Crawfish

Crawfish for live bait are best use with the pinchers pulled off ---
otherwise they can crawl around and get your line all fouled up.

you can run a hook through the tail --- or you can try tying the
crawfish to the hook using light line (I dont recommend it)

In Beaner wrote:

How do you put them onto a hook to use as bait?"Sarge"
wrote in message
...
You can also try them in an egg omelet, stewed, fried, etouffee,
pies,
and
served with pasta.

Sarge



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Does anyone have a serious reply to this question?
I am also interested in using crawfish for bait!"Beaner"
wrote in message
...

How do you put them onto a hook to use as bait?"Sarge"
wrote in message
...
You can also try them in an egg omelet, stewed, fried, etouffee,
pies,
and
served with pasta.

Sarge






--------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
----






----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----

Well, I must admit that I just glossed over this originally as I have
forgotten the How To's of using crayfish. To try and answer your question, I
seem to remember when I was a much younger lad than I am now, that they were
hooked in the back, through the first jointed segment behind the "head/body"
section. This would allow a live crayfish the ability to move naturally.

Here in Wisconsin, none of my fishing bud's use crayfish, and it has been
about 30 years since I have used any as bait. The current reason, as shown
in the Wisconsin Fishing Regulations;
Page 6 - It is illegal to possess live crayfish while fishing or while
possessing angling equipment on any inland water, except the Mississippi
River.

I do not know how long they have had this in the regulations, but this is
the one of the reasons that I no longer think of crayfish as a bait to use.
Another being that I found them to be more of a hassle, when alive and
trying to keep them that way, than to deal with than minnows, crawlers, and
leeches. If I am going to use bait, I kinda like it to still be alive and
wiggling :-)

As a side note, Wisconsin does allow you to "hunt" them year round with no
size or bag limits, except on the Wisconsin/Minnesota boundary waters where
they close the season during March and April. There are also the (fairly)
standard laws about not introducing them to any waters without a permit to
do so.

I am wondering if these type of regulations are becoming more common around
the US. It may be that the lack of an answer is that the crayfish is falling
out of favor with many fishermen if this is so.

Cast far
Bob

"Paul" wrote in message
...

Does anyone have a serious reply to this question?
I am also interested in using crawfish for bait!"Beaner"
wrote in message
...

How do you put them onto a hook to use as bait?"Sarge"
wrote in message
...
You can also try them in an egg omelet, stewed, fried, etouffee,
pies,
and
served with pasta.

Sarge







--------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
----






--------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
----

My "serious" reply would be to read the posts that were written just
before yours. Both of them gave you a straight forward answer. if they
weren't visible to you as you wrote, they should be now.


In Paul wrote:

Does anyone have a serious reply to this question?
I am also interested in using crawfish for bait!"Beaner"
wrote in message
...

How do you put them onto a hook to use as bait?"Sarge"
wrote in message news:cbguu701m4a@
enews4.newsguy.com...
You can also try them in an egg omelet, stewed, fried, etouffee,
pies,
and
served with pasta.

Sarge




--------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
----



----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----



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`
end

"Bob" wrote:

Well, I must admit that I just glossed over this originally as I have
forgotten the How To's of using crayfish. To try and answer your question, I
seem to remember when I was a much younger lad than I am now, that they were
hooked in the back, through the first jointed segment behind the "head/body"
section. This would allow a live crayfish the ability to move naturally.

Here in Wisconsin, none of my fishing bud's use crayfish, and it has been
about 30 years since I have used any as bait. The current reason, as shown
in the Wisconsin Fishing Regulations;
Page 6 - It is illegal to possess live crayfish while fishing or while
possessing angling equipment on any inland water, except the Mississippi
River.

I do not know how long they have had this in the regulations, but this is
the one of the reasons that I no longer think of crayfish as a bait to use.
Another being that I found them to be more of a hassle, when alive and
trying to keep them that way, than to deal with than minnows, crawlers, and
leeches. If I am going to use bait, I kinda like it to still be alive and
wiggling :-)

As a side note, Wisconsin does allow you to "hunt" them year round with no
size or bag limits, except on the Wisconsin/Minnesota boundary waters where
they close the season during March and April. There are also the (fairly)
standard laws about not introducing them to any waters without a permit to
do so.

I am wondering if these type of regulations are becoming more common around
the US. It may be that the lack of an answer is that the crayfish is falling
out of favor with many fishermen if this is so.

Cast far
Bob

Hi Bob,
I sell thousands of crayfish traps annually across the nation and a fairly
large percentage of these traps are sold to bass fisherman not only for bait
but many have bass ponds and like to give their bass a treat now and then.
Using crawfish for bait is not falling out of favor with fisherman but strict
regulations in the use of crawfish for bait is in effect in many states and
will be in effect in all states shortly. Fish and Game Departments are becoming
very concerned with a new species of crawfish to the USA, the Rusty. It is a
very aggressive and large crawfish which is destroying game fish lakes. Just in
the last 20 years this invasive species has made it's way from Arizona to the
Great Lakes creating huge populations eating everything in their path, plants,
eggs, fry, anything they can catch. Fisherman are blamed for the primary spread
of these nasty critters. This is the reason for the restrictions not the lack
of favor by fisherman, grin. I sell a lot of traps to Fish and Game Departments
in many states as well and the information I stated above comes from them not
me. Crawfish are a real problem to fisherman unless of course you like eating
freshwater lobsters. Anyhow, that is the real deal.

