# Self Sufficiency/Living off the Land or Off the Grid > Fishing >  Crawdads

## grrlscout

They are in for it, boy howdy!  :Devil: 

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The plan is to put some kippers in cheesecloth, tied to a string. When they latch on, yoink 'em on up.

Bacon tied with string is simpler and probably more effective. But we only have delicious local bacon in stock. No way am I wasting that on some mudbugs!

Instead, I found this can of hot tomato sauce kippers in the back of the pantry. I hope they like it spicy!

I used to have a nice trap. But I set it up one weekend, while camping, and someone stole it.  :Frown:  I never caught anything with it anyway.

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## Rick

Wait! You are using Kippers for bait?! Have you no shame? Oh, the humanity.

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## grrlscout

In my book, bacon trumps herring any day!

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## Rick

it's not an either/or. You don't have to use either one. I repeat myself. Oh, the humanity.

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## hunter63

Cheapo hot dogs piees work well......but don't waste the kippers....or the bacon.
Now, if it was vienna sausages....have at......OD on these years ago, so would make good bait.
Good fishing!

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## Rick

Yeah, yeah, weiners. That's the ticket. It's not like crawdads are connoisewers (get it connoisseur, creeks, connoi sewers? I slay myself.)

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## grrlscout

I gots nothin' else.  :Frown:  Plus, that can has been sitting in the pantry for months. I can always get more - cheap - at Grocery Outlet.

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## grrlscout

Wait. I have some boudin in the fridge. Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.

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## COWBOYSURVIVAL

Herring good! Net fishing not very efficient. Get you a minnow style trap!

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## power

Forget about the crawdads.  By the time you have cleaned then there isn't much left.

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## grrlscout

It's more for entertainment than anything.  :Wink:

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## Winter

Crawdad=shrimp. I always used chicken bones as a kid. Chicken necks are dirt cheap.

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## your_comforting_company

We just dip-net them. no bait. But we don't eat them either. They live in roadside ditches that collect runoff from fields (and God knows where else..). We use them to catch bass which trumps bacon and kippers any day.. unless you're gonna wrap the bacon and kippers around the bass!!
One of my favorite places to get crawdads was by some woods not far from here.. but the woods got knocked down last year and we haven't had enough rain to fill any ditches. There are places where Spring Creek isn't even running water anymore. Those pools would be great places to get crawfish, but then you'd have to walk a LONG way to get to the fishes. I'm seeing the compound effects of massive farming initiatives cause major changes in our ecosystems. Before there were 10 center-pivot irrigations per square mile with 6" wells, the creeks rarely ever got this low. Several people have had to put in deeper wells this year as the water table has dropped that far.
Sorry, went off on a tangent there.

I've never used bait to catch crawdads. just speed and a net. I've caught them several times while fishing using the same dip net I use in the ditches. they like to gather up in eddies and shallows where the water is running, but not too swift. Been going to try to make one of those nifty traps, but just haven't had time this year to even think about it. If you're trying to get them out of the holes they live in, you can just stick any small stick or piece of fishing line.. literally anything.. in the hole, and when they grab hold, give a good yank. Those are usually the eating size ones.

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## tuxdad

If those sardines have been in your pantry that long, go for it... Not a fan of sardines myself... Was one my uncles hangover foods(foulest smell ever, beer, puke and sardines).. Bait sounds pretty good !! Let us know how it works for you ??

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## Winter

You guys are ruining crawdads for me. I always got them out of mountain streams. clean and yummy

