# eating crayfish



## t.stuller (Feb 25, 2010)

Anyone ever eat crawfish from the streams around here? Island creek (which flows into Berlin) is right by my house and full of crayfish. They say crayfish wont live in polluted waters. Just wandering if anyone on here eats them, or knows someone who does? I've had them down south and their good!


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## Tree Rat Slayer (Feb 22, 2011)

My wife and I catch some with our friends in the summer and cook em up.... We usually put them in jambalaya and they are excellent eating!!


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## MuskieJim (Apr 11, 2007)

I've heard of people using carp to catch crawfish in the river. They will open up a dead carp they caught and throw it into the river on a string, leaving it for hours. They come back and very slowly pull the carp back to them. There will be a bunch of crawfish inside there. Try it and let me know!


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## Bobinstow90 (Apr 13, 2006)

With all the normal surface runoff in the modern world that gets in streams from lawncare, septic, streets....ya might be askin for trouble....but what do I know.

Good luck


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## catfishnut (Dec 23, 2010)

Bobinstow90 said:


> With all the normal surface runoff in the modern world that gets in streams from lawncare, septic, streets....ya might be askin for trouble....but what do I know.
> 
> Good luck


Oh......it sounds like you know alot!!!!LOL The OP's statement of crawfish not living in polluted river is something they might want to rethink......the rocky river is full of crawfish, but I won't eat anything I caught in there!!! Especially anything caught down stream of the airport.


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## Bad Bub (Jan 17, 2006)

t.stuller said:


> Anyone ever eat crawfish from the streams around here? Island creek (which flows into Berlin) is right by my house and full of crayfish. They say crayfish wont live in polluted waters. Just wandering if anyone on here eats them, or knows someone who does? I've had them down south and their good!


Just like with fish, it depends what the water is polluted with. Most all of the lakes in the country are polluted to some extent. Some have recommended restrictions on consumptions due to the various pollutants, and levels of those pollutants. Erie and the Ohio river have more industry and runoff from farm land than any other bodies of water in the state, yet they support 2 of our most dynamic fisheries, and both used to be almost "dead" water at one time..... I wouldn't trust the idea that since crayfish live there, the pollutant levels are low. But I don't believe a meal here and there is going to be hazardous to your health.

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## t.stuller (Feb 25, 2010)

There's consumption advisories on every body of water and every type of fish in this state. I only plan on eating them a few times a year, and its out a creek that has fairly clear water and runs mainly through woods. I was just wandering if their similar tasting to the ones down south. They put way worst things in half the processed foods on the market than whats in the lakes and streams, I can promise you that.


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## sheephead (Mar 31, 2012)

t.stuller said:


> There's consumption advisories on every body of water and every type of fish in this state. I only plan on eating them a few times a year, and its out a creek that has fairly clear water and runs mainly through woods. I was just wandering if their similar tasting to the ones down south. They put way worst things in half the processed foods on the market than whats in the lakes and streams, I can promise you that.


I agree with you totally stuller. Evrything is polluted anymore,and as far as processed food who knows what your eating,we're just lab rats. I've heard if there's green moss on the rocks in a creek it's pretty clean. I'd eat em and enjoy!!


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## Bad Bub (Jan 17, 2006)

t.stuller said:


> There's consumption advisories on every body of water and every type of fish in this state. I only plan on eating them a few times a year, and its out a creek that has fairly clear water and runs mainly through woods. I was just wandering if their similar tasting to the ones down south. They put way worst things in half the processed foods on the market than whats in the lakes and streams, I can promise you that.


I've never had them from down south so have no basis for comparison, but all the ones i've had up here have been good 

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## t.stuller (Feb 25, 2010)

Bad Bub said:


> I've never had them from down south so have no basis for comparison, but all the ones i've had up here have been good
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


Thanks! I made some homemade traps today out of some left over chicken wire, I'm gonna get me some


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## leftfordead88 (Oct 22, 2007)

I've eaten them out of the rocky when I was a kid when i was in Cleveland visiting relatives . make sure to purge them in clean water for 20-30 minutes or so prior to boiling


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## TopCat (Sep 27, 2006)

When I lived in Virginia, the state actually encouraged people to eat them. They'd become a nuisance in some reservoirs/lakes/ponds because certain species of crayfish burrowed into earthen dams and created some structural problems. While the crayfish farmed/harvested in Louisiana are the best known, every species of crayfish is edible. Here's some more info, courtesy of the State of Virginia:

http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/420/420-253/420-253.html


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## Bad Bub (Jan 17, 2006)

t.stuller said:


> Thanks! I made some homemade traps today out of some left over chicken wire, I'm gonna get me some


That would be the way to go. We used to turn rocks over to use them for smallie bait at piedmont. Then I got wiser and bought a trap. Now I just use the trap to catch a few for color ideas for tying jigs..... but your making me hungry now!

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## TRAPPERBECK (Mar 23, 2010)

Hey t.stuller I"ve eatin em down south also & WOW they were GREAT! I just wish I could git the they cooked them up down there . And FUR all you other guys every CRITTER is eatable ! I"ve ate fried MUSKRAT made BEAVER soup bbq RACCOON all from my own TRAPPLINE ! So if you git the way you are to cookem up Please post it on here !!


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## Doboy (Oct 13, 2008)

Thanks For the link 'TopCat'

When I was a TAD younger,,, we usta go to Shanango Creek, North of Polaski 208 and shoot/harvest frogs. Their bellies were bloated full of crabs!
There were shallow places in that river where the bottom was completely COVERED with crabs,,, it looked like the bottom was moving!
No problem catching a cupla GALLONS of crabs for Erie smallie fishing.(cupla hints here! )
ANYWAY, I always wanted to go back there,,, for the crabs AND the frogs.

THANKS GUYS,
I too, have never eat'n creek crabs, and would love to hear some more ways to cook 'em up!

I gotta post this; (8# FRESH WATER LOBSTER!!,,, Hey KiethR, we gotta get some of these!!!)
Crayfish, also known as crawfish, crawdad, freshwater crab and other local names, are found in freshwaters throughout the world. There are 550 species worldwide, 390 species in North America, 338 species in the United States, and more than 25 species in Virginia. Worldwide, they range in size from the tiny dwarf crayfish of Louisiana, less than one inch in length at maturity, to the *marron crayfish of Australia, which reaches a length of 16 inches and a maximum weight of 4 pounds. The world's largest crayfish is a Tasmanian species which can attain a weight of 8 pounds.* The crayfish species that inhabit Virginia's waters are considerably smaller, seldom exceeding 4 inches in total length.


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## qwertyegg (Mar 6, 2010)

a popular myth of the east says the more polluted the river, the happier the crawfish. thus sewage is where you find the most of them

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## t.stuller (Feb 25, 2010)

TRAPPERBECK said:


> Hey t.stuller I"ve eatin em down south also & WOW they were GREAT! I just wish I could git the they cooked them up down there . And FUR all you other guys every CRITTER is eatable ! I"ve ate fried MUSKRAT made BEAVER soup bbq RACCOON all from my own TRAPPLINE ! So if you git the way you are to cookem up Please post it on here !!


I ate a beaver roast that was done like pulled pork in a crockpot at an OSTA convention. Delicous!


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## Socom (Nov 3, 2005)

His comment on crayfish and pollution does have some merit. Here is a link to explain in detail:
http://www.grci.org/Frames/Water Quality/WaterQualityMonitoring.htm

But in short, one of the ways biologists measure the health and therefore lack of pollutants in a water way is to take a sample of organisms within a small section of waterway. 

Basically they take a small section (can be as small as a squarefoot) and count each individual organism there (like mayflies, nymphs, salamanders, crayfish etc)

The health of the waterway can be at least estimated by the quantity and variety or organisms. Some organisms cannot tolerate any pollutants at all, therefore the existence of these, can indicate a clean waterway. Others may be susceptible to certain kinds of pollution and their existence can indicate the lack of that certain pollutant. 

I am by no means an expert, just trying to help shed some light on something I found to be very interesting


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## SaugerHunter91 (Dec 6, 2011)

I live right down the road from you Stuller on the shores of Westville.. I personally wouldn't recommend eating anything from that creek (your talking the one on Hartzell road right by 14?) But if you do only once in a blue moon. As far as crayfish being an indicator species I never heard tell of that but its very possible... I'd make sure like everyone else said you purge em in clean water for awhile.... Good luck

Andy..


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## t.stuller (Feb 25, 2010)

SaugerHunter91 said:


> I live right down the road from you Stuller on the shores of Westville.. I personally wouldn't recommend eating anything from that creek (your talking the one on Hartzell road right by 14?) But if you do only once in a blue moon. As far as crayfish being an indicator species I never heard tell of that but its very possible... I'd make sure like everyone else said you purge em in clean water for awhile.... Good luck
> 
> Andy..


That is the same creek. I was thinking more up stream from Berlin though (about 1 mile). I hunt 3 different properties it flows through along 12th street and alot of springs flow into it. I've spent alot of time on Westville growing up. My Grandfather had a home on the 3rd lake, down by Dundans. His ashes are in the bottom of Westville now.The comment about the crayfish being an indicator of low pollution is what I read online while trying to find info. My degrees in Horticulture not enviromental studies.


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## buckeyebowman (Feb 24, 2012)

Socom said:


> His comment on crayfish and pollution does have some merit. Here is a link to explain in detail:
> http://www.grci.org/Frames/Water Quality/WaterQualityMonitoring.htm
> 
> But in short, one of the ways biologists measure the health and therefore lack of pollutants in a water way is to take a sample of organisms within a small section of waterway.
> ...


I have heard that said about blackflies, that they are kind of like the miner's canary in a cage. They are water breeders, and the least little bit of pollution in the water will kill them off. What do you find when you go out in the boonies of Canada with all that (relatively) clean water? Blackflies! And plenty of 'em! I know you can find them in PA. in more remote places with a good trout stream in it. Hmmmm. Maybe just a little pollution is a good thing?


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