[wheelman]

I have a crayfish trap, but have had poor luck the past few days. Anyone care to share some tactics with me. Trying to get some for a thursday trip to big mac.

Thanks

 

[idratherbfishing]

We ususually have good luck catching crawdads in water 1-2 feet deep, baiting with a hunk of meat. Almost any kind will do, chicken, beef or pork. We usually use a hunk of liver. Make sure you tie the liver to the cage so it is harder to be dragged away. Leave the trap out overnight if possible.

Dan

 

[Jason in Aurora]

I've never used a trap before. I go with chix liver tied to line. I use a kitchen strainer to pick them up if I need a lot in a short time.

 

[GoneFishin]

If u use pepperoni U may catch a crappie. I got 2 of them one time that way up at pikeview.

 

[10 Gauge]

What I use in mine is a can of cat food with a bunch of holes poked in the lid. Just put the can inside of the trap.

 

[tbmanivong]

What kind of traps are you guys using? I have the Frabill Crawdad trap. I left it overnight last year. Caught about 3 dozen minnows instead of crawdads.

 

[Pete]

Dan,

How many dads to you average in one night in the trap, and if you had to pick one spot a Chatfield where would you drop it?

I dropped a trap in Kingfisher Lake last night, back side and way out of the way, but when I showed up this evening to retrieve it, I found some sort of swimming event with a ton of people swimming in the lake and half a dozen in the area of my trap just hanging out an wading in the water... tons of kids. Found my line cut and trap gone... stuff happens.

It seems like the preferred method though is meat on a string...

Pete

 

[hooknline]

LOL Pete lucky u didnt put that $20 dollar bill in the trap.

 

[trouthunter]

At Harimann Lake one of the fishermen I met named Jeff simply caught a small perch and cut it in half and hooked it to the end of a treble hook. He had his other poles out trying for Cats and Walleyes and while he was waiting he must have pulled in about 3 to 4 dozen.

When the Crawdads would latch onto the perch he would slowly lift up the rod and drop them off into his bucket. Looked simple? There were literately thousands of crawdads moving around on the dam (North and West Sides). Beats paying $.10-$.25 cents each and plus you can drop your pole in and try for some walleyes and catfish will you are getting your crawdads.

 

[idratherbfishing]

Pete,

Any time you leave a trap out there is always a risk of it disappearing. Sorry to hear you lost yours.

At Chatfield I would put it somewhere around the Plum Creek area. The closer you are to the restrooms and the boat rental area the more likely someone is going to stumble across it.

Depending on the who knows what factors a person can catch a few or dozens.

Another place you might try and we do this a couple of times a year.

Go to Hine Lake, stick a piece of liver or something on length of line attached to a rod or stick. Go on the handicap dock there are tons of crayfish in burrows and under the rocks there. Wait till one grabs it and slowly bring it up. If the inlet is flowing there there are usually scads of crayfish that can be grabbed by hand. Last year we saw hundreds trying to get up the inlet and were crawling on the shore.


Hmmm, maybe I should head out there on Friday night.........

Dan

 

[jiggy]

Some guys from work (originally Lousianna) set traps for crawdads and catch enough for some huge boil party every summer. Italked to them alittle about it and they said people kept stealing there traps so they started making their own for a couple bucks apiece. I will talk to them again and let you guys know how they do it. SeeYa

 

[fisher32]

In my opinion you don't need a trap. Go down to Chatfield at the outlet, down a ways is a little waterfall. Fish either side rite now, it's hot. Thousands of craws there. Just use some meat tyed onto a string, throw it in and wait 5 minutes. Then pull them out by the hand ful, don't forget your crawdad net.

Save some for me too. 8)

 

[jmorton]

I made my traps out of rabbit wire. 24 inches long, 10 inches square, with a ramp on each open end that they crawl up and drop into the trap but can't easily get out of, I cut a rectangle out of one side to empty the trap and wire it back on when they are set. I usually bait them with the cheap chicken wings from Wal-mart and it works great, 30-40 per trap sometimes. You have to be in an area that has a good population though or they will come up empty too often.
We use six traps at Palmer lake and had over 300 in three settings! Ate them that night in camp!! Good stuff!!!

 

[fishinguitars]

there is a lake off sante fe next to two softball fields i dont know if they have big crawdads anymore (dont see why they wouldnt) but we used to catch huge ones there looked like little lobsters

 

[kpetro]

www.terrybullard.com/crayfish_products.html

This site has some good pointers for catching craws. The traps there look good, too, although I have yet to buy one.

 

[fishing3o3]

can you buy crawfish traps? and where can i buy them?

 

[idratherbfishing]

Try either Sportsman's or Gander Mountain for crawdad traps. Sometimes you can find them elsewhere but they are your best bets.

Dan

 

[fishing3o3]

k thanks for the reply how much do they tend to cost?

 

[idratherbfishing]

I haven't a clue on the cost. I just remember seeing them.

Dan

 

[fishingkats]

go to walmart they have everything