Crayfish

[Stone Sheep Steve]

Crayfish-----Seems to be an under-utilized species??

Personally, I have never fished for them other than catching as few on the Kettle with our hands and letting them go.

A co-worker was asking me about them as he used to catch them as a kid back in Poland many years ago. He was just looking on the internet and now they are considered an endangered species back in his homeland.

So who fishes for them and what are some of the techniques?? One guy told me that all they used was a wiener on a stick.....but have never tried this myself.
Seems like they would be a fun target for kids.

SSS

[ratherbefishin]

a neighbour told me he put down a prawn trap in the lake and got a ton of them-boiled them up like lobsters.I tried it once-must have caught some because an otter ripped the trap apart

[BCrams]

Wow.... is your line of thinking ever out of sorts ......:shock:

How the hell does sheep morph into crayfish? :lol:

http://www.mackers.com/crayfish/crayfish.jpg

[Wild one]

I have caught crayfish many times and they are good eating the 2 ways I find work best are

1) flipping rocks and grabbing them with your hands works really well in water wast deep or less and I find gets the best numbers(If you are worried about getting pinched this method is not for you)

2)A trap baited with a piece of fish works well in deep water and seems to get larger crayfish but less numbers. If you want info on making traps let me know.

[Stone Sheep Steve]

Wow.... is your line of thinking ever out of sorts ......:shock:

How the hell does sheep morph into crayfish? :lol:

http://www.mackers.com/crayfish/crayfish.jpg

My co-worker doesn't hunt sheep....or hunt period.:wink:

SSS

[Jetboater]

just remember ... crayfish season is months that end in R... other than that they are typically soft shelled or have very little meat...

[Dirty]

Crayfish can also turn you off because they have little worms that come off when you boil them. We catch them with modified minnow traps and prawn traps. Bait the traps with bacon, ham, fish, or whatever. Cat food works really good too. In the small traps add a film canister with holes drilled in it, and fill it with wet cat food. They can be found in most ponds, lakes, sloughs, creeks, and rivers. I have never ate them, I only caught them in research studies I was doing at the time. I released all of them. You have to watch which ones you get or where you get them because I heard they can taste very muddy.

Dirty

[kyleklassen]

good cheap crayfish traps at crappy tire. those minnow traps the vinyl covered metal mesh ones. just take your sidecutters and bore the hole out to 3or4 times original size. best spots on a lake are weed beds as the crayfish can make there way to the trap undetected.24hrs a day. have 30 ft of line on mine, trout heads very good bait.

[The Dawg]

We used to catch them as kids for fish bait.

What we'd do was use pop cans- We'd put some bait inside the can and fill it with water. Then we'd tie a piece of fishing line to the tab and attach a float to the end of the line and chuck it into the pond.

9 times out of 10 when we'd come back and check it, there'd be one inside that couldnt get out :)

Cost us nothing to do either, and was a ton of fun.

[Ddog]

done tons of crayfish fishing, lots and lots of places on the coast for them, as for getting them in the months that end with R that isnt true. we used to get them all summer long, very rarely got the softshell ones.
they are awesome to eat, need quite a few to make a meal though, we used to BBQ a steak and then put the peeled crayfish tails on top with bernaise sauce.
we used to snorkel for them in a few lakes, but all the smaller streams have them. also used traps in the Pit river and found a few real good spots on the Fraser for them to, those are where the real big ones live.

[ohotnik]

Guys, please share a couple spots where it would be easy to try to catch a couple dozen of crayfish around Lower Mainland... If I can get it for my wife (she is from Europe) I could probably buy another rifle... Thank you. PM works too.

[elkdom]

Guys, please share a couple spots where it would be easy to try to catch a couple dozen of crayfish around Lower Mainland... If I can get it for my wife (she is from Europe) I could probably buy another rifle... Thank you. PM works too.

for crayfish try around Mission, Silverdale, Deroche, Dewdny Slough and any of the drainage canals around that area, also good areas for bow fishing for CARP in the spring when waters are high, PS crayfish like chicken livers or any thing gives off blood scent for long periods of time, just old info from afar lol

:shock:

[ohotnik]

for crayfish try around Mission, Silverdale, Deroche, Dewdny Slough and any of the drainage canals around that area, also good areas for bow fishing for CARP in the spring when waters are high, PS crayfish like chicken livers or any thing gives off blood scent for long periods of time, just old info from afar lol

:shock:

Thank you, Doug!

