# Crawfish or Lobster?



## SMBHooker (Jan 3, 2008)

O.K. this is odd. 

My wife and I were coming back from a bike ride just after dark. You know how you can imagine shapes in the clouds? Well, while we were turning into our circle heading home, through the corner of my eye I thought my mind had created the shape of a craw-fish out of the pavement. 

I put my brakes on, stopped and turned around to see a 5" crayfish in the middle of the road. Weird . . . right. Were I live there is no creek or any body of water near bye. 

So I got to thinking what the heck is this thing doing in the middle of the road after dark away from the water? Any Ideas? Got me?

I'll see if I can get a pic uploaded. But, one pincher is much smaller than the other. It has been years since I played in the creek chasing critters so, I am having trouble recalling if there is a difference in the claws between crawfish and Lobsters.

This is either a big Crayfish or a small Lobster? Anyone know the difference based on the description of the claws? Maybe it lost one early in life and it's growing back?

Anyhow . . the crayfish is now named Herman, by my wife, and will be heading to the river directly after work to fulfill his destiny as bait . 

His is big so I am expecting a big bite. I'll keep everyone posted as to Herman's fate.

What might be the best way to hook'em for maximum fishing efficiency? :F


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## conley1414 (Feb 12, 2010)

You should wait till he sheds and then use him and then you will catch a monster smallie.


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## Alter (Apr 8, 2004)

Sounds like a terrestrial/semi-terrestrial crayfish? There are many species of crayfish don't stay in streams or lakes all the time but instead spend time in burrows they make in fields. 

Crayfish can regrow a pincher if one is lost and some species tend to have one pincher that grows faster( I think ).

A couple of prime candidates would be Cambarus diogenes and Cambarus ortmanni.

Steve


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## bassman2 (Jul 14, 2007)

I've got crawdads living in my backyard right now!!! Sometimes they stay all summer. The nearest creek is about 150 yards away. They come out at night and feed. They'll sit at the opening of their hole in the evenings and actually venture out a little bit, after dark. I do not know how far down the ground water is, but it's there or they wouldn't/couldn't stay all summer. Crawdads migrate undergound during the winter following ground water and food and usually in the spring when there's a good rain will borrow up to the surface and migrate back to the steam or creek. Thats why you will see all the mud mounds along drainage ditches along side of country roads.....crawdad migration.


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## SMBHooker (Jan 3, 2008)

This is all news to me, I had no idea that crawdads left the water at all, interesting information. 

Thanks for dropping some knowledge on me guys. 

Now, lets hope Herman has been trained in the art of seduction because I sure am hoping hell seduce a bite from a big Smallmouth. :Banane44:


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## hunterm (Apr 22, 2004)

You need about 10 lbs of them to boil up in a pot with seasonings, corn, taters,onions and andoullie Sausage...yum yum


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## longhaulpointer (Mar 12, 2009)

run a hook through the tail just under one of the plates and out right where another plate meets, and not actually through the meat, use a wide gap or circle, they work the best. I take a little finess to get it through there, but hell be perfectly healthy and pissed caused hes got a hook on him. Just move it around every so often or he'll craw under a rock and be gone.


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## SMBHooker (Jan 3, 2008)

Well, the street wondering crawdad got snagged and got away with my Gamakatsu


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## Hetfield (Feb 27, 2010)

News Flash! Lobster are only in the ocean! Duh!


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## namu1107 (Apr 27, 2010)

Hetfield said:


> News Flash! Lobster are only in the ocean! Duh!


Newsflash! There are some species of lobster that live in fresh water. Do your research. And if you want to get technical, crawfish are in the same family as lobster.


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## the falcon (Mar 13, 2010)

hunterm said:


> You need about 10 lbs of them to boil up in a pot with seasonings, corn, taters,onions and andoullie Sausage...yum yum


thats what i'm talking about


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## keithlancaster (Apr 2, 2009)

I too have never heard of Crawfish leaving the water, I always just assumed they couldnt live long out side of it. That is very interesting news to me! Thanks for that!


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## bassman2 (Jul 14, 2007)

the ones living in my back yard DO have access to water. They need water to survive. It's an underground water pool or flow. My neighbor has about a dozen holes , some pretty big diameter (good size crawdad).


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## bassnassassin (Mar 13, 2009)

Check out this huge craw I grabbed out of the river today. Thing was HUGE. Didn't use it as bait, not sure any smallie could have eaten the thing....


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