# Survival > General Survival Discussion >  Crawfish

## rt36crazyfists

anyone ever eat wild crawfish? what part of a Crawfish is edible?

----------


## Chris

They're basically freshwater lobsters, so any part of a lobster you can eat would be edible. The most meat will be in the tail.

----------


## tater03

I never even thought about being able to eat crawfish before. We go out to try and catch them in the river. But this is a great thing to remember if you ever did find yourself in an emergency by a river and needed food.

----------


## trick-r-treat

I love the taste of crawfish, as long as it is in a prepared dish.  It takes too long to pick out the good meat since they are so small.

----------


## mamab

I'm not much in to fish and seafood, but my husband absolutely loves a good mess of crawfish! My understanding is the same, if you can eat it on a lobster, you can eat it on a crawfish. You just have to be prepared because they're so much smaller.

----------


## Wolf Creek

I would compare crayfish more to shrimp. People used to eating unpeeled shrimp don't seen to mind like work. I seen plate fulls of these critters dissapper quick. Crayfish are scavagers boil them and the shell will turn lite red when there done. Meat should be white when done. I really don't think they have much flavor so putting something in the water for seasoning would be nice if giving the chance.

----------


## Minwaabi

I have also heard that crayfish are very good.  Actually, I have a couple of recipes for them in my wild game cookbook.  Never actually had any myself but I've always wanted to try 'em.

----------


## tater03

I actually looked up on the internet for some receipes using crawfish out of curiousity the other day when I first seen this thread. There are a ton of receipes out there. I will have to try them sometime.

----------


## DustyRose

Mudbugs (crawfish) are very high in protien & the shells are also high in calcium, both important in survival mode.

So are any wild bird eggs you come across...but try to cook those if you can, to reduce any chance of salmonella...but if not, they can be eaten raw with minimal risk.

Mudbugs are easy and safe to catch...as they typically hide in holes along mud banks at or near the waterline when resting...though be warned they back into their holes with claws out!

A small sturdy stick will usually pull them out, especially if you wrap a little piece of pantyhose on the end of it to catch on their spines and claws!

Pantyhose is like duct tape, flint, leatherman and paracord...don't leave home without it!  A few pairs of pantyhose are essential survival gear...the bigger the better...and I like natural as it tends to camouflage better for the uses below.

They are super lightweight and compress well into any nook or cranny...they can also be spread across two sticks as netting to catch frogs, snakes, turtles, mudbugs or even small minnows near shore...can strain mucky water, or be used to squeeze water from moss...will carry almost anything...tie almost anything...act as bandages, tourniquets or splints...are good bug netting for your face or arms...will keep you warm under your fleece or pants...and if you are really good, even snare a bird or rodent!

Boiling mudbugs is the best preparation if you have a heat source and something to cook in...an old hubcap, tin can, or even steamed in tin foil or bark/leaves using hot rocks...and you can eat all of the mudbug if you want.

In a survival situation they can be eaten raw, but the tail and claw meat is tough and chewy...with the front half gooey in parts...but then I did say survival!

If you want to practice catching, cooking & eating them...I would suggest that you find a good, clean river or stream...since they are like river filters, and tend to concentrate mercury and other nasty toxins in their systems.  

Most commercial mudbugs are farm-raised like catfish...using a clean water source and being fed commercial food...which gives them a good mild flavor too!

----------


## the edge

easy to catch i think but not much meat

----------


## FISHorDIE

ive eatin em caught out of the river boild in a beer can. half water half beer. it was good but i was also drinkin. we ate the tail with shell on ,definatiy a good survival food

----------


## LarryB

This Canuck loves Crawdaddys. Catch 'em from clean waters and boil 'em up just like little mini-lobsters. Eat 'em just like fresh Shrimp, with lemon butter, seafood sauce or with a dash of yer favorite Hot Sauce! Mmmmm. :Big Grin:  

The Wild Kanuck,  :Cool:  

lb

----------


## lovegettinlost

I've never actaully tried Crawfish, but I'd like to soon. I know how to catch, cook them, and spice them,, so I don't knwo what I'm waiting for. Anyone ever tried frog legs, my pops siad they taste liek chicken but I've never treid them hyet. I want to try that soon too.

----------


## DustyRose

Frog legs, rabbit and even gator tail pretty much taste like chicken because that's what most of us are used to eating, and so we reference it, instead of saying "chicken tastes like rabbit!"

Any good southern buffet will have frog legs, crawfish and gator tail on the menu at some point during the week...the crawfish are usually steamed whole...but if they are just tails they will be usually be battered and deep fried just like the gator tail and frog legs.

The finer coon-*** restaurants (lol) like Copeland's will use crawfish in season for ettouffee, bisque, gumbo and jambalaya too...man is that ever tasty...and a bunch of southern sandwich shops will have fried crawfish subs too!

A little Louisiana hot-sauce really perks up any of that kind of food...but I personally find frog legs are more trouble than they are worth...kind of like chicken wings.

----------


## marberry

when i catch a crawfish i open up the tail and eat it using my knife as a substitute fork lol , boil em beforehand though.

----------


## wareagle69

good author on this euell gibbons

----------


## donny h

Great survival food.

They're not just in the south, these guys are from Flaming Gorge, a 90 mile long lake straddling the Utah/Wyoming border, so these are northern dads, with good size and flavor.

My quickie trail sauce for dipping is a mix of packets of honey and lemon juice, with butter buds/packets and a dash of cayenne. 

Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.

Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.

Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.

----------


## spiritman

Lobster sized! GO MIDWEST USA! Everything is bigger! The mountains, the SKY, the states, even crustaceans!

----------


## NevadaCarry

I'm from New Orleans so naturally I love crawfish. Boil them up with some seasoning, peal the tails and if you wish SUCK THE HEADS! But I've always bought them from a store and boiled them. I've never caught them in the wild and ate them

----------


## spiritman

I've never realized I ever saw them in a store before, I never thought of them as a normal option as a meal, but we have caught them for fishing (be careful and know the laws where you go, live and/or natural bait isn't always legal) and fun before.