[jeeper]

I used to catch them on the island when I wsa a kid ! I never realized how common they were !

Bruce

[Steeleco]

I'm all over this one!! I used to catch them with corn as a kid in Richmond off the fish docks. Big and tasty. Now I've got the boat, I'll be needing some traps!!

[wolverine]

We used to put on our scuba gear and go down in the lakes and get them. At the right time of year they can be really quite tasty.

[Dirty]

Crayfish are easier to catch when the water is warmer, such as Spring, Summer, and Fall. I haven't had luck trying to catch them in the Winter. Just a tip so that you guys don't get frustrated. I wouldn't waste my time until April/May. Just my observations, it may be different for other areas.

[GoatGuy]

Crayfish-----Seems to be an under-utilized species??

Personally, I have never fished for them other than catching as few on the Kettle with our hands and letting them go.

A co-worker was asking me about them as he used to catch them as a kid back in Poland many years ago. He was just looking on the internet and now they are considered an endangered species back in his homeland.

So who fishes for them and what are some of the techniques?? One guy told me that all they used was a wiener on a stick.....but have never tried this myself.
Seems like they would be a fun target for kids.

SSS

got 'em in idabel/mccolugh area and caught one in the Kettle a couple years ago.


Used it for bait on a treble hook.:twisted:

[huntergirl270]

One late spring/early summer we were catching them at Jones Lk when the water was low. We didn't have kids of our own then but our friend's kids were having a great time. They just flipped over rocks and grabbed them and threw them into a bucket. They let them all go at the end of the day because nobody knew what to do with them.
I've also seen them at Little Qualicum Falls on the island in the pools of water. I was catching them in my shoe when I was a kid :) Good fun!

[jml11]

I spent a summer/fall in Colorado and was fishing a lake with my belly boat and couldn't keep them off my line...I was trying to catch rainbows and browns but kept hooking onto cray fish....I was trolling flies with sinking line...didn't know you could catch them that way.

[huntergirl270]

I remember eating crayfish when we stayed at the Orleans hotel in Vegas. To me, once you got past the sauce they were cooked in, they tasted like mud.
Bleck! Maybe since we are talking about where to catch them, people can share their recipes for cooking them? I might be more inclined to try them again if I had a recipe for cooking them :)

[steelheadSABO]

you can get traps for 6$ and throw them into a creek with some chicken in them wait a few hours and you will catch lots but if you wait to long they will eat the bait and escape

[GoatGuy]

I had them when I was in Louuuuuzeana as well. Super spicy. They tell you, before you go to the bathroom make sure you wash your hands first, don't touch your eyes.

[Stone Sheep Steve]

They tell you, before you go to the bathroom make sure you wash your hands first, don't touch your eyes.

Or when you roll in the poison ivy:redface:.

$6 trap eh?? Might have to giver a whirl.

SSS

[Bushman]

Areas with mid-sized rock bottoms on the Fraser River, Harrison River, Pitt River and Pitt Lake produce excellent numbers of large crayfish.
Try using commercial or sport-type prawn traps baited with salmon roe in bait containers with small holes.
The salmon roe will milk for many hours in bait containers with small holes and gives off a scent the crayfish simply can't resist.
Please let us know how you make out.
Good fishin'

[Dirty]

Believe it or not, there are or were commercial fisheries in the Fraser, Pitt, and Harrison for crayfish.

[cariboobill]

And BC Fisheries issues yearly commercial harvests for Crayfish. Call the BC Fisheries office through MOE and they have info on stock levels in BC.

Good Luck,

[Jager]

I've caught them in Kennedy and Sproat lake. They're in the rivers too. One friend that used to work at the Bungee zone on the Nanaimo said he used to see huge ones in the river. Ive caught them in prawn traps, by hand, and simple fishing poles with the kids...line, willow stick, hook and worm.

