Cutthroats and crayfish, oh my!

[caddisguy]

With our bear season done, we decided to get in a little bit of lake fishing while the getting is good.

We arrived on Friday night and still had a little bit of light out, so we went ahead and put our crayfish traps in the lake. This is a bit early for good crayfishing, as we don't really start to see good numbers until August-September. That said, we figured we would catch a dozen or so over the weekend.

Next morning, we went to check out the traps expecting a half dozen at best. I was pretty shocked when I saw there must be 60 or 70. We got rid of the small ones and any carrying eggs, then bagged the rest up and took them back to camp.

Headed out fishing and had non-stop action most of the day.... came back to camp and ate up our crayfish.

The next morning the traps (which were still set in the exact same spot because we were lazy) still had another 30 or so. After removing the small ones and the ones with eggs, we were left with enough to go with our dinner.

Yours truly:

http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/t644/vaporeyes/fishtrip01_zpsbck3q9ka.jpg

caddisgirl gets a nice one!

http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/t644/vaporeyes/fishtrip02_zpstdb3und0.jpg

continued...

[caddisguy]

We eat up the first batch of crayfish from the morning back at camp:

http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/t644/vaporeyes/fishtrip03_zpskvidp7cz.jpg

Checking traps the next morning for a batch to take home:

http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/t644/vaporeyes/fishtrip04_zpsatfbpnwh.jpg

continued...

[caddisguy]

Back home and all settled, we make a meal out of the crayfish, her larger cutthroat and some roasted garlic and veggies. Prepped a few lunches for the next few days and tossed them in the freezer along with a vacuum pack of the remaining trout.

http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/t644/vaporeyes/fishtrip05_zpshexxxtkb.jpg

[tuner]

Wow, what a delicious looking feast and nothing tastes better than food you gathered and harvested yourself.

[guest]

Great Share you guys ........ Your dedication pays off!

That meal looks terrific!

Right here, within reach of our own back yards if you look for it and go for it the way you guys do.

CT

[monasheemountainman]

holy fack those crayfish look good!

[dmaxtech]

Nice haul of crayfish. Looks yummy.

[albravo2]

Great post! That looks like some delicious eating.

You forgot to post coordinates;-)

[325]

Damn that looks good!

[caddisguy]

We get a lot of enjoyment out of crayfishing. It helps mix things up a bit... takes virtually no work (unless you want to work for them) and you get to think about your traps while you're hunting or fishing... even just laying in bed at night at camp, knowing your traps are out there working for you... nothing like that moment of truth, pulling them up the next day... if you are in a place with crayfish, you know there will be some... only question is how many.

Made this video a year and a half ago and it's almost up at 1,000,000 views. We took some video footage this time... just of rebaiting the traps in the afternoon and tossing them back out, pulling them in the next morning and releasing the small ones and the ones with eggs... released them into shallow water while caddisgirl filmed, so it should make a decent video, but we are definitely going to top our first video with something a little more entertaining and intereactive later this summer.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3qA61AB2nU

[Blair]

Wow, thanks for that! I had no idea. I used to catch crayfish as a kid in Northern Quebec, but they were tiny. Is that typical of most lakes in BC? I noticed you set your traps close to shore in shallow water? Is that the best place... around cover like the sunken logs, etc.?

[caddisguy]

Wow, thanks for that! I had no idea. I used to catch crayfish as a kid in Northern Quebec, but they were tiny. Is that typical of most lakes in BC? I noticed you set your traps close to shore in shallow water? Is that the best place... around cover like the sunken logs, etc.?

Close to shore near cover (rocks, logs, stumps and vegetation is the ticket) ... a depth of 1.5-15M is ideal. I don't find many down deep. I imagine this is because there are less nutrients, less light and probably less cover.

I am not certain what species of crayfish exist in Quebec, but our native species (the signal crayfish) reside mostly in the southwest (Region 1, Region 2 and parts of Region 3) ... signal crayfish tend to get pretty large compared to species found down south, in the UK, AU, etc.

Just found this:

Quebec indigenous species are: the Common Crayfish (Cambarus bartonii), the Big Water Crayfish (Cambarus robustus), as well as the Northern Clearwater Crayfish (Orconectes propinquus), Allegheny Crayfish (Orconectes obscurus), Papershell Crayfish (Orconectes immunis) and the Virile Crayfish (Orconectes virilis).

(https://ogsl.ca/en/biodiversity/invertebrates/crayfish/summary.html)

That's a lot of different species! :)

[Edzzed]

I went to the Keg in Prince George for my 25th birthday and ordered lobster. When the texture was like rubber I complained and asked if it was really lobster. server told me it's crayfish. I told them if I wanted to pay lobster price I should be served lobster and that I can go down to a river and catch my own crayfish. Meal was free and I had them give me a burger instead.

[Glenny]

Great feed CG. Can you buy those traps at Crappy Tire?

[caddisguy]

Great feed CG. Can you buy those traps at Crappy Tire?

I ordered mine from here about 10 years ago:

https://www.ronniesunshines.com/crayfish-trap-crab-or-fish-pot

I have since seen them on Amazon and other places online, but no-where local yet. That said, I haven't checked CDN Tire or Cabela's recently. Last I checked only prawn traps which will do the job, but I like these collapsible traps as they take up very little space in the jeep... heck they fit in the backpack :)

[Brez]

mouthwatering photos! Those are pretty nice crayfish. thanks for posting

[BimmerBob]

Awesome report Caddsiguy and gal, looking forward to the vid when you have it ready to go! That meal looks mouthwatering, can almost taste it from your story and photo's...

[Glenny]

I ordered mine from here about 10 years ago:

https://www.ronniesunshines.com/crayfish-trap-crab-or-fish-pot

I have since seen them on Amazon and other places online, but no-where local yet. That said, I haven't checked CDN Tire or Cabela's recently. Last I checked only prawn traps which will do the job, but I like these collapsible traps as they take up very little space in the jeep... heck they fit in the backpack :)


Thanks for the info man. I bet bass p has em. good ole suthern boys. haha

[1/2 slam]

I recognize that place. I've caught quite a few crayfish and large cutthroat out of there!

[Salty]

Huh.. and here I thought my bug trapping career was left behind on the salt chuck. I might have to give this crayfish trappin a go :)
Thanks for the share caddis love the looks of that cutty too good times.