Crawfish anyone?

[Bassblaster]

This is probably a stupid question given the prawning around the island, but does anyone, or has anyone, bothered to go after the crawfish in the rivers and creeks here?

I saw some very large ones in the CR river last year wading for pinks and I think I've seen a couple of traps at the different sports stores in town so was just wondering.

 

[Cuba Libre]

Hardly worth the effort since the Provincial daily limit is so low. But yes-- I have collected them for a taste. (Rolling over rocks in streams) Quite good,

 

[Bassblaster]

That's why I was wondering.

Janet and I used to catch them occasionally back in the Kootenays (no prawns there!) and found them to be quite delicious. It just seems that considering you can catch 200 prawns a day, 20-40 crawfish doesn't seem nearly as inviting. I think I'll give it a try though. WTH I have the licence already, might as well get my moneys worth out of it.

 

[vetteman]

I used to leave traps in Long Lake(Nanaimo)all summer long. I'd fish the lake a couple of times a week and check my traps then.
Dave

 

[Tellyman]

Bassblaster

Where in the Kootenays did you get crawfish? I'm in Nelson, heard about them around here, but nobody could confirm.

 

[Bassblaster]

Hey Tellyman,

I've seen them in Kootenay Lake but not in any great numbers. They're in the river as well but where we had our best luck for them was down towards the Montana border in Loon, Suzanne, and Northstar Lakes. They could be pretty thick in the rock and gravel bottom areas of the lakes. We caught some that were definitely bigger than some of the Jumbo spot prawns we've caught here. A really big one can go 8-9 inches long. I didn't get the chance to chase them in the Nelson area but I'd bet that they're in any of the warmer gravel and rock bottomed rivers and lakes in your neck of the woods. We had our best luck for them literally right up at shore or in less than two feet of water. A quick way to tell if they're around is just start slowly flipping over rocks that aren't sitting directly on the bottom so there's room for them to hide underneath. If you flip them over too fast you can churn up the mud off the bottom and miss seeing them escape in the murky water. They are surprisingly fast little devils. If you don't want to spend all day flipping rocks, just drop a piece of raw chicken in the water and bury it with a pile of fist-sized rocks or put a couple chunks of log over it. Like I said you can do this in about 4 inches of water right at shore. The crawdads will come to it overnight and you'll find them when you remove the cover the next day. No crawfish the next day means none in that body of water.

I also heard that they are in the Columbia river system in the same areas that the walleye are found.

Good luck and good eating if you go out. And don't forget to have the claw meat if you catch some. It's the best.

 

[Tellyman]

Thanks for the details, BB. Will have to try it on the Columbia for sure. What do you use for traps, just the little five gallon bucket sized plastic mesh traps, or what?

 

[FishBC.org]

I may have to try this on the Island. I remember using hotdogs (best bait ever) in the small river in Langley as a kid to catch the little buggers..

Anyone know if they exist in the Oyster River?

 

[Bassblaster]

There's any number of actual traps available, but a bucket or large plastic jar with a wire screen funnel going into it instead of a lid works good. Just sink it in enough water to submerge the whole thing with a couple rocks inside for weight and then cover it with rocks to make it look like a sheltering spot. Don't forget to put the bait in the trap. I think that screen traps probably work better because they allow the water to flow through them and carry the scent around better. I'd think that any of the prawn/crab baits would also work, along with catfood.

As for whether they are in the Oyster river, if they're in the CR, they're probably in the Oyster as well.

 

[sammyslabber]

I bet they'd make awesome bassbait too!

 

[Bassblaster]

I may have to try this on the Island. I remember using hotdogs (best bait ever) in the small river in Langley as a kid to catch the little buggers./QUOTE]

Yea, what's with that anyways? We used to use store bought summer sausage slices cut into halves and then rolled in a tube and stuck on a hook for Pike back in central Alberta. Maybe I'll try that for bottom fish and Halibut this year. At least it never goes bad. I left an open package in my tacklebox and forgot about it for a year (ice fishing box). Not a spec of mold or anything else on it! I have never eaten it since.

 

[Bassblaster]

I bet they'd make awesome bassbait too!

The smaller ones definitely do but I don't think you can use them for bait in BC. I'd want to check the new regs but I think they are listed as one of the invertabrates that is illegal to use as bait. Probably way too effective. Before I say for sure though I would check the regulations.

 

[FishBC.org]

There's any number of actual traps available, but a bucket or large plastic jar with a wire screen funnel going into it instead of a lid works good. Just sink it in enough water to submerge the whole thing with a couple rocks inside for weight and then cover it with rocks to make it look like a sheltering spot. Don't forget to put the bait in the trap. I think that screen traps probably work better because they allow the water to flow through them and carry the scent around better. I'd think that any of the prawn/crab baits would also work, along with catfood.

As for whether they are in the Oyster river, if they're in the CR, they're probably in the Oyster as well.

I'll fabricate myself a trap next week and do a trial run, and report back about the Oyster

 

[Whole in the Water]

I've fished for them in Cowichan Lake using small prawn traps. Funny thing is each trap had a small Dolly Varden in them! Can't say I liked eating them though, too small and they were very muddy tasting. Does anyone know if river crawfish taste better?

 

[Bassblaster]

All the ones I've caught in clear water lakes and streams with gravel or stone bottoms have been great. I think they're no different than fish that come from more stagnant water sources with clay or silt bottoms. Every trout out of a lake I ever caught back in central Alberta tasted like a mud pie. The family wouldn't even eat them.

 

[Bassblaster]

Just checked the new regulations and as expected Crawfish are not legal for use as bait in any lake in BC. They are okay to use when fishing streams and rivers, which I find kind of strange. I would definitely like to find out the science behind that decision. Anyone able to shed some light on the lakes/rivers invertabrates for bait rulings?

 

[Rempy]

I am heading up to Sproat lake on Friday for the long weekend and hoping to try for some Crawfish. Does anyone out there have any traps laying around that I can borrow. I am heading up Friday evening from Victoria.

Rempy