I've just boiled them and eaten them dipped in garlic butter. I will sometimes take a small pair of scissors and cut along the back of the tail (lobster style) to aid in peeling.

I think the limit is 25?

[spreerider]

when i was a kid i made a trap out of chicken wire funnel and a large pickled egg jar, used to drop it in the river near cameron lake when we drove out of town then pick it up on the way home.
sometimes the trap was so full that they couldent cram anymore in and were coverint the outside of the trap.

[goatdancer]

What consistency is the meat? Like crab or lobster? Or is it soft? Don't have my regs handy, is there a size restriction? Season?

[spreerider]

its like shrimp

[Steeleco]

What consistency is the meat? Like crab or lobster? Or is it soft? Don't have my regs handy, is there a size restriction? Season?

Good question, I had to look it up for myself!!


trap crayfish … with any number or size of
traps for personal consumption. You must
release all fin fish caught in your trap.
To help sustain crayfish populations, you
should release any crayfish that are less
than 9 cm in total length as well as those
bearing eggs or young.


In Reg 2 waters the limit is posted at 25.

[KodiakHntr]

Does anyone think there would be crayfish in the east or west kootenays??
I have eatin them in New Orleans and I love them.....they are tastey little insects....especially if boiled in Crab boil....Yummmy.

Have caught them around Cranbrook, Jim Smith Lake, places like that. And I saw a couple off the breaker at the Sanca boat launch.

[Johnnybear]

I have never trapped them myself but bought a trap at an outdoor show in Wash. I have seen them in Nimpkish Lake snorkeling and their are huge ones in that lake. I have cought them on my trout gear at various trout lakes around the Island. I have a subscription to Backwoodsman Magazine and I read an article in there that said they are the most common food source in North America in fresh water for survival situations.

[princetonbc]

I hear they are in Skaha Lake in Penticton does anyone know where abouts and if there are any other lakes in the South Okanagan or the Similkameen?

Thanks

[Stone Sheep Steve]

I hear they are in Skaha Lake in Penticton does anyone know where abouts and if there are any other lakes in the South Okanagan or the Similkameen?

Thanks

I would imagine that they are in the entire valley bottom lake system. We've caught burbot out of OK that had crawdads in their bellies.

SSS

[princetonbc]

Thanks steve. I think I will have to get some traps and try it out.

[sarg]

i think i'm going to try my luck on some crayfish in the hatzic slough this week and maybe salmon lake next weekend, they look like tastey little buggers:)

[sparkes3]

put a piece of weiner on a string keep throwing it out to the same spot and slowly pulling it back pretty soon you will have one on the string and others(freebies) following the scent trail right up to the waters edge then you just grab em and toss em into a bucket.
wash them off a couple of times changing the water then boil water in a pot with crawfish spice and chuck em in till they are done .
peel em dip in garlic butter ,make seafood salad ,sandwiches ,there are hundreds of recipies on the net.
i also made a few traps that work well but is not nearly as much fun as catching them on a string, put your bait into a container with holes or they will eat the bait and find their way out.
i fish the months that end with R .

[Johnnybear]

i think i'm going to try my luck on some crayfish in the hatzic slough this week and maybe salmon lake next weekend, they look like tastey little buggers:)

If you can catch enough of them they will make a meal. There are lot's of recipes online for them. Just about anything you can think of. I like the Southern style recipes the best for the couple of times I have cooked them up.

[Lucky77_]

Cought Lots of them, The largest was 9" nose to tail on the Pitt about 12 yrs ago. Fresh bait is KEY. I know it does not smell as well , but they prefer it to rotten. Also when you boil them add lots of salt or they will be bland, I mean LOTS, A half cup or so to a med pot. They live in fresh water and dont have the salt that crabs have. I generally dont keep anything under 3 inches . the tails have the most meat other than that the claws but they can be more work than it is worth. The claw meat is sweeter than the tail meat though if you can get a big enough one . the mushey stuff in the claws throw out its just mush with no flavor

[Livewire322]

I used to catch them at McIvor lake near Campbell river. I only ate a few though and found they tasted funny. But I used to put a piece of hotdog on a normal hook and gently pull them up to the surface. We used a trap once and got nearly 20 some were pretty big

[redthorn]

if you're flipping rocks, just move really slow and look for the small spot of white on the claws at the joint. most have that. then when you flip the rock, they will almost always head backwards, so just grab them. It's like hunting big game, if you're looking for the whole animal, it's hard, but pick an easy to see spot and you'll be good.