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## COWBOYSURVIVAL

> We just dip-net them. no bait. But we don't eat them either. They live in roadside ditches that collect runoff from fields (and God knows where else..). We use them to catch bass which trumps bacon and kippers any day.. unless you're gonna wrap the bacon and kippers around the bass!!
> One of my favorite places to get crawdads was by some woods not far from here.. but the woods got knocked down last year and we haven't had enough rain to fill any ditches. There are places where Spring Creek isn't even running water anymore. Those pools would be great places to get crawfish, but then you'd have to walk a LONG way to get to the fishes. I'm seeing the compound effects of massive farming initiatives cause major changes in our ecosystems. Before there were 10 center-pivot irrigations per square mile with 6" wells, the creeks rarely ever got this low. Several people have had to put in deeper wells this year as the water table has dropped that far.
> Sorry, went off on a tangent there.
> 
> I've never used bait to catch crawdads. just speed and a net. I've caught them several times while fishing using the same dip net I use in the ditches. they like to gather up in eddies and shallows where the water is running, but not too swift. Been going to try to make one of those nifty traps, but just haven't had time this year to even think about it. If you're trying to get them out of the holes they live in, you can just stick any small stick or piece of fishing line.. literally anything.. in the hole, and when they grab hold, give a good yank. Those are usually the eating size ones.


YCC, I am seeing the same problem in my neck of the woods. I am pretty sure my well is starving for water. Old farmer up the road just put in a deep well. Please let it rain!

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## hunter63

> If those sardines have been in your pantry that long, go for it... Not a fan of sardines myself... Was one my uncles hangover foods(foulest smell ever, beer, puke and sardines).. Bait sounds pretty good !! Let us know how it works for you ??


Yeah, if it's sardines, go for it....But kippers are another story.

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## shiftyer1

I just go down to the river and start grabbing up the weeds on the edge by bunches and pick them out.  I didn't even realize you could use bait and fish for them!

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## Pocomoonskyeyes3

Down home, all that most people use them for is fishing bait. However I DID get turned around in the woods one time and used them for a meal. Fairly good eating in a pinch. I just skewered 'em on a stick like a hot dog and held 'em over the fire for a bit to kill any parasites and such.

Down home folks make a Loooong handled Dip net. They weld a box type frame and attach hardware cloth, adding a handle. Handles are about 7'-10' usually. A quick dip and dump on the bank, collecting crayfish/crawfish/crawdads of all sizes. In a good spot you can have enough for a good sized meal or a 2 day fishing trip in @ 30 minutes or so.

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## Rick

> Fairly good eating in a pinch.


Get it? Bud bugs? Pinch? He slays himself.

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## grrlscout

I'd say it worked pretty well. 

I had a slow start, catching only 2 in about 45 minutes:

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Later, I changed locations and caught about 6 more nice eating-sized ones, in the same amount of time:

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This is one of the smaller size ones:

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But most were about this size:

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I found that the bait+string method was pretty self-regulating. Only the big guys had the strength or determination to clasp on tight enough for me to get them to shore. The smaller ones would let go, and dart off back into the water.

Unfortunately, we decided to hit the brewery after the creek, and I was afraid they would die in the container while we were there. So I released them all.  :Frown:

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## Winter

Nice, those are big enough to eat the claws.

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## wtrfwlr

Thanks for sharing sounds like a fun trip!

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## oldtrap59

I usually catch a few in my minnow trap when I go fishing. some big some small. Small ones make good bait.

Oldtrap

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## Rick

So there I was, see? Trapped like a water rat in this giant's grubby paws. 

Were you afraid grandpa? 

Me afraid? Of course not. I just had her look into my beady little crawfish eyes and I hypnotized her (claw snaps) just like that! 

Wow!!! What happened? 

I just kept saying over and over, let me go, let me go, in a forceful way you know. And the hypnosis did the trick. She just released all of us.

There were others? 

Oh, yeah. Didn't I tell you? I saved maybe 20 or 30 other crawfish. 

Your my hero.

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## Willie

ha, I finally found a thread I could contribute to. But yall prob. already knew what I am going to tell you! Birds also love crawfish. When I was young i would go to the ditch by our house and catch crawfish. I would take them home and put them in this gaint cement mixing container we had with a couple inches of water. I noticed that they were disappearing. So one day I saw a bird stealing my crawfish. I would watch and they would just swoop down and snatch them up. So I thought other than also using them to fish with or just eat by themself( Being from south LA.,MS.) I would also use them to catch birds. But I never ate the birds! 

Willie

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## Wise Old Owl

> Wait! You are using Kippers for bait?! Have you no shame? Oh, the humanity.


How do you think I catch Skunks?

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