Blue crawfish?

[Jon Morris]

Living in the NE I have never seen a blue or even red crawfish.  Most here are the brownish greenish variety with a hint of orange on the tips of the claws (maybe).

 

But I've always seen these colors attributed to crawfish and wanted to see if you have these color patterns in your area or if anyone has a picture of a blue crawfish they caught.

 

Have seen blue ones in aquariums but didn't know if they were a designer animal or if you can naturally catch one that color?

[mixel]

Only native to Florida I think, but I'm sure can be found elsewhere.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_crayfish

http://www.bluecrayfish.com/bcf-faq.html

 

 

 

[riverbasser]

I don't know of any crayfish that is just blue. The craws change colors throughout the year in what is called molting. In Alabama they get some blue tints in certain areas of there body but are never completely blue. At least not to my knowledge. 

I want to add that I and many others regularly catch fish on black jigs with blue sapphire plastic craws. I think it has something to do with the color blue not disappearing at deeper depths like some other colors do

[fishballer06]

Here is a photo of one while it's molting. 

 

[Team9nine]

We have them here. Attached pic is from drawdown remains I found. They aren't in every body of water, and usually in very low numbers when they do appear. I know they have them in Canada and Michigan among others. 

 

Also see: Blue craw science link

 

-T9

[riverbasser]

now that does look like blue sapphire  @Team9nine

[Turtle135]

A Red Swamp crayfish from the Tidal Potomac River in Maryland and an invasive crayfish (a Virile crayfish I think) from a Maryland Reservoir.

[WI_Angler1989]

 

Ours are similar to yours, browns and green tint, but later on in the year (this on is from april) they have a lot more blue to them. A green and blue flake tube or craw slays smallies in my rivers! 

[Paul Roberts]

1 hour ago, Team9nine said:

We have them here. Attached pic is from drawdown remains I found. They aren't in every body of water, and usually in very low numbers when they do appear. I know they have them in Canada and Michigan among others. 

 

Also see: Blue craw science link

 

-T9

Now that's a good article. Thanks for that one.

[scaleface]

Ive seen purple crawfish .

[Catt]

Color expression in crawfish is regulated largely by special pigment containing cells (chromatophores) located beneath the exoskeleton, and color is normally a function of two factors, developmental stage and the environment. Most crawfish species are generally greenish or brownish as immature animals and begin to take on the characteristic colors as the approach maturity. Color manifestations is intensified in sexually mature individuals. The aquatic environment and diet also influence color.

Individual specimens of crawfish vary in color from the normal population. Color variants are almost endless with respect to degree and/or pattern of expression.

Molting is the periodic shedding of the old exoskeleton (shell) and takes place with each increase in size which can be 4-6 times a year; once the crawfish reaches maturity the molting process stops

Each individual crawfish will vary in color before, during, & after molting!

Knowing the current color of live crawfish in a particular body of water does not mean a bass will eat a crawfish lure of the same color; the bass may want something totally opposite.

[J Francho]

There's over 300 species of crawfish, or "crayfish" as they're called up here.  Many, many, many, different colors and patterns.

[riverbasser]

25 minutes ago, Catt said:

C

Knowing the current color of live crawfish in a particular body of water does not mean a bass will eat a crawfish lure of the same color; the bass may want something totally opposite.

This is why I had mike at seibert make me a jig with blue, green, brown and orange.

 

I may be totally wrong but I think bass get keyed in on a certain color sometimes and as long as your lure has that color somewhere on it that it will trigger a bite.

[WRB]

You can look up a site that shows the total types of crayfish species  world wide or each state.

Most states have several different type of crayfish, I believe Lousiana has 35 different species. We have only a few native crayfish in California, the Signal is In the Bay Area as I recall, most are non-native imported from southern states, the common being red swamp crayfish.

Back in the 60's to early 70's I fished with live crawdads a lot, developing nose hooking and stitching retrieve techniques with weightless rig. Most of the giant bass caught in California were by anglers using live crawdads, Bob Crupi for example.

We would dye live crawdads with food coloring. Blue color dye was good and worked even though no blue crawdads lived anywhere near were I fished.

Tom

[Sam]

The best "red" crawfish around. And Valentine's Day is right around the corner, too.

 

[Catt]

7 hours ago, riverbasser said:

This is why I had mike at seibert make me a jig with blue, green, brown and orange.

 

I may be totally wrong but I think bass get keyed in on a certain color sometimes and as long as your lure has that color somewhere on it that it will trigger a bite.

 

There are 350 of spices of crawfish all of which are capable of changing colors 4-5 times a year. 

 

No only does each individual species change colors 4-5 times a year but each individual crawfish can change colors 4-5 times yearly. Color variants are therefore almost endless with respect to degree and/or pattern of expression.

 

So what color y'all gonna go with?

[riverbasser]

20 minutes ago, Catt said:

So what color y'all gonna go with?

 

The one they're biting I hope.

[Montanaro]

Ive seen them in creeks here in WV that were jet black with purple and blue accents. 

 

Absolutely beautiful

[smalljaw67]

I fish a river that is know for the numbers of large smallmouth (river smallmouth are smaller than their lake cousins) and one of the reasons is the river is a crawfish factory. We have serval different species but the main one is what is called the "common brown" crawfish. They will get orange claw tip starting in late May or early June and the orange will get brighter as the Summer progresses. We don't see the blue craws like the one from the article but we do get them like the picture Fishballer06 posted, and that is the molting craw. When they molt they are an easy meal and they will get a blue tint and that is why colors like green pumpkin blue with a hint of orange often catch both numbers as well as big fish. The deal with that color pattern is timing, while craws all molt at different times, we find at certain times you have large numbers of craws molting around the same time, when we flip over rocks for a few minutes and find 4 or 5 craws that are in that molting stage, that is when a green pumpkin/blue tube or a finesse jig with the same colors will be the best color option.

[Sam]

The best "red" crawfish around. And Valentine's Day is right around the corner, too.

 

On a serious note, I have seen a blue crawfish. A gentleman outside of Suffolk, VA who has a small crawfish farm brought a blue crawfish to one of our crawfish boils. They do exist and we have them in Virginia. Never seen one in the wild but then again, I don't look for them.

 

[ErikmonBillsfon]

In CT and MA all I ever see is brown and dark blue craws. Sure they don't have the "brilliant" "sapphire" flashy blue as a okeechobee strike king craw but sometimes they only get a glimpse of the bottom in muddy water. I also don't think color is of too much importance. In fact if you have the color (orange and brown) of local craws but it's not perfect or slightly off might be a good thing

 Your lure might look like a injured or sick and dying craw being a shade off. This might send a message to the bass it's dying so it's an easy meal they don't have to chase or fight. Like I said most around here are brown and blue belly or all dark blue.

[Fisher-O-men]

I believe they become blue after being jilted by their mate.