[proguide66]

Threads like this make HBC worth readin !:-D

[huntinnewbie]

When we lived in Cloverdale, a long time ago, our neighbor had a small trout pond. One day his kids put a few crayfish in it.
Couple of years later there were so many that they were eroding the bank with their tunnels and making the water muddy for the trout.
So they drained the pond to try and eliminate the crayfish.
We filled one of the those kids turtle pools to the brim with crayfish.
I think the neighbors up and down the street were tired of seeing us coming with crayfish, trying to give them away.
We ate buckets of them.
Just boiled in salt water and dipped in butter. They were good but if your expecting lobster or crab they don't have that mush flavor. I think we should have added more salt as a previous poster stated.

[sarg]

i pretty excited about trying this out:)

[eastkoot]

I used to go to Mud Bay and catch what we called "bugs" for stealhead and salmon bait for the Fraser River runs. Are the the same thing?I used a pump I built out of a Pneumatic cylinder and when the tide was out we looked for the holes in the mud at low tide and actually sucked them from the mud. Never ate them but boiled them alive and they would turn a nice reddish pink and were great for stealhead.

[835]

Stamp river is loaded with them.
Mask, snorkle and a coleman stove on the beach. Thats the best way to get them. This is also why the wife doesnt swim in that river!

[steel_ram]

I used to go to Mud Bay and catch what we called "bugs" for stealhead and salmon bait for the Fraser River runs. Are the the same thing?I used a pump I built out of a Pneumatic cylinder and when the tide was out we looked for the holes in the mud at low tide and actually sucked them from the mud. Never ate them but boiled them alive and they would turn a nice reddish pink and were great for stealhead.

Those are ghost shrimp. Not sure if anyone eats them.

[SHAKER]

I hear they are in Skaha Lake in Penticton does anyone know where abouts and if there are any other lakes in the South Okanagan or the Similkameen?

Thanks

Yep most of them lakes that have Smallmouth bass have cray's. A favorite food of them buggers.

[happyhunter]

I have caught them in lakes around cranbrook. I use homemade wire traps with a fish head inside and either pitch the trap into the lake from shore or sink it from my boat and tie a 2 litre to the rope for a buoy. Toss em in over night and pick them up in the morning. Then we drop them into a pot of boiling water and eat them with garlic butter. They taste similar to lobster but they sure dont have a lot of meat on them

[Foxton Gundogs]

I remember as a kid we used to put raw chicken in MT Gal. wine bottles and sink them in the sloughs and back eddies of the Allouette River between what was then 8th Ave. and Neaves Bridge pick them up in a day or so and get lots of them. Boil them up right there on the river and they tasted great then again we also ate river cats cooked with onion in tin foil gormets we were NOT.

[spreerider]

when i was a kid we used to use big pickle jars with a mesh funnel on the open end, then put in a mesh/stocking bag of roe and leave it in the water overnight, next morning we would usually find the jar packed full.
usually we fished them in cameron lake or any part of the stamp river, few times we tried in great central but never got any.

[vortex hunter]

Crayfish taste great love them there good in gumbo......

[sarg]

i just drop a net in about 45mins ago, i think i'm going to check it around 5ish to see how i made out:). we are going camping this weekend @ chehalis river campeground and i think i'm going to try my luck there to, if u have any tips pass them please:)

[Johnnybear]

Let us know how you made out. Take some pictures too:-D.

[sarg]

i will let you guy know how i made out BUT i'm one of those people that have no idea how to post pics, i've try all the tips and trick that are posted but still cant do it:(

[sarg]

well i check my trap and it was empty,so i move it to a new spot (new creek) i will check it in a few hour, i was hoping for better success, hopfully this time.

