# catching crawfish?



## ignantmike (Apr 30, 2005)

hello, going to try and catch some crawfish to use as bait this year....my question is....when is a good time to start?....i'm not sure at what temp the water has to be....using crawfish traps....any help would be great.....thank's


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## hailtothethief (Jan 18, 2017)

Ive seen them in winter crawling under clear ice. They prob in their usual rocky spots.


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## baitguy (Dec 17, 2013)

catching them individually is fun but they're crafty and fast, traps are the easiest way, find a good spot and you'll catch plenty ... recently dead things that have been sitting around a day or 2 are the best bait, bluegill, any fish really, canned cat food, chicken necks or livers ... you tube it, there's lots of methods ...


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## ignantmike (Apr 30, 2005)

thank's for the info....early in the season with cooler temp's....about how long will they live in say a Rubbermaid tub with air stone?


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## ignantmike (Apr 30, 2005)

thank's for the info....early in the season with cooler temp's....about how long will they live in say a Rubbermaid tub with air stone?


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## ignantmike (Apr 30, 2005)

thank's for the info....early in the season with cooler temp's....about how long will they live in say a Rubbermaid tub with air stone?


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## ignantmike (Apr 30, 2005)

sorry for repeat...


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## hailtothethief (Jan 18, 2017)

Crawfish are hardy. They can survive horrible conditions.


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## BuckeyeFishinNut (Feb 8, 2005)

I like using a small 4' minnow seine. Spread it out below a riffle, hang on to the poles, get upstream and start kicking rocks over. Good way to get craws and hellgrammites and requires very little work. I have also used traps, any fishy bait works well, fish scraps from cleaned fish, can of cat food, cheap canned tuna, shad, etc.


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## Gotworms (Jan 29, 2015)

I recently dug up a tile pipe that was out in middle of huge field 24 inches deep and there were crayfish living in it crazy how they would live under ground like that


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## RiparianRanger (Nov 18, 2015)

Wait until early June and they'll be all over in the creeks.


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## ristorap (Mar 6, 2013)

What color are the crawfish around here?


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## Gottagofishn (Nov 18, 2009)

Once upon a fishing trip I was hammering big white bass on a spinner bait at night fishing one of the above ground reservoirs in Mansfield. The area I was fishing was lined with small rip rap. I decided to keep some as I had never eaten any to give them a try. The action was fast... I put them on a stringer and tossed them in the water. Things started to slow so I wandered down the bank looking for more. I caught another and walked back to put it on the stringer.... the fish on the stringer were covered in craws! They were eating the fins off the fish.
So I said that to say this. Toss some kind of bait in a likely area at night and you should end up with a zillion.


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## Bluefinn (Jan 26, 2007)

Gottagofishn said:


> Once upon a fishing trip I was hammering big white bass on a spinner bait at night fishing one of the above ground reservoirs in Mansfield. The area I was fishing was lined with small rip rap. I decided to keep some as I had never eaten any to give them a try. The action was fast... I put them on a stringer and tossed them in the water. Things started to slow so I wandered down the bank looking for more. I caught another and walked back to put it on the stringer.... the fish on the stringer were covered in craws! They were eating the fins off the fish.
> So I said that to say this. Toss some kind of bait in a likely area at night and you should end up with a zillion.


Traps with dog food works. We catch them to eat & use the big minnows for bait.


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## rustyhooks42 (Aug 22, 2011)

Been in a creek here near Uniontown. I tried chicken breast and bread as I watched in the videos on Youtube. No luck, wondering if it's too early yet. Going back for more eventually, if they were living in the bottom of tiling, they have to live in this creek that's connected to the Tusc.


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## Bluefinn (Jan 26, 2007)

rustyhooks42 said:


> Been in a creek here near Uniontown. I tried chicken breast and bread as I watched in the videos on Youtube. No luck, wondering if it's too early yet. Going back for more eventually, if they were living in the bottom of tiling, they have to live in this creek that's connected to the Tusc.


Try some dog food or fish scraps.


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## rustyhooks42 (Aug 22, 2011)

Bluefinn said:


> Try some dog food or fish scraps.


Thanks!


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## Bvil (Sep 28, 2019)

My son uses the cheapest hot dogs available and does very well. You can avoid a stinky mess and they are available everywhere.
We have never used craws for bait so he sets several traps and only keeps the biggest ones. A lot of nice sized bugs can be caught in a couple nights. They will live a long time in a plastic tub with an aerator. We allow a week or so with several water changes before boiling.


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## RiparianRanger (Nov 18, 2015)

What is the best way to rig them - free line, under a bobber, cast and hop? Plan is to use them for bait in rivers and streams targeting smallmouth


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## Bluefinn (Jan 26, 2007)

Bvil said:


> My son uses the cheapest hot dogs available and does very well. You can avoid a stinky mess and they are available everywhere.
> We have never used craws for bait so he sets several traps and only keeps the biggest ones. A lot of nice sized bugs can be caught in a couple nights. They will live a long time in a plastic tub with an aerator. We allow a week or so with several water changes before boiling.


How do you keep the ***** out? They love craws. I keep mine in a kiddey pool & put them in a cooler over night after ***** ran a midnight raid. Change water on transfers.


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## Bluefinn (Jan 26, 2007)

RiparianRanger said:


> What is the best way to rig them - free line, under a bobber, cast and hop? Plan is to use them for bait in rivers and streams targeting smallmouth


I've used the small ones hooked through the tail & flipped out in the current on the Cuyahoga. If in a deep run lift up so they don't get down in the rocks & snag up. Let us know how you do. I've tried them in ponds for largemouth but minnows way out produce them. I also tear the pinchers off.


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