----------


## donny h

I forgot one cooking tip, you see that collapsing bucket in the pic above?

I fill it with salted water and live craws, the salt makes them puke up the nasty stuff inside them, some folks say to do that multiple times, when I do it, I only do it once and it does make a difference. I can see yuckie coloring in the water after a few minutes.

These are clean mountain craws I catch, maybe muddy swamp craws should get multiple salt baths.





Seafood cravings all of a sudden here... :Smile:

----------


## flandersander

Me and my dad caught the second largest crawfish ever caught. At 4lbs 6oz it made a great supper. we were recognized by guiness but never aired for some reason.

----------


## Rifleman

I have a small muddy pond that is absolutely full of them. I always sein it for bait before catfishing, can usually pull about 300-500 crawdads out in one pass using a two man net. They are pretty small but are great for bait. When one of my friends and I run a trot line in the river for catfish, we usually have about 200 hooks in the water, so it comes in handy to beable to catch that much bait that fast.

----------


## Rick

Hey Flandersander. A 4lb. craw? You sure that wasn't Guinness Stout? (chuckle, chuckle, chuckle.)

----------


## U.S.Marine2111

Me and my cousins used to catch buckets of those things up in Wisconsion.  They are quite fast if I remember correctly, so it takes a bit of practice to catch them.  The method we used was a slow methodical approach with a big bucket slowly inserted into the water behind them, when they get spooked they would shoot backwards in a hurry, once we figured that out we were good.

----------


## flandersander

> Hey Flandersander. A 4lb. craw? You sure that wasn't Guinness Stout? (chuckle, chuckle, chuckle.)


I'm sure. After i posted that my dad said that he never was on camera, he only talked to a guy at guiness. Yeah 4 lbs. I know its amazing. We never trapped it though. We were icefishing and were using munnow for bait. A craw came by and ate the minnow with a J-hook burried in it. We thought it was a walleye but it turned out to be a huge craw! It was a great day!

----------


## flandersander

How do you go about catching 'em without a trap or bucket or anything? Anybody know?

----------


## RBB

> How do you go about catching 'em without a trap or bucket or anything? Anybody know?


Turn over rocks until you find one.  Stand beside them, have one hand in front of them (to get them to move) and the other hand in back of them to grab them when they move (they go backwards when startled).  One local lake, you step in the water, you'll startle a dozen of them with each step.

Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.

----------


## Rick

Man, that does look good.

----------


## AdventureDoc

I was lucky enough to live in Southern Louisiana for a few years and got addicted to crawfish.  It's not just a survival food, for me.  I'd love a plate right now!

Easy to catch, easy to cook and tasty.  Perfect!  If I had a good area to catch crawfish, I'd hide the survival mirror and try to hang out a few more days there  :Smile:

----------


## spiritman

MMMMM! Dinner time!

----------


## corndog-44

> Turn over rocks until you find one.  Stand beside them, have one hand in front of them (to get them to move) and the other hand in back of them to grab them when they move (they go backwards when startled).  One local lake, you step in the water, you'll startle a dozen of them with each step.
> 
> Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.


RBB, what is everybody else having for dinner?  :Smile:

----------


## flandersander

So just go to some lake where you can find craw shels on shore. Then start turning over rocks and when you find one, grab it by the tail???

----------


## AdventureDoc

Catching them without a bucket?  I was instructed to tie a chicken neck or other piece of "bad meat" to a string.  You throw it into the water and let it sit for 2-3 minutes, maybe 5.  Slowly pull the string in to shore, stopping every few seconds, and the crawfish follow.  Drag them right into the shallows and grab them with your hand.  Reach behind them because as they get scared, they will swim backwards.

Buckets?  We don't need no stinking buckets!

The buckets and pots do help to catch larger numbers, but sometimes I've drug a line with 3-4 crawfish following.  I only grabbed one and scared the others, though.   :Smile:

----------


## RBB

> RBB, what is everybody else having for dinner?


If you really must know - 

We had two seven pound venison roasts, slow cooked over an open fire, corn on the cob, and fry bread.  The crayfish shown are about 1/10th of our haul that day.  The only kettle free was only large enough to cook the amount of crayfish shown at one time.

----------


## RBB

> So just go to some lake where you can find craw shels on shore. Then start turning over rocks and when you find one, grab it by the tail???



Well, not quite.  Use the hand in front of them to distract them, when they take off backwards, just grab them.  You have to be quick.  Takes a little practise.

----------


## Rick

Just about every creek and and lake around here harbors the Rusty Crawfish. They get pretty big so a few can make a nice meal. Here's a .pdf about them and where they live.

http://www.in.gov/dnr/invasivespecie...20CRAYFISH.pdf

If you don't have a trap and want to catch several in short order then find a shallow stream. Do as RBB said although there is a pretty good chance you won't have to turn over many rocks. You'll be able see them just walking through the stream. The big guys will hide on you though. On land, crawdads built a tubular hole that sort of resembles a little volcano. They build them in low lying areas where the water table is low and often close to some source of water and that could even be a ditch of some sort. I've always been told you can use AD's method above and drop the bait down the hole but I've never had any luck with that method.

If you use your hands to catch them you want to stay clear of the pinchers. They will hurt!

----------


## flandersander

i was planning on building a trap. Any ideas or recomendations on traps? Also i have a trap like this http://www.frabill.com/frabill/image...260_medium.png Will it work for catching craws?

----------


## canid

it could. the best advice i ever got on trapping crawfish was online from a man who is purported to fish them commercialy in eastern oregon. he said to give them some cover on top of a dark colored material [i'm using dark plastic mesh like the stuff orrange bags are made from. this is allegedly more attractive to investigating crawfish, as it's dark inside, like a rock crevice, under a submerged log, etc. seems to make a difference.

----------


## rt36crazyfists

To catch em, just lift up rocks and logs, they love to bury themselves, be sure not to roll the rock so you dont squish them, and try to disurb the bottom minimally because it will get all cloudy and they will scatter and you wont see them, they move fast.  when you see one, just snatch it with five fingers then grab it with two fingers on the shell behind the claws. you can just put them in your pocket if you dont have a bucket. Other than for food, they are a favorite among bass, I've seen times where a bass would take nothing but a live craw.
flandersander,4 lb craw? awesome.