[beeker]

Anyone ever had any luck finding these around PG?

[wideopenthrottle]

if you are near a beach with a dock that has rock cribbing they will be hiding in there all day and come out at night... the fold up style crab traps and a good flashlight work great after dark

[ultramafic]

You should be able to use a small folding prawn trap too... the opening sizes are about perfect for crayfish. I think I bought mine years ago at a sporting good store for around 20 bucks a pop. When we moved further inland I gave them all to a buddy on the island...

mike

[wideopenthrottle]

You should be able to use a small folding prawn trap too... the opening sizes are about perfect for crayfish. I think I bought mine years ago at a sporting good store for around 20 bucks a pop. When we moved further inland I gave them all to a buddy on the island...

mike
I was referring to the ones that fold up trapping the crab when you pull it in..use to use them near the "street light" that was down at the dock on the beach and you could easily see them in about 2-4 feet of water...watch till a few big ones are there then pull em up...we would have enough for a meal in about an hour or so..the bigger ones only seemed to come out at night...

[beeker]

I remember catching them with the ol' hot dog trick when we were younger at Hydraulic lake. Never though to even try up north here. Never heard anyone even mention it around these parts either. Perhaps someone has had success in and around PG ??

[lbmmike]

I have a question. If the river is fly fishing only, could you still catch crayfish by hand? not clear on how that would work.

[caddisguy]

I have a question. If the river is fly fishing only, could you still catch crayfish by hand? not clear on how that would work.

I have a letter from the ministry that was passed along to me by another HBC member that says that bait bans do not cover baiting crayfish traps. I highly believe that would cover lakes that are artificial fly only. I can probably dig it up for you. I keep a copy of it along with my other "get out of jail free" documents that I keep in my pack.

However, since the exemption is in writing from the ministry and not found in the synopsis, it is not known by the public and for that reason, it's possible someone might mess with your traps or report you... so it makes crayfishing less fun with that in the back of your mind.

Edit: Found it! Sending PM

[2tins]

Boiled with fresh dill and a frozen bottle of Akvavit. That's living.

[lbmmike]

Thanks caddisguy.

[Frango]

We had the kids collect them on the Cowichan river. We brought them home boiled them up and we chowed down. Kids loved it. Hunter gatherers starting early. Now the Grand kids do it.

[Squamch]

If you find they taste muddy, put 'em in the bathtub with fresh water for 12-24 hours first and let them flush out before cooking

[B-rad]

Any craw fish in Kamloops area?ive never in my life caught one but would love too,,,I've never even heard of anyone catching them up here

[scotty30-06]

I know im bumping an old thread ....I dont care hahaha....did any of you guys get out crayfishing lol....we have a creek behind our house and I love seafood....thinking aboyt dropping couple traps in and see what happens....any one try lakes around LML?....set traps then fly fish...and grab traps at end of day...little soming to add to the trout dinner.

[IslandWanderer]

I know im bumping an old thread ....I dont care hahaha....did any of you guys get out crayfishing lol....we have a creek behind our house and I love seafood....thinking aboyt dropping couple traps in and see what happens....any one try lakes around LML?....set traps then fly fish...and grab traps at end of day...little soming to add to the trout dinner.

My son likes to catch and release them in about a foot of water. There’s so many of them in one of the little lakes that we go to that they grab onto power eggs and hold on while I reel them in. These are eggs floating 4’ off the bottom.

I had a buddy who made a creamy pasta out of them once years ago. He said it was really good.

[Ferenc]

I know im bumping an old thread ....I dont care hahaha....did any of you guys get out crayfishing lol....we have a creek behind our house and I love seafood....thinking aboyt dropping couple traps in and see what happens....any one try lakes around LML?....set traps then fly fish...and grab traps at end of day...little soming to add to the trout dinner.

Jones lake has em !!

[scotty30-06]

I caught one on the inflow from cultus lake....wonder of hicks ot harrison or chilliwack lake has them?

[Wild one]

I caught one on the inflow from cultus lake....wonder of hicks ot harrison or chilliwack lake has them?

Harrison and chilliwack yes hicks don’t know

When I lived down there I targeted rivers/creeks more so.

