Understanding Crawfish

[MacDaddyFishin]

I live in East Texas, about an hour south of dallas. I have been reading about crawfish and their patterns, but nothing really about their patterns here in the area that I live. My main question is does anyone have a website, or basic knowledge alone on the patterns the crawfish have here?

Thanks again!

[Catt]

Try Google

[MassBass]

Go swimming and look for them. Find a rocky area and flip over rocks underwater.   

[Raul]

There´s one undeniable fact about crawfish: bass will bite crawfish baits even though there are no crawfish and that´s good enough for me.

[MacDaddyFishin]

Catt I've read about every google article there is on the sneaky things. and MassBass I've done that too with some great days on finding them to getting shut out. Just trying to find out their molting season and all that extra info.

[Santana_moretto_fishing]

i posted the same thing check out my post and theyll help you!

http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/147177-crawdad-colors/

[MacDaddyFishin]

i posted the same thing check out my post and theyll help you!

http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/147177-crawdad-colors/

That was extremely helpful!! Thanks so much!

[Ozark_Basser]

The only way to know for sure is to make a crawdad trap where you fish.  Look up "crawdad trap"

[WRB]

All you need is a piece of 1/4" hardware cloth about 36" long X 24" wide. Make a tube shape about 8" dia X 36", wire the seam together fold one end into a funnel shape with 2" opening, flatten the opposite end and fold back.

This is your basic trap. Tie a cord about 10' long to the funnel end. Tie fish heads or bacon inside the trap located near the middle, toss the trap into the water and stake the cord so you can retrieve the trap. Leave the trap in the water over night and you should have crayfish/crawdads in the morning.

Unfold the flat end and shake out the crayfish.

Tom

[Ozark_Basser]

All you need is a piece of 1/4" hardware cloth about 36" long X 24" wide. Make a tube shape about 8" dia X 36", wire the seam together fold one end into a funnel shape with 2" opening, flatten the opposite end and fold back.

This is your basic trap. Tie a cord about 10' long to the funnel end. Tie fish heads or bacon inside the trap located near the middle, toss the trap into the water and stake the cord so you can retrieve the trap. Leave the trap in the water over night and you should have crayfish/crawdads in the morning.

Unfold the flat end and shake out the crayfish.

Tom

This ^^^^^^^^^^ There can be many factors that influence crayfish coloration. Looking at pictures on the internet will help, but if you really want to know, you need to go out and catch some.  I'd take note of the cover that's around where you catch them as this can influence color. 

[Catt]

All you need is a piece of 1/4" hardware cloth about 36" long X 24" wide. Make a tube shape about 8" dia X 36", wire the seam together fold one end into a funnel shape with 2" opening, flatten the opposite end and fold back.

This is your basic trap. Tie a cord about 10' long to the funnel end. Tie fish heads or bacon inside the trap located near the middle, toss the trap into the water and stake the cord so you can retrieve the trap. Leave the trap in the water over night and you should have crayfish/crawdads in the morning.

Unfold the flat end and shake out the crayfish.

Tom

Ya can buy a crawfish trap for about $5

[Senko lover]

Creeks are the source for my crawfish chasing.

[Ozark_Basser]

Creeks are the source for my crawfish chasing.

To the OP, where I live creek crawfish aren't always the same color as lake crawfish.  Close, but not quite.  Also, where I fish, the soft shell crawfish are what the bass prefer and are usually around 3 inches with green/brown tops with orange/tan bottoms and accents. 

[MacDaddyFishin]

Thanks to everyone for the advice! Tom I'm going to be trying that trap out probably tomorrow!! I greatly appreciate all the info guys!

[Driftb]

Here comes buzzkill- you might want to check your local regs before you go out and set any kind of bait trap.  Most guys will typically go with the largest trap allowed by state law.  It  can also be illegal to transport some species of bait, including some crawfish species that have become a nuisance invasive.

  Once you establish the legality, have at it.  Craws are an awesome bait, especially soft craw.  IIf you are not getting bit on the hardshell craws, try cracking the back shell and peeling it off before you hook it.  If you are planning to catch and release, however, you might want to rethink the whole bait thing.  You should expect to hook a large percentage of your catch pretty deep.

[WRB]

Here comes buzzkill- you might want to check your local regs before you go out and set any kind of bait trap.  Most guys will typically go with the largest trap allowed by state law.  It  can also be illegal to transport some species of bait, including some crawfish species that have become a nuisance invasive.

  Once you establish the legality, have at it.  Craws are an awesome bait, especially soft craw.  IIf you are not getting bit on the hardshell craws, try cracking the back shell and peeling it off before you hook it.  If you are planning to catch and release, however, you might want to rethink the whole bait thing.  You should expect to hook a large percentage of your catch pretty deep.

The OP is OK in Texas and he is mostly interested in a color study. Using a circle hook eliminates gut hooking fish with live bait. You can also dye crayfish with food coloring in the water and feed them dyed lettuce.

I wouldn't suggest cracking a crayfish, it may kill them quickly. You can declaw crayfish by pinching the arm joint, that doesn't harm them.

Tom

[slonezp]

Sam is a crawfish. I would send him a PM

[Driftb]

I wouldn't worry about the shell peeling killing the craw.  A bass will do it anyway.  Plus you won't wait nearly as long for a hit on a peeled craw.  The way I learned to fish a craw is to thread a Kahle hook through the craws mouth all the way through his body and out the bottom of the tail.  They don't live all that long that way, but they don't have to. Especially soft or peeled craws get eaten on the drop.  Circle hooks are good with me too, but don't fool yourself.  Plenty of fish will get hooked deep on circle hooks too.

[Sam]

Mac, seems a few of our members have crawfish on their minds.

Your query is the third one I remember reading so far this winter.

 

May I suggest getting in touch with the Texas department of game and fisheries (or whatever the department is called) and ask for their crawfish expert.

 

The person will be glad to tell you all about the crawfish species in your geographical area (there are over 400 species in the USA) and their habits.

 

Be sure to have the individual give you the colors of the crawfish as the year progresses, from January through December.  You may be surprised at how the mudbug changes colors as we move through the year.

 

Texas A&M is your state's Sea Grant university so do your research and contact their marine biology department to speak with their expert on crawfish.

 

The next closest sea grant university in your area is LSU and we all know they know everything about crawfish, especially how to cook them!

 

Good luck and I think you will be enlightened by the information you can gather from the Texas game and fisheries department and TAMU marine biology department.

[Catt]

Academy list 2 crawfish traps, one close to Tom's for $7.99 & the one I use for $6.99!

[WRB]

Academy list 2 crawfish traps, one close to Tom's for $7.99 & the one I use for $6.99!

Post a link to your trap, you know craw traps better than I do.

Tom

PS, 1/4 mesh x 36" hardware cloth about $1.30/foot= $2.60 per trap + cord.

[Catt]

Post a link to your trap, you know craw traps better than I do.

Tom

PS, 1/4 mesh x 36" hardware cloth about $1.30/foot= $2.60 per trap + cord.

Plus you'll need special clips & pliers to build your trap, a box of bandaids, & a tube triple antibiotics.

Or simply google Academy or Wal/Mart

[BigMoneyGrip]

Here are a couple of articles. Maybe they'll help.

 

http://www.bassmaster.com/understanding-bass-forage-crawfish

 

http://www.thefishsite.com/articles/832/crawfish-biology