Catching Craw-fish

[Cast-Away]

Does anyone use the old metal minnow traps to catch craw-fish for Bass? If so, what do you bait the trap with?

[Roy]

I haven't used them for bait since i was a kid but all I used to do was to turn rocks over at dusk. A dim headlight would have worked well back then if we'd have had them. There's a dude with a website who specializes in the bait and trap method and sells all you need to catch as many as you want.

 

Edited to add:

Type this "catching crawfish for bait" in your browser and the amount of info is staggering. Please note that crayfish as bait is not legal everywhere. There are also species of crayfish that should never be used as bait nor even transported to another body of water.

[Rod Caster]

Couple weekends ago we threw fish carcasses near the rocks and checked them at night (was like smelting). We caught several big crawfish and had a crawfish fry. They are super easy to catch at night....

[kickingfrog]

Spent many a summer's day with a mask and snorkle catching them.

[Bill Shearer]

Rod caster is correct! Also a good way to catch leeches at the same time!

[misfish]

Rod caster is correct! Also a good way to catch leeches at the same time!

 

Or take a ham bone,,tie rope to it and leave it in the water for a couple days. Leeches galore.

[SirCranksalot]

I understand that transporting any crayfish overland is illegal in Ont.

[misfish]

We caught several big crawfish and had a crawfish fry.

Dem good eats when you can get the big ones. I buy the ones from Highland farms. Cajun style. Yum yum.

[Sinker]

Just remember you can only use crayfish in the lake they're caught from. Illegal to transport them.

 

I flip rocks with a net to catch them. Never tried the minnow trap though. Maybe a fish carcass as bait?

 

S.

[Bill Shearer]

Knuguy is very correct about transportation of crawfish. They can only be caught and used 'ON THE SAME WATER

[Old Ironmaker]

It's been more than a few years since I have been able to get soft shelled crawfish here on Erie. No marina or lakeside bait shop carry them as they did before. The last time I asked a guy if he had any he looked at me like I had 2 heads.

 

Does anyone know of anywhere on Erie they are sold? They catch smallies like you wouldn't believe if you can keep the sheepshead off them, almost unfair.

 

The last record breaking Smallmouth on Erie was caught on a soft shell in NY, something ridiculous like 9 pounds I believe.

Edited July 17, 2013 by Old Ironmaker

[Ralph Field]

Turing rocks on a calm morning was always our method of choice and we caught a lot of them. I did try the minnow trap baited with a can of cat food with holes poked in it. I always caught more turning rocks on my way to check the trap than I ever did in the trap. After a few tries with the trap I deemed it a waste of my time. Look for a shallow rocky beach on the lake where you are going to fish then lift stones slowly and catch the crayfish with your hands , my preferred method, or use a small net to catch them. You can't find a better bait for small mouth bass. IMO

[aplumma]

Just remember that a crawfish moves backwards so place the net behind them and shoo them from the front. The minnow trap will not work well as a trap the crawfish traps have a ramp that is wide because if a crawfish bumps it's feelers it will back away. As a kid we used to put raw chicken on a net that had a tripod of poles that stick up and place them in the roadside ditches and let them soak for a half hour then run the line of traps till we had a trashcan full of them to eat. Good memories for sure.

 

 

 

Art

[Beats]

Easiest way is just netting them while turning rocks in shallow water. Got one last week by accident. Had dog food or bread in the trap for minnows and forgot about the trap. The trap filled with minnows.. and then the crayfish came in after the minnows. That's a slow way to go but apparently it works. I'd just go for a shallow area with rocky bottom and net them.

[registerfly]

I understand that transporting any crayfish overland is illegal in Ont.

yep

[Nipfisher]

Easiest way is just netting them while turning rocks in shallow water. Got one last week by accident. Had dog food or bread in the trap for minnows and forgot about the trap. The trap filled with minnows.. and then the crayfish came in after the minnows. That's a slow way to go but apparently it works. I'd just go for a shallow area with rocky bottom and net them.

 

I put a trap in a local creek and forgot about it for a week. When I went to check it there was only 2 minnows in it and 5 big crayfish.

[manitoubass2]

They are unreal easy to catch just flipping rocks and bare handing them. One thing me and my kids found out one evening was to look on cement boat launches at night, holy s*** they just pile on each other! Thousands and each landing we Checked. Also, if a good one scurries under a big rock, it will come out for a small pice of hot dog, lol

[Woodsman]

 

Does anyone know of anywhere on Erie they are sold?

Illegal to sell in Ontario.

Also illegal to transport over land.

Yes they do catch fish.

[fishindevil]

You cannot remove them from the water they came in !!!! Right now the rusty crayfish is expanding and it's an invasive species and not from Ontario !!!! It is illegal to transport them in any way .... Please do not

[DanD]

I remember when this law first came out that it was illegal to sell crayfish. One of the local bait shops near St Williams had just replenished his pond getting ready for bass opener. What he did was to rent you his net; the cost just happened to be the same as a dozen crayfish. That didn't last long and it was likely one of the reasons for the no transporting them over land?

 

Dan.

[Fang]

When I was younger I used to catch crayfish for the guests at my in laws lodge up on temagami. I had 2 mid size aquarium nets for scooping goldfish and would snorkel along the rock shorelines in 1-2 ft of water. Flip over the rocks and then scoop up the craws. Got to know where the good shorelines were and was pretty easy to go out and get 30-40 in an hour or so.

 

Wouldn't charge the guests for them but I got some smoking big tips after they came back from fishing. Did the same deal growing up fishing the credit river all summer for smallies. Grab a couple of those cheap goldfish nets and if you have kids let them catch you a bunch

[Old Ironmaker]

Illegal to sell in Ontario.

Also illegal to transport over land.

Yes they do catch fish.

That's what I thought but couldn't find it in the regs. No wonder he looked at me like I had 2 heads. I made a deal with my neighbours grandkids today. A Toonie a dozen. So what do they do? Bring me about 200 crayfish today!!!!!!

 

I'll have to Google the rusty crawfish and see if there are any in the trap before I let them go.

 

I layed them all off today, a lesson in supply and

demand economics.

[Rich]

I remember when this law first came out that it was illegal to sell crayfish. One of the local bait shops near St Williams had just replenished his pond getting ready for bass opener. What he did was to rent you his net; the cost just happened to be the same as a dozen crayfish. That didn't last long and it was likely one of the reasons for the no transporting them over land?

 

Dan.

Lol Proppers

[Woodsman]

I made a deal with my neighbours grandkids today. A Toonie a dozen. So what do they do? Bring me about 200 crayfish today!!!!!!

 

 

I hope you realize that there's a possession limit of 36.

I also hope you live on the water and they are down at the lake they were caught on. Even at your house is transporting over land.

See pg. 10 of the current regs summary.

http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/d1eb8afd#/d1eb8afd/2

[Raycaster]

The bass on Balsam will basically stay right beside you and let you turn rocks over for them to eat the crayfish.

If you're ever wondering if your lure speed is too fast watch how quick they snatch crayfish.

No huge lunkers but a decent stringer!

 

No wonder guys were fishing 20' off the swimming area.