[lip_ripper00]

Try the Harrison around Kilby, I used to set my traps on the west side of the train bridge did well.

[scotty30-06]

Will do ...thanks guys

[Ubertuber]

We used to get lots out of Harrison lake when I was young. Any small bay that had an inflow was good.

[BCHunterFSJ]

Yep most of them lakes that have Smallmouth bass have cray's. A favorite food of them buggers.

When I lived in Quebec, crayfish were the best bait for smallmouth bass! My father used to make my brother and I catch them for that purpose...

[SPEYMAN]

There were crayfish in Trout and Deer lake.

[Squamch]

Any south island guys who are thinking of catching some out of "the quarry" in shawnigan, don't do it. I was talking to a guy in there a few years ago who was doing a research project on them. He said that since it's a closed ecosystem (no outflow), they are FULL of nasty shit. It was also enough to convince me not to swim in there anymore. Everything that hits the surface of the water and sinks, eventually goes through those bottom feeders.
Yuk.

[bloody bellies]

anybody know where I can get traps for these critters? I live right bedside the Harrison river and wouldn't mind giving this a go

[sparkes3]

Super easy to make yourself
just ask google for some ideas

[gonehunting]

bass pro has them

[Scotty76]

Two summers ago, Bought some light gauge wire mesh, quickly made some homemade crayfish traps. Tossed them off the dock on Lake Cowichan not expecting much.. was almost full within a night. Got some crab from port renfrew, local corn and sausage from the valley and had myself a boil. Hope picture works. Traps are super easy to make, and fun little critters to catch and something different to have on the dinner plate.



http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=6825&stc=1

[caddisguy]

I scored a new lap top for cheap, so I am getting back into video editing. Going through the 2017 backlog, I came across some 2017 crayfish trapping from shore and put together a little video... figured I'd toss it up here. I don't think it will get over 1000000 views like the last one, but I had fun putting it together. Will put some more fishing vids and 2017 spring bear vids up soon.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEB9GGfS6s8

[Livewire322]

Does anyone know if there are crayfish in the Elaho?

[Arctic Lake]

Is there information on crayfish fishing in the Freshwater regulations ?
Thanks
Arctic Lake

[Spy]

Any south island guys who are thinking of catching some out of "the quarry" in shawnigan, don't do it. I was talking to a guy in there a few years ago who was doing a research project on them. He said that since it's a closed ecosystem (no outflow), they are FULL of nasty shit. It was also enough to convince me not to swim in there anymore. Everything that hits the surface of the water and sinks, eventually goes through those bottom feeders.
Yuk.
Great info thanks I was planning on grabbing a couple out of there....

[caddisguy]

Is there information on crayfish fishing in the Freshwater regulations ?
Thanks
Arctic Lake

Yes. Regions 1, 2 and 3.

25 crayfish per day, per person using any number of traps. Possession quota 2x. All fin fish caught in traps must be released.

Double check the regs of course just in-case.

Though not in the regulations, it is worth noting that cray-fishing is exempt from bait bans. This is not in the regs, but I have a letter from the ministry (that someone else on HBC passed along) stating such.

[Arctic Lake]

Thanks for the information Caddisguy !
Arctic Lake

[dodge456]

anybody know where I can get traps for these critters? I live right bedside the Harrison river and wouldn't mind giving this a go

http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/folding-prawn-trap-0779446p.html#srp

This is the one I have, it works pretty well and it's not expensive. I haven't been out for them in a couple years now but its a lot of fun pulling the trap to see what you have, and they are tasty little critters

[buck nash]

Bass pro has traps for them for $11 each. Otherwise you can take minnow traps and enlarge the hole.

I modify my traps by making one way doors using zip ties. This mod easily doubles productivity with these traps.

I found cat food was not very effective. The best bait I've found was some salmon that sat in the freezer too long. Put a slab of that in a bait cage so they can't eat it too fast then leave your traps out overnight. They are far more active at night.

[buck nash]

If you find any carrying eggs Please throw them back. Its also a good practice to cut a V shaped notch in egg bearing female's tail before you throw her back in to let others know that she's a productive female. This is also what lobster fisherman do.

