste but they were good. Edited June 26, 2012 by Live2fish85 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopheraaron Posted June 26, 2012 Report Share Posted June 26, 2012 FYI, it's illegal to transport live crayfish anywhere but from the body of water where you caught them. well there goes an hour of my day! guess I'll release them in the morning. Thanks for the heads up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pikeslayer Posted June 26, 2012 Report Share Posted June 26, 2012 FYI, it's illegal to transport live crayfish anywhere but from the body of water where you caught them. A little more info: http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/Business/LetsFish/2ColumnSubPage/STEL02_165361.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funfishing Posted June 26, 2012 Report Share Posted June 26, 2012 well there goes an hour of my day! guess I'll release them in the morning. Thanks for the heads up. Just don't get caught by a CO transporting or releasing live crayfish tomorrow, or you may have some explaining to do. You can eat them if they're from a clean source: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funfishing Posted June 26, 2012 Report Share Posted June 26, 2012 Check with a CO, you may be able to use them if you dispatch them first. The reason it's illegal to transport live crayfish and consequently to use them as bait in bodies of water other than where you caught them, is that the MNR is trying to stop the spread of invasive crayfish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave524 Posted June 26, 2012 Report Share Posted June 26, 2012 Check with a CO, you may be able to use them if you dispatch them first. The reason it's illegal to transport live crayfish and consequently to use them as bait in bodies of water other than where you caught them, is that the MNR is trying to stop the spread of invasive crayfish. Not a good idea, the female actually carries her eggs on the underside of her tail until they hatch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCTFisher9120 Posted June 26, 2012 Report Share Posted June 26, 2012 Sure, they work good. Buy a weedless hook and throw it in the pads. Won't last a second. Hook it through the tail too, grab a Eagle weedless hook. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lunker777 Posted June 26, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 26, 2012 Not an issue .... We are catching them from cuts off of lake stclair ! Thanks for all the info everyone ! We are going out tonight to place some traps for tomorrow nights fish ! Hopefully we get a few !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canuck2fan Posted June 26, 2012 Report Share Posted June 26, 2012 (edited) The easiest way to catch crayfish is with a small square minnow net with about 12ft of rope on it, waders or shorts and wading shoes... At the river stay close to either bank to block off oneside, throw the net in front of you pull on the rope until the net is sitting upright on the bottom at a bit of a backward angle. Now walk toward the net kicking up the stones and rocks forcing any crayfish to back away from you and be trapped in the net. Lift up the net and put the crayfish in a minnow bucket with a bit of long wet grass to keep them moist while you are fishing. Back in the day before the law changed due to the invasive species threat , I used to be able catch 5 or 6 dozen crayfish in about 15 minutes this way, it was just as much fun as bass fishing after (at that time you could have 120 in your possession) When I didn't use them all on a trip I had a single purpose square plastic tote with air holes in the top that I would line with wet newspaper layers and just keep the remainder in the fridge. They would last about 8 to 10 days no problem.... This is how restaurants without water tanks get their lobsters shipped in. The cold slows them down and the wet newspaper keeps them moist. I don't even bother bass fishing now without being able to transport them over land... since the bass quarry I used to fish is 80ft deep I doubt I could convince a CO I waded in and caught the crayfish there LOL. Edited June 26, 2012 by Canuck2fan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedimaster Posted June 26, 2012 Report Share Posted June 26, 2012 I haven't used them for a long time, but we used to just tale a normal wedless widegap and use an elastic band and strap it to the back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bow slayer Posted June 27, 2012 Report Share Posted June 27, 2012 sometimes i get more crayfish in my minnow trap,then minnows,try a minnow trap with canned dog food,it works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mercman Posted June 27, 2012 Report Share Posted June 27, 2012 poke it in the face and wait for it to grab on, Now that brings back memories of a different sort Too funny !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kickingfrog Posted June 27, 2012 Report Share Posted June 27, 2012 Used to spend hours finding them with a mask and snorkle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nroadrunner Posted June 27, 2012 Report Share Posted June 27, 2012 Can of sardines with holes punched in it in a minnow trap. Set it over night in the morning you should have a full trap. I have never had bad luck with this method, always a full trap. I set it around dark and pick it up early morning. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Bailey Posted June 27, 2012 Report Share Posted June 27, 2012 (edited) Make certain that they're not the introduced and invasive rusty crayfish, as far as I know it's illegal to possess them alive, even as bait. Edited June 27, 2012 by Dave Bailey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northernpike56 Posted June 27, 2012 Report Share Posted June 27, 2012 Bait traps with some meat left over night works, also take a stick and bucket, turn over some rocks once you see one poke it in the face and wait for it to grab on, you can also dig a few holes near the river, fill them with water and check them in the morning for hiding crayfish. you know your stuff crayfish are one of my favourite baits for smallmouths. and yes, they can be used as bait but only if you caught them in the same river/lake Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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