Terry
--
Crayfishing Made Easy!
http://www.terrybullard.com

"Terry Bullard" wrote in message
Hi Bob,
I sell thousands of crayfish traps annually across the nation and a
fairly
large percentage of these traps are sold to bass fisherman not only for
bait
but many have bass ponds and like to give their bass a treat now and then.
Using crawfish for bait is not falling out of favor with fisherman but
strict
regulations in the use of crawfish for bait is in effect in many states
and
will be in effect in all states shortly. Fish and Game Departments are
becoming
very concerned with a new species of crawfish to the USA, the Rusty. It is
a
very aggressive and large crawfish which is destroying game fish lakes.
Just in
the last 20 years this invasive species has made it's way from Arizona to
the
Great Lakes creating huge populations eating everything in their path,
plants,
eggs, fry, anything they can catch. Fisherman are blamed for the primary
spread
of these nasty critters. This is the reason for the restrictions not the
lack
of favor by fisherman, grin. I sell a lot of traps to Fish and Game
Departments
in many states as well and the information I stated above comes from them
not
me. Crawfish are a real problem to fisherman unless of course you like
eating
freshwater lobsters. Anyhow, that is the real deal.

Rusty crayfish had decimated lakes in northern Wisconsin back in the mid
80's. Just now, some of the lakes weedbeds are recovering, some still
haven't. That's the reason why crayfish are not allowed for use as bait any
longer in this state.
--
Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers
http://www.outdoorfrontiers.com
G & S Guide Service and Custom Rods
http://www.herefishyfishy.com

"Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers"

"Terry Bullard" wrote in message
Hi Bob,
I sell thousands of crayfish traps annually across the nation and a
fairly
large percentage of these traps are sold to bass fisherman not only for
bait
but many have bass ponds and like to give their bass a treat now and then.
Using crawfish for bait is not falling out of favor with fisherman but
strict
regulations in the use of crawfish for bait is in effect in many states
and
will be in effect in all states shortly. Fish and Game Departments are
becoming
very concerned with a new species of crawfish to the USA, the Rusty. It is
a
very aggressive and large crawfish which is destroying game fish lakes.
Just in
the last 20 years this invasive species has made it's way from Arizona to
the
Great Lakes creating huge populations eating everything in their path,
plants,
eggs, fry, anything they can catch. Fisherman are blamed for the primary
spread
of these nasty critters. This is the reason for the restrictions not the
lack
of favor by fisherman, grin. I sell a lot of traps to Fish and Game
Departments
in many states as well and the information I stated above comes from them
not
me. Crawfish are a real problem to fisherman unless of course you like
eating
freshwater lobsters. Anyhow, that is the real deal.

Rusty crayfish had decimated lakes in northern Wisconsin back in the mid
80's. Just now, some of the lakes weedbeds are recovering, some still
haven't. That's the reason why crayfish are not allowed for use as bait any
longer in this state.

So then apparently you agree with the various F&G dept. accessment of how
invasive crayfish species are spread, is that what you are stating?
--
Crayfishing Made Easy!
http://www.terrybullard.com

"Terry Bullard" wrote in message SNIP

So then apparently you agree with the various F&G dept. accessment of how
invasive crayfish species are spread, is that what you are stating?

Yep!
--
Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers
http://www.outdoorfrontiers.com
G & S Guide Service and Custom Rods
http://www.herefishyfishy.com

"Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers" wrote:

"Terry Bullard" wrote in message SNIP

So then apparently you agree with the various F&G dept. accessment of how
invasive crayfish species are spread, is that what you are stating?

Yep!
--
Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers
http://www.outdoorfrontiers.com

I agree as well but the Fish and Game Departments have taken to long to address
the problem and crayfish have already spread to every lake, river, and even
gravel pit ponds in all states. Restricting use of crayfish for bait is not
going to solve the problem. Do you have any ideas to what might? Commercial
trapping won't do it, I know, grin.
--
Crayfishing Made Easy!
http://www.terrybullard.com

"Terry Bullard" wrote in message SNIP

I agree as well but the Fish and Game Departments have taken to long to
address
the problem and crayfish have already spread to every lake, river, and
even
gravel pit ponds in all states. Restricting use of crayfish for bait is
not
going to solve the problem. Do you have any ideas to what might?
Commercial
trapping won't do it, I know, grin.

There's really no easy solution to the Rusty Crayfish problem. Commercial
trapping does seem to help reduce numbers somewhat, as does increasing the
bass population which does prey on the crayfish to an extent. The problem
is, the Rusties are so aggressive that the larger specimens will
successfully fight off attacking bass.

Our DNR had a large tank that they put in a couple adult smallmouth bass
(notorious crayfish eaters), along with a bunch of Rusty Crayfish. They
left for the weekend and in the interim, the crayfish attacked and consumed
the bass!

One of the area lakes was completely denuded of all weedbeds, the Rusties
got so bad. There was one old guy and his three grandsons that trapped
crayfish in the lake. The DNR did some stocking of smallmouth bass to the
lake as well. Now, 10 years later, the weeds are coming back quite nicely
and the lake is once again, a decent one to fish.

It does appear that the crayfish have a cyclic pattern, and that they're on
a downward spiral, but the interim period was tough.

Probably the single most important item to help the spread of exotic
species, whether plant or animal is public education. The Rusties got up
here primarily from south of the Wisconsin border anglers coming up here and
bringing their own bait. They would then dump any remaining contents of the
bucket into the lake, not realizing how devastating their actions could be.
There was no other explanation as to how they got this far north in such a
short period of time. I mean, "how could one bucket of crabs affect a
lake?"
--
Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers
http://www.outdoorfrontiers.com
G & S Guide Service and Custom Rods
http://www.herefishyfishy.com