[buck nash]

http://www.fishnbc.com/species/crawfish.html

[TexasWalker]

Raw chicken drumsticks for bait, can't be beat.

[buck nash]

Raw chicken drumsticks for bait, can't be beat.

Salmon beats it by far actually.

I kept a few that I caught in a 100 gallon fish tank and experimented with baits and traps. They only went for raw chicken when they were really hungry. Same with beef. But if you put salmon in there it was a feeding frenzy. When any of the fish from my other tanks died they went into the crayfish tank and were quickly consumed. They were also quick to cannibalize any crayfish that died.

[TexasWalker]

Salmon beats it by far actually.

I kept a few that I caught in a 100 gallon fish tank and experimented with baits and traps. They only went for raw chicken when they were really hungry. Same with beef. But if you put salmon in there it was a feeding frenzy. When any of the fish from my other tanks died they went into the crayfish tank and were quickly consumed. They were also quick to cannibalize any crayfish that died.

Maybe different spots produce different results.
I've fished old salmon and chicken and my chicken traps always out produced the fish.
Same with Dungeness crabs.

[buck nash]

Texas walker. Its possible. Could also be due to other variables. Season, temp, species, pre or post molt....

[caddisguy]

I used to have a 70gal with crayfish. Lots of places to hide and what not, but whenever one molted it would get pursued relentlessly until it was killed and eaten.

I'd feed them hotdog, earth worms and all sorts of things. The most excited I ever saw them was when I dropped a trout head in. A crayfish caught it before it even hit the bottom, then held it up parading it around the tank.

[buck nash]

I used to have a 70gal with crayfish. Lots of places to hide and what not, but whenever one molted it would get pursued relentlessly until it was killed and eaten.

I'd feed them hotdog, earth worms and all sorts of things. The most excited I ever saw them was when I dropped a trout head in. A crayfish caught it before it even hit the bottom, then held it up parading it around the tank.

Its what they're meant to eat. They're the clean up crew of their habitat. But they are also relentless cannibals. When they Molly, they should be separated til their new shell hardens.

[Rotorwash]

I know this is from last year but I'm down in the langley/ maple ridge area for work for another week or so and would love to try to find some. Any hints on where I can try for these lake bugs?

[Wild one]

Crayfish in majority of the lakes/rivers/streams ex in the lower mainland its more so a water quality issue or numbers. Lakes/rivers with salmon runs usually have good numbers

Pit lake and river has them for example

[Ali_G]

Has anyone ever had any luck with Crayfish on the Coquitlam River? I have tried several spots with raw chicken as bait with no interest at all.

[Sharpish]

Has anyone ever had any luck with Crayfish on the Coquitlam River? I have tried several spots with raw chicken as bait with no interest at all.


I grew up in PoCo and we used to catch them in the river. They are definately there, maybe not in high numbers.

[Ali_G]

I grew up in PoCo and we used to catch them in the river. They are definitely there, maybe not in high numbers.

Great to know, Thank you. I guess I must just be at the wrong location and/or wrong bait.

[Ali_G]

What's everyone's top crayfish bait??

[caddisguy]

What's everyone's top crayfish bait??

Hot dog wieners... cheapest you can find (may contain chicken and/or beef and/or pork)

We have used pretty much everything. Lots of different kinds of dog food, cat food, tuna, chicken liver, bacon ... never had anything come very close to cheap hot dog wieners.

[limit time]

Hot dog wieners... cheapest you can find (may contain chicken and/or beef and/or pork)

We have used pretty much everything. Lots of different kinds of dog food, cat food, tuna, chicken liver, bacon ... never had anything come very close to cheap hot dog wieners.
+1 on the lips and azzholes .

[Ali_G]

Hot dog wieners... cheapest you can find (may contain chicken and/or beef and/or pork)

We have used pretty much everything. Lots of different kinds of dog food, cat food, tuna, chicken liver, bacon ... never had anything come very close to cheap hot dog wieners.

Never heard of people using Hot dog. Will have to give that one a go.

[Ali_G]

So I caught my first crayfish! I left it in the trap whilst I went and got some more bait. When I came back it had gone. I'm wondering if the crayfish can get out of my trap which would explain the lack of them. I'm using a collapsible mesh style trap. Has anyone had these problems? Are there better traps I should use?

[caddisguy]

Never heard of people using Hot dog. Will have to give that one a go.

Search for "caddisguy crayfish" on YouTube if you get bored. We have quite a few videos with respectable hauls of crayfish using hotdogs.

As for crayfish getting out of the traps, it depends on the traps. We used collapsible mesh ones (the cylinder style) and the only time we have had crayfish "get out" is at busy spots where we have observed slobs checking out our traps. Otters are capable of crayfish theft as well though.

[Ali_G]

Search for "caddisguy crayfish" on YouTube if you get bored. We have quite a few videos with respectable hauls of crayfish using hotdogs.

As for crayfish getting out of the traps, it depends on the traps. We used collapsible mesh ones (the cylinder style) and the only time we have had crayfish "get out" is at busy spots where we have observed slobs checking out our traps. Otters are capable of crayfish theft as well though.

Great Videos!!! Did you film them with a GoPro?
I think I have found out the cause of my low numbers. I am pretty sure someone has been helping themselves to my trap. Time to move it else where.
Do people have more luck in deep slow water or shallow fast flowing waters??

[835]

This thread has been around since 2009 and has over 51,000 views..... that's crazy......... and it still pops up...
Tha frick is it with Crawdids

[adriaticum]

Crayfish are awesome table fare.
I used to catch them in small creeks by hand too.
I don't think they are underutilized.

[Jordan f.]

Anybody have much luck on the north end of the island?

[caddisguy]

Great Videos!!! Did you film them with a GoPro?
I think I have found out the cause of my low numbers. I am pretty sure someone has been helping themselves to my trap. Time to move it else where.
Do people have more luck in deep slow water or shallow fast flowing waters??

Thanks! Filmed mostly with GoPro clones (SJ4000)

In lakes, we catch most within 20 yards from shore in 4 to 10 feet of water. For sloughs / streams, slower / deeper pockets are the ticket.

They are also more active at night and Sep-Nov are the most productive months.

Crayfishing has kind of blown up in the last 5 years or so. Probably partly my fault. One of those videos got over 1.5 millions views and then some Vancouver rags and outdoor rags piggy backed off it publishing articles that named lakes.

There's one place in part particular that I had never seen anyone else trapping and last time I went we counted about 50 traps and didn't catch very many lol

If you find lakes with good crayfish populations it's best to keep quiet and be discreet when trapping. I still point people to Harrison because it's huge and no amount of pressure will have an impact. It does take some experimenting to find good pockets though.

[Ali_G]

Thanks! Filmed mostly with GoPro clones (SJ4000)

In lakes, we catch most within 20 yards from shore in 4 to 10 feet of water. For sloughs / streams, slower / deeper pockets are the ticket.

They are also more active at night and Sep-Nov are the most productive months.

Crayfishing has kind of blown up in the last 5 years or so. Probably partly my fault. One of those videos got over 1.5 millions views and then some Vancouver rags and outdoor rags piggy backed off it publishing articles that named lakes.

There's one place in part particular that I had never seen anyone else trapping and last time I went we counted about 50 traps and didn't catch very many lol

If you find lakes with good crayfish populations it's best to keep quiet and be discreet when trapping. I still point people to Harrison because it's huge and no amount of pressure will have an impact. It does take some experimenting to find good pockets though.


That's crazy that it exploded that much. I seem to remember seeing that video a while back doing the round on social media.
Thank you for all the help and advice. Just got to keep searching for those golden spots I guess.

[MrCNaDiAn]

Hey all. Heading to Shuswap lake tomorrow, curious if anyone has dropped a crayfish trap in there at all? I always think things are worth a try... but if anyone knows already..... I’ve caught and enjoyed plenty of crayfish meat the lower mainland, but am heading there for a few days and just found a couple traps I forgot I purchased, so thought I’d inquire and maybe giver a rip...

let me know!
Thanks!
MrCNaDiAn