----------


## flandersander

yeah 4lbs. It was really amazing. so you're saying not to use a trap? just look around for 'em? I was also going to build one that is essentially a ramp. the ramp would go up and then the craws would drop down and not get back out.

----------


## canid

well, a good trap made from spare materials takes an hour to make, can be reused, takes a few min to place and if left overnight can harvest a few lb of craws. catching them by hand requires wading in sometimes very cold water and can take hours to get the same haul.

both are effective and can be more appropriate than the other depending on the situation, availability of resources, etc.

----------


## flandersander

So what do you recomend? Sometimes you can see them in the daytime and you see lots of claws on shore. There is lots of rocks. should i wade around or set up a trap?

----------


## canid

try both, practice both. then you can decide.

----------


## flandersander

Sounds good. THANKS

----------


## canid

and fun. i'd hold off the wading though; till the water in your area is liquid  :Wink:

----------


## flandersander

it might be hard to wade to ice. It is storming here wicked bad so i can't even get out to the garage. Thats why i am not at work. The visibility is about uh i dunno negative a couple. Does anybody know if fishing for pike, with a craw would work?

----------


## rdw_440

Here's a good site about crayfish.
http://www.terrybullard.com/CrawfishMain.html

----------


## flandersander

yeah came across that one.

----------


## rt36crazyfists

pike are more baitfish oriented, but bass love a crawfish, removing the claws will make it less intimidating, perch and sunfish will eat only small craws and rock bass or "goggle eyes" love craws, they'll eat craws that would seem much too big.

----------


## trax

Pike will bite anything.

----------


## flandersander

for perch you say? tiny craws you say? how do you catch these craws? which is faster? which way to catch them is faster? does anybody use a trap? does anybody use this kind of trap? http://www.frabill.com/frabill/image...279_medium.png

----------


## flandersander

nobudy uses any traps or this specific trap?http://www.frabill.com/frabill/image...279_medium.png

----------


## rdw_440

I've got two crawfish traps, one is round with funnel entrances like in the picture, the other is square with a single ramp type entrance. Both are made by South Bend company out of vinyl coated wire.

I've had better luck with the square one, maybe the crawdads would rather walk up a ramp than into the funnel ends.

I usually use cheap cat food in a can for bait, but any sort of greasy meat would probably work.

----------


## flandersander

it is the second image that comes up for a google image search under "minnow trap"

----------


## flandersander

Thanks rdw! that is a ton of help. i was planning to build a trap like that ramp one out of copper pipe and chicken wire. I already have the one in the picture. which one do you reccomend? Also do you think that the funnel trap like in the pic would be able to catch those small lake shrimp? I may have to put some smaller mesh on but do you think it would work?

----------


## hermitman

They are minnow traps you can use the simular idea to catch larger fish in streams and streams. I have made them from soda bottles you cut the top part off turn it around and secure it back it with the cap off the put some bait in minnows get in but they think they can't get out.

----------


## flandersander

Yeah. Do you think that would work with small lake prawns or shrimp?

----------


## hermitman

Yes but you would need somthing bigger deppending on the size of shrimp you were trying to get. Im pretty sure on this site if your interested you can see what I mean with using this method in streams if not I can get you a link.

----------


## rdw_440

I recommend the ramp type, but would use a smaller mesh than chicken wire, maybe hardware cloth. 
I don't know about the shrimp. I think shrimp feed on plant material or plankton instead of meat. The only way I've ever heard of shrimp being caught was in a net.

----------


## hermitman

People do use nets to get shrimp but that is more for commercial fishing.

----------


## flandersander

so could i get shrimp with that bottle trap or not? what do you think?

----------


## hermitman

You could but a different version the soda can I used for minnows is to small would want something bigger.

----------


## flandersander

the 2 litre jug is too small? what if I used the simple cylindrical funnel like in the pic and covered it with a fine mesh?

----------


## hermitman

Im not to sure about the cylindrical funnel never having done it but it seems like it would work. A gallon milk jug might be big enough if you could make to opening a little larger.

----------


## flandersander

are you saying that the 2 litre bottle opening isn't big enough for the shrimp? I am talking tiny shrimp. like an inch at the largest.

----------


## hermitman

O Im sorry yes that should be fine.

----------


## flandersander

Do you suggest i try it?

----------


## hermitman

Yea just make the trap set it out in the water and leave for a day or two then come back and just check on it.

----------


## flandersander

what for bait?

----------


## hermitman

Well Im not sure you would probley have to look that up. Im think that shrimp eat plainton so you couldn't use it for bait. A simular trap would still work for crawfish and crayfish. Sorry and couldn't be any help.

----------


## flandersander

thats alright. so the funnel trao like in the pic works?

----------


## tracks

Corn meal and fish oil great bug bait...just mix to a consistancy like bread dough and place in trap..

----------


## flandersander

what about something like corn starch? or oat bran? wheat flour?

----------


## hermitman

yea it works people have cought a lot with it. I have used corn and worms for bait before.

----------


## flandersander

what about something like corn starch? oat bran? wheat flour?

----------


## hermitman

If you mean for bait then I would have to say no that is a bad idea they arn't solid. With worms it is something that they might eat in their natural diet.

----------


## flandersander

I meant for shrimp. I am trying crushed flakes fish food wixed with milk and dried out. For craws i think i will have to try worms. minnows? whats left after i take the filets off a fish, then put int he trap?

----------


## hermitman

Well for minnows are just for bait for fish if thats what your asking.

----------


## flandersander

No should i try some minnows for craw bait? what would anybody say for shrimp bait? craw bait? for shrimp i was going to try crushed flaked fish food mixed with milk. does that sound like it would work? I was going to try fish guts and skelatons for craws. does that sound like it would work? Should i make a ramp trap for craws or use my funnel trap?

----------


## hermitman

O yes minnows would be good bait. For the fish food with milk I don't think it will work shrimp that eat fish food have been eating it since they were born.

----------


## flandersander

So what do you reccomend for shrimp? Anybody.

----------


## flandersander

Nobody has ever caught shrimp using bait??? Really thats odd!

----------


## catfish10101

Hello people, I am from Louisiana. Born here and will die here. Crawfish are a main food source here when they are in season. Here are a few pointers for catching them. 
1. First and foremost, CHECK YOUR LOCAL LAWS ON TRAPS AND LIMITS.
2. They can be caught in traps, or with crawfish nets, or (if you must) a small jug or bucket. The best way to catch them is traps. Vinyl coated traps work better because they will not feel the metal of the wire. Down here, there are 2 main types of traps that work very well. Read this study by LSU AG Center.
http://www.lsuagcenter.com/en/crops_...aps+Needed.htm
3. The best bait for traps is FRESH fish (preferably oily fish or fish heads and guts) but beef melt (cow pancreaus) is used by most recreational crawfishermen. 
Most recreational crawfishermen use crawfish nets because it requires more attention and is more fun. See here>
http://www.memphisnet.net/product/5059/nets_crawfish
The nets are much easier to pack and in a survival situation, one or two nets would probably be suficent for 1 or 2 people. 
4. To cook them at home....
30 lbs of Live Crawfish (1 sack)
2 bags of Onions
2 bags Small Potatoes
12 Ears of Corn (cut in half)
3 packs of hotdogs
3 pounds of smoke sausage (cut 3 inches long)
12 whole cloves Fresh Garlic
2 packs Fresh Mushrooms
8 Lemons
8 oranges
3 lbs Seafood Boil Powder (Zateran's is best)
1 big bottle of liquid Seafood Boil (Zateran's is best)
about a dozen fresh bay leaves (if available)
12 Pack of Cold Beer (at least)

Directions:
1. If you have not already done so, drink a cold beer.
2. After your beer, you would normally purge the crawfish. This is done by placing them in a container (or ice chest), filling it with water and adding a container of salt, wait about 5 minutes and rinse until clear water comes out. 
3. Drink another beer. Give one to a friend. 
4. Fill the large pot half full with fresh water, place on outdoor propane cooker, and start the fire. Place the lid on the pot and bring water to a boil. 
5. Add Liquid Seafood Boil, bay leaves, and 2 pounds powder (save rest for later) to water (Zateran's is the best). Let the boiling water mix it well for a minute or so. 
6. Time to drink another beer. Send sober friend to store for more beer. 
7. Drop in the onions (halved), the potatoes and fresh garlic. Let this cook, keeping an eye on the potatoes. (Check for doneness by stabbing with a sharp knife or fork. If it goes in easy, it is cooked. Hint; Do not over cook potatoes, slightly under cook them because they will continue to steam and cook in ice chest. You don't want to end up with mashed potatoes.) When the potatoes are almost done, add the hot dogs, sausage, corn and mushrooms. After they have cooked, lower the fire on the burner and remove the basket. Place them in a small clean ice chest - don't close the lid - just place foil on top. Time to drink another beer.
8. Turn the heat up on the burner. Add more spice to the water. (About 1/2 lbs., save rest of spice for later.) Take the lemons and oranges (halved) and squeeze the juice in the water. Then add the lemons and oranges to the water. When the water comes to a real good boil place the crawfish into the basket and put the basket in the pot. (Be careful - it's very hot!) Put the lid on the pot and enjoy another beer. 
9. When the water comes back to a boil - keep a very close eye on this part - let it boil for 4 minutes and turn off the fire. Let it soak for another 3 minutes and then remove. Kill the boil when you turn it off by adding cold water or ice, not much is needed maybe a gallon or so (Tip- have some 2 liter bottles almost full of water and frozen, use these instead of loose ice so that you do not dilute your water for the next batch). Then let the crawfish soak. They will sink to the bottom and fill with spicy water (JUICES).
10. Get an old table and place old newspapers on top. Dump the basket of crawfish on top of the newspaper and sprinkle with leftover spice. 
11. Dump the onions, potatoes, corn and garlic on top of the crawfish. Now it's time to really drink beer and eat. The vegetables are for those guests who cannot figure out how to peel the crawfish (we call them Yankees, LOL). At least they won't starve.

Use leftover spice to experiment. You can always add more to the ice chest. Sprinkle it on, stir it up and let it steam in chest for 10 minutes. Then test again.


Tips:
1. To hold hot crawfish for a short time (1-2 hours), you can use a styrofoam ice chest. Most plastic chests will melt or warp. 
2. Use leftover spice to experiment. You can always add more to the ice chest. Sprinkle it on, stir it up and let it steam in chest for 10 minutes. Then test again.

In a survival situation, they are a great food because even if you want to cook them, they cook quickly and easily, though they will not have much flavor, they are a good food source found in many places.

----------


## Rick

Great post! Nice recipe. It could have used some beer, though. Your sober friend never returned with it. You need to talk to him about that.

----------


## pgvoutdoors

> Great survival food.
> 
> They're not just in the south, these guys are from Flaming Gorge, a 90 mile long lake straddling the Utah/Wyoming border, so these are northern dads, with good size and flavor.
> 
> My quickie trail sauce for dipping is a mix of packets of honey and lemon juice, with butter buds/packets and a dash of cayenne. 
> 
> Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.
> 
> Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.
> ...


Back when I was a kid in California a neighbor took me crawdad fishing.  First he had us make a simple net out of a nylon stocking and a coat hanger.  We fished for the big red type by tying a piece of chicken to a string on a pole and holding along the edge of the water.  The crawdads would come up to the chicken and we would scare them backwards into the net.  They were great to eat too.

Here in N.E. Ohio the streams have the smaller greenish colored ones.  You find these under rocks in the streams.  You have to catch a lot of them but they're good too.

----------


## catfish10101

You are right, they are found in many places, but the fact is that many people have never eaten them and will never eat them. Others have said that they might eat them in a survival situation. In fact, down here, there is an entire commercial industry on them, to the point where some people even farm raise them. If they are abundant in your area, you could probably make a living catching them and selling them to the southern states.LOL.

----------


## Chica-del-yermo

Were I used to live, we caught crawfish all the time.  One time we boiled them and ate them.  The tail was basically the only part worth eating.  I thought they were pretty bland.  Taste much better with a dash of salt.

----------


## Rick

Okay, Crazy. Calm down. We know 'dads are good. They ain't bland. Not after boil and the garlic and the smoked sausage and sure not after that Louisiana Hot sauce hits it, anyway. But son I don't suck head. Tail only.

----------


## suburbanbushwacker

i once saw a show where Ray Mears demonstrated plucking out their tail 'fins' and with them out came the 'vein' that is the digestive tract. As usual he made it look very easy!

----------


## Beo

CRAWFISH to me are nothing more than river, pond, and lake shrimp and lobster. Here is what I know about crawfish, crawdads, mudpuppys or whatever you wanna call them.
Crawfish, like shrimp or lobsters, belong to the scientific class Crustacea. Their hard outer shell, called the _exoskeleton_, does not grow with the crawfish and is shed periodically. In Louisiana, two species of crawfish -- the red swamp and the white river -- provide for the harvest. Crawfish are harvested from both wild habitats (natural rivers, bayous, swamps, and lakes) and controlled, managed crawfish farms. Harvest takes place from November through June, with baited wire-mesh traps. Traps are checked daily, and the catch is packed into 50 lb. onion sacks for delivery to processors. Only the tail meat is recovered from processing. The claw meat is tasty but very meager and difficult to pick out. Tail meat can be purchased fresh or frozen, with prices varying with the time of season and supply.
Both species of crawfish occur naturally in the Mid-Atlantic region, but crawfish farming is a very recent development here. Small, shallow ponds have been stocked with red swamp crawfish and are managed for commercial production. The harvest takes place during spring and summer, coinciding with the tourist season. Production is still very limited, but there is considerable interest in exploring the potential of crawfish farming as an alternative crop.
Crawfish can be purchased whole and fresh, raw or pre-cooked, for immediate use of for your own crawfish boil. If you purchase whole, fresh crawfish, make sure they are alive. Dead crawfish decompose rapidly, resulting in mush, discolored meat.

CULINARY DESCRIPTION
Boiling crawfish is a popular method of preparation, since the meat can be used in a variety of ways. Plan on 3-4 pounds of whole crawfish per person, and 3/4-1 pound of crawfish per gallon of water. Crawfish yield approximately 15% in tail meat, so count on 10 pounds of whole crawfish to get 1 1/2 pounds of meat. Bring water to a boil, and then add the live crawfish. Begin cooking time once the water returns to a boil, with time depending upon how the crawfish will be prepared.
Boil the crawfish for 5 minutes or less when you plan to peel them and use the tail meat for dishes such as bisque. Boiling time is 10 minutes when crawfish are to be eaten immediately. For a traditional boil, season the water by adding lemon wedges, onion, red pepper, garlic, commercial crab- boil seasoning and salt (1/2-1 pound of salt per 5 gallons of water, or to your taste). Whole potatoes, onions, and sweet corn can be boiled along with the crawfish. After the 10-minute boil, turn off heat and let the crawfish soak up the spices for another 10-15 minutes. Remove the crawfish and allow them to cool before peeling. Refrigerate those you don't plan to eat immediately. The crawfish will be red after boiling. Once cooked, the tail meat is tender, firm and slightly sweet, somewhat of a cross between shrimp and lobster.
To peel the crawfish, wash hands first, since you will be handling the meat, and peel them while they are still warm. Separate the tail from the head by slightly pulling and twisting, and discard the head. Hold the tail between thumb and forefingers and squeeze until you hear the shell crack. Grasp the first three segments of tail from the side and pull off by lifting up and pulling around the meat. Firmly grasp the exposed meat in one hand, the tail fin in the other, and pull gently. The meat is now ready to eat, freeze, or serve with your favorite cocktail sauce.
So that's my take do as you like.

----------


## nell67

We call them ditch crawlers here,eewww,LOL

----------


## Beo

*This is my crawfish recipe for Crawfish Jambalaya*
Mmmmmm Mmmmmmmm oh so damn goooooood! Give it try.
1 Lb. Hot Sausage 
1/2 C. Onion 
1/2 C. Green Onion
1/2 C. Bell Pepper 
1 Can Beef Boullion 
1 Can French Onion Soup
1 Sm. Can Tomato Sauce 
1 Stick Butter Or Margarine, Cut Into Tablespoons 
1 Lb. Crawfish Tails 
2 C. Uncle Ben's Long Grain Rice 
Brown sausage in a pan. Saute onion, green onion, and bell pepper in a separate pan until onions are soft. Add sausage to onions and saute together for a minute or two. Add bouillon, onion soup, and tomato sauce. Pour mixture into a Dutch oven; add butter, crawfish tails and rice. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees. Serve immediately eat up and enjoy cause I know I love it.

----------


## catfish10101

LOL. I think we hijacked the thread and turned it into a recipe book. LMAO. :Big Grin:

----------


## flandersander

yeah kinda ya b@$terd$

no just kidding these all sound really good. keep postin i wanna try 'em all

----------


## catfish10101

Crawfish for breakfast

2 eggs
1/4 cup onion chopped
1 tbs bell pepper chopped
1 cup crawfish tails from the crawfish boil yesterday
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
butter
salt
pepper

Slowly cook crawfish tails, onions and bell pepper in butter until onions are clear and remove from pan and set aside. Scramble 2 eggs and pour into pan (I like to put some of the onions and bell pepper in the eggs). Cook with a glass cover, do not stir. When almost dry (cooked) on top, add crawfish tail mixture and cheese to 1 half of the omlet, and sprinke with salt and pepper. Then, with a wide spatula, flip the other side over to close the omlet. Let cook to melt cheese (you can turn the fire off as the eggs will melt the cheese). Be careful not to burn the omlet. I hate it when it gets too brown. ENJOY!!!

----------


## GVan

> anyone ever eat wild crawfish? what part of a Crawfish is edible?


I'm from south Louisiana. 
We eat crawfish on a weekls basis when in season.
Freshly steamed they're a great treat and a very good way to gather friends and family together. :Wink:

----------


## GVan

Hey catfish,.... Thanks to the Republicans, American businesses are running from this country fraster then a rat from a sinking ship.  Remember 1,000,000 Americans homeless thanks to their jobs going to foreign countries.

----------


## Rick

Ahem. No discussion on politics. Thanks.

----------


## Rick

Gentlemen. No political discussion on the forum! Thank you! They always degrade just as this one has. I'll delete any further political posts.

----------


## catfish10101

I deleted it Rick. Sorry.

----------


## Rick

No apology necessary catfish but thanks!

----------


## catfish10101

Now back to crawfish. In a survival situation, you can boil them in a coffee can or whatever you have, over a fire. They may be bland without seasoning but they will be a welcome meal if you are going hungry.

----------


## Alpine_Sapper

this isn't exactly a survival recipe, but it's make excellent use of crawfish. I'm originally from Louisiana as well, so mudbugs will always be consumed in my house. I make this for the holidays, or with a roast chicken just for the hell of it....

INGREDIENTS

    * 1 1/2 cups water
    * 3/4 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
    * 1 pound lean ground beef
    * 1 medium onion, chopped
    * 2 stalks celery, chopped
    * 1 green bell pepper, chopped
    * 1 red bell pepper, chopped
    * 2 cloves garlic, minced
    * 2 pounds frozen peeled crawfish tails, thawed
    * 1 cup toasted, chopped pecans
    * 1/4 cup butter
    * 1 bunch green onions, chopped
    * 2 tablespoons Creole seasoning
    * 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
    * 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley



DIRECTIONS

   1. In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil. Stir in rice. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, until rice is tender and liquid has been absorbed.
   2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a medium baking dish.
   3. In a large, heavy skillet over medium heat, stir together ground beef, onion, celery, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, and garlic. Cook until beef is evenly browned and vegetables are tender.
   4. Stir crawfish tails, pecans, butter, and green onions into the ground beef mixture. Season with Creole seasoning and pepper. Continue cooking about 3 minutes, until well mixed. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
   5. Bake 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly browned. Garnish with parsley
 **************************************************  ***********************************************

----------


## BraggSurvivor

A couple months before Katrina hit I took a couple clients down to Louisianna. I rented a big motorhome and toured the state having a blast. We ate everything on the menu's including Crawfish. My favorite dish was fried catfish with crawfish gravey. I gained 22 pounds there in 10 days. 

I also think I was the skinniest fat guy there because I could only find one vegitable on the menu........a sweet potato baked in butter and brown sugar.   :Big Grin:

----------


## Alpine_Sapper

Can't forget fried okra...yummm!

----------


## catfish10101

We eat veggies too, onions, garlic, celery, mashed taters, corn. All a major part of most of our meals. LOL.

----------


## rebel

One night in a stupid stupor, I danced with one hanging out my zipper.  Accessory?

----------


## GVan

> easy to catch i think but not much meat


After boiling, try sucking out the head.

And don't forget, don't eat the dead :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):  ones.

----------


## bulrush

Do crayfish have to be purged before cooking? That is, leave them in a tub of water for 24 hrs so the feces leaves the intestine, which goes through the tail meat. 

I had pet crayfish but I have never eaten them.

----------


## Rick

Even I have my principles. No bug heads! No thanks.

----------


## JDJ

Used to go crawfishign when i was a boy. We'd wade out ned down and stick out fingers into the likely spots (you get a knack for it after a while), the crawfish would almost always snap on to a finger and it was trapped (never hurt much). our only fear was getting bit by a snapping turtle but i think most of them moved on when a pack of boys turned up to kill and eat everythgin we could in the area.

We'd wrap a number of them in foil and bake them in the coals of a fire. Yum.

----------


## crashdive123

Never hurt..........much.........ok. :Big Grin:  :Big Grin:  :EEK!:  :EEK!:

----------


## flandersander

yeah right. those things hurt like a b****! or maybe thats freshwater crabs i'm thinking of. see there's a quarrie lake by my house and there are somehow crabs in it. its kinda wierd but they taste like a supersaturated solution of water, mud and fecal matter. eeewwwww.

----------


## catfish10101

To purge the crawfish before cooking them:
1. Dump them into an ice chest. 
2. Fill almost to top with water.
3. Pour in one container of salt.
4. Stir them up a little (gently so as not to mash them).
5. Let sit 4 or 5 minutes.
6. Rinse with fresh water until water runs clear.

----------


## JDJ

> Never hurt..........much.........ok.


Crawfish are tiny in New England.

----------


## flandersander

yeah I suppose. up here in Canada eh, them there crawfish is bigga than them in new england eh. lol.

----------


## Eagles Talon

I dotn know if you can do this with, crawfish but i have seen it doen with other such creatures;
You pull out the central tail fin, removing the spinal cord which you really dont want to eat, then you get a sharp thin piece of wood and spear it through the hole where the tail section had been, then you place the wood into the ground next to the fire and cook it like that.

----------


## Eagles Talon

I know this is a double-post, but i just had a revelation, these creatures like to live in holes and dark places along the river bank, so you could easily make a small trap cover it with stones and mud place a little bait in there, lower it in, come back in a couple of days, and you will probably have at least one

----------


## flandersander

yeah you would think so. well i think i will have to try roasted craws eagles talon. sounds good with bbq sauce. lol. or maybe it doesn't. maybe if you tied a string through its eyes and hung it over the fire.

----------


## rt36crazyfists

or just go in after them and snatch em

----------


## flandersander

yeah that works.

----------


## kathy tate

I grew up on "wild" crawfish in Biloxi, Mississippi and thought that the best crawfish were found in Louisiana and the gulf coast area.  However, while I lived in Las Vegas, somebody introduced me to the enormous mutant fallout crawfish of St. George Utah.  These monsters were HUGE!!!.  Six inches easy!  So a friend of mine and I went one weekend, caught an ice chest full and took them back to LV for a boil.  And Let me tell ya. That was some kinda good. There's nothing like fresh boiled crawfish with corn, taters, sausage and mushrooms thrown in.  Of course you need a lot of salt and crab boil seasoning as well as whole garlic, celery and onions, bay leaves and  lemons.  Every non-crawfishing eating person there became a convert and I suspect they still talk about that crawfish boil back  in '90.  You really need to learn from a cajun though instead of a book.  We know how to do it right.  If you try them without a lot of the right seasonings, you will never eat another.  disgusting if not done right.

----------


## Rick

Kathy - Welcome to the forum. Glad you joined us. We have another doc on here as well. We like for those new to the forum to go to the Introductions section and tell everyone a little about yourself. What kind of hobbies, what outdoor stuff you like, maybe why you joined up. Here's a link to the Intro section: 

By the way, mud bugs are some good eatin'. 

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...splay.php?f=14

----------


## GVan

When my kids were small, they'd catch crawfish by useing a strip of bacon and a string.
They ended up doing quite well actually.  Acouple of pounds worth atleast.

----------


## Rick

You wait until Don reads this, GVan. You'll hear about this. Misusing bacon is a capital offense.

----------


## canid

that just illustrates the exchange rate. one strip of bacon trades at several lb of crawfish.

----------


## Rick

One strip of bacon trades at several pounds of anything.

----------


## GVan

> Gentlemen. No political discussion on the forum! Thank you! They always degrade just as this one has. I'll delete any further political posts.


Sorry Rick, I slipped.

----------


## GVan

> We eat veggies too, onions, garlic, celery, mashed taters, corn. All a major part of most of our meals. LOL.


You forgot the sweet taters.

Rick,  Bacon is just a seasoning, especially when ya'll got catfish, nutrea, crawfish, alligator, oysters, red snapper, and the like.

----------


## Rick

GVan - I can forgive someone not knowing but once you've been told.....bacon is bacon (masses chant in unison and bow, "All hail bacon!") I may be wrong but I think Troy fell over bacon, the Great Wall of China was built to protect their bacon, Napoleon was defeated in Russia over bacon. One of the great figurative  painters changed his name from Francis McDonald to Francis Bacon. And one actor changed his name from Kevin Yovonochisouz to Kevin Bacon. And.....both democratic and republican candidates know their election hinges on the bacon vote. I could be wrong but you might want to look it up. (masses chant in unison and bow, "All hail bacon!")

Here's a real treat for bacon lovers...

http://www.browniepointsblog.com/200...e-bacon-vodka/

----------


## crashdive123

Men (and women) have spent their lives in the pursuit of bacon.  

Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.

----------


## catfish10101

> And.....both democratic and republican candidates know their election hinges on the bacon vote.



That sounds like a political post... :Confused:  :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic): 

How did we go from crawfish to bacon? :Confused:

----------


## Rick

Not political, factual (apolitical). GVan trounced bacon and we had to come to its defense.

Back on thread: Crawfish. MMMMmmmmmmmm.

----------


## Beo

Just had Crab Cakes and Crawfish on Saturday at Papa Douex's Seafood, Mmmm Mmmm Good.

----------


## flandersander

trademarked beo. Or copyrighted i'm not sure. Or is that political?

----------


## mikefish08

I'm new here..Just wanna say Hi to all..This forum is very informative..Glad I dont have allergy,I can eat shrimps,crawfish,or whatever..Know what?I'm planning a trip this summer in Lake Mateos Mexico for largemouth..Cant wait to post my pics..Pls click below if you have some tips for me,I will truly appreciate..thanks.

http://www.aztecfishingtours.com

----------


## Rick

Welcome Mike - "Cast" yourself over to the Introductions section and tell us a bit about yourself. What "lures" you outdoors, your hobbies, whatever you "reel"y would like to share.

----------


## GVan

> Yeah. Do you think that would work with small lake prawns or shrimp?


Why waste the shrimp?

Crawfish are scavangers and will eat bits and pieces of your kill.   Rabbit guts, Chicken guts, fish guts, anything as long as it smells like flesh to them.

There is no need to use a good food as a bait.

----------


## flandersander

true. I however like the taste of shrimp and will continue to eat 'em. sorrt gvan.

----------


## JRJ

Did someone say crawfish?  

I love em in jambalaya and gumbo - first class stuff!

Crawfish Etouffee is pretty good too. 

Had them in meat pies, casseroles and everything else you can imagine.

Nothing beats a good ol' fashioned mudbug boil with cob, red potato's spiced with tony's, beer and good friends.


-JRJ

----------


## canid

i like 'em with:
Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.

----------


## flandersander

never had old bay. believe it or not but montreal steak spive on craws is pretty good.

----------


## Alpine_Sapper

> never had old bay. believe it or not but montreal steak spive on craws is pretty good.


Montreal Steak seasoning is like Tony's Creole...It goes good on just about anything.

----------


## Rick

Both are in my spice rack. Good stuff.

----------


## Ridge Wolf

> anyone ever eat wild crawfish? what part of a Crawfish is edible?


 Ah.. yep... they are good eatin'... although, I would think twice about eating the throrax.. but the tails are the best.. good for fish bait too.. 

They are usually caught with a minnow trap.. (open on both ends)... with a bacon strip tied to a cord and hanging in the middle of the trap. Leave it in the water off the bank tied to a small diameter rope to haul it back in after 30 minutes to an hour depending on the population, time of year fishing for them.. It is best to catch them before June as they aren't much good after mating at that time of year, at least here locally in the Pacific Northwest, USA. 

dump them alive into a boiling big kettle of water and cook until they turn pink..(and aren't moving around in there...  :Big Grin: ). The tails snap off when they are cooked up.. season and dress the way you like 'em.

----------


## Rick

What is it with folks desecrating bacon? Have you no shame?

----------


## Ridge Wolf

> What is it with folks desecrating bacon? Have you no shame?


 :Big Grin:  like crawfish better than bacon..  :Big Grin:

----------


## Rick

(fingers in ears) NA NA NA NA NA I can't hear you NA NA NA I can see your lips moving NA NA NA NA NA

----------


## crashdive123

Don?  Now calm down.  Don...put down the knife.  Don....Don....what he ment to say was we hang a slice of bacon because EVERYBODY and EVERYTHING enjoys bacon.  After enticing the little buggers into the trap, we remove the bacon and cook it.  Whew...that was a close one Ridge Wolf.

----------


## catfish10101

> Don?  Now calm down.  Don...put down the knife.  Don....Don....what he ment to say was we hang a slice of bacon because EVERYBODY and EVERYTHING enjoys bacon.  After enticing the little buggers into the trap, we remove the bacon and cook it.  Whew...that was a close one Ridge Wolf.


*cough*"bull$#!^"*cough*

I'd sacrifice da whole damned pig for a sack of crawfish!
 :Big Grin: 

Duck, people because here it comes!!!!!!!! :Big Grin:

----------


## Rick

(sniff) (wipes tear). Oh the humanity!

----------


## Tahyo

Being born and raised in southwest La., I can't begin to tell you the lbs. of crawfish I have enjoyed.  I would rather have them boiled, but being that I live in Illinois now, I can only get the frozen tails to make etouffee.  The unfortunate part is that only the tails from China are available here and the difference between La. crawfish and Chinese crawfish appear to be night and day, in my opinion.

There's a bayou where we lived that we use to go spend the weekends camping while running trout lines.  We would sometimes take the crawfish traps and set them out.  Not only did we use some of the crawfish for bait, but we would usually bring the favorite local seasoning for crawfish, shrimp and crab boils.  "Zatarains".  Back then they only had the little bag of seasonings, but now they have the liquid concentrate that is really good as well.

I have to vote for crawfish as one of top things on my list to look for if I was in an area that looked inhabitable for them.

----------


## Kelticfox

Hi, thought I would join to post here  :Big Grin: 

I've just applied for my license to fish Crayfish (Crawdads or Crawfish to the Non Limeys) as an ex-soldier I beleive very much in free food (No such thing a free lunch..... Bulsh*t!). Unfortunatly the UK Enviromental Agency has to grant consent, so I spent most of yesterday on the phone speaking to farmers, Angling Clubs & the Enviroment Agency.

The American Signal Crayfish have taken over good ol' blighty so much so they have made our much beloved White-clawed Crayfish almost extinct *sniff* (But hey they don't have much meat anyway!). Don't know how large the Signals get in the US, but they about 5-6 Inches over here at the moment.



So as from this weekend the nice Signal Crayfish will be tagged "UTANN" (Under Threat As Num Nums!)

I'll let you know the size and yield of local ones  :P



.............. And I will not be wasting the Ambrosia that is Bacon to catch them!

----------


## cajun swamp hunter

I came to this site to learn about different areas and here I find my HOME TURF. 
I bought my first car with money from bug fishin in the atachfalaya basin. Bugs are in season right now and I am boiling a sack today. I see there are some other cajuns here to them I say (its bug time guys) to the rest of you I say your missin it guys. Now as far as a survival food when in season any ditch around here and a simple dip net will get you a 5 gallon bucket full in about 10 minutes. The Basin is in flood stage right now so I am getting 2 for the price of one (wild hogs=Bacon) they are very easy to harvest. I killed three 2 days ago and filled up the families freezer with pork. If any come down this way I will be happy to feed them up or give swamp tour as we cajuns are known for our hospitality and everyone here can cook. By the way I keep hearing about Louisiana hot sauce-- its okay but Tabasco is KING. The plant is a mile from the house and you can smell the pepper when the wind is right. A by product of the process called Mash is by far the best stuff to spice a bug boil with some zatarans thrown in. If any have questions about cajuns or the area I live in its whats called acadiana which is in the heart of coonass land fire away.

----------


## COWBOYSURVIVAL

Anyone ever considered stocking a nearby ditch with crawfish? I have been toying with the idea as I have an 8ft.X8ft.X800ft. ditch bordering my land. Anyone who knows anything about this your comments would be appreciated.

----------


## Ken

> Anyone ever considered stocking a nearby ditch with crawfish? I have been toying with the idea as I have an 8ft.X8ft.X800ft. ditch bordering my land. Anyone who knows anything about this your comments would be appreciated.


Interesting thought.  Let me check on the legality of this.

----------


## crashdive123

Psssst.  Ken.  As long as samples are forthcoming, it's legal.

----------


## Ken

Crawfish Etouffee!    :Thumbup:  

Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.Still need to check if it's legal.

----------


## Ken

Let's start here.  Crawfish Species by State:  http://iz.carnegiemnh.org/crayfish/c...s_by_state.htm

----------


## Rick

Everything seems to be geared to stocking ponds but I don't see why stocking a ditch wouldn't work in a smaller scale. 

http://www.ca.uky.edu/wkrec/RedDrumPolyculture.htm

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/chowan/pubs/.../Stocking.html

http://www.lsuagcenter.com/en/crops_...ogy++Stocking/

----------


## Ken

Rick, the suggestions in that second link would require a permitting process that would take years to complete - in Mass, anyway.

----------


## Ken

Crawfish Virus

http://www.lsuagcenter.com/en/crops_...a+Crawfish.htm

----------


## crashdive123

> Crawfish Virus
> 
> http://www.lsuagcenter.com/en/crops_...a+Crawfish.htm


At least it ain't Swine Flu.

----------


## wareagle69

well i have heard of folks stocking swimming pools with fish, but i am sure that would violate your limit on fish, probably would be the same with crawfish. the only logistical problem i see with stocking a ditch is population density, how many do you need to eat for a meal and how many can that area of ditch sustain

----------


## Ken

Don't restock with this one.

http://www.protectyourwaters.net/hit...y_crayfish.php

----------


## Ken

Good article on crawfish production: http://aqua.ucdavis.edu/dbweb/outreach/aqua/UG9453.PDF

----------


## Ken

*Here's the law in each state:*

http://marmorkrebs.org/crayfish_laws.html

----------


## COWBOYSURVIVAL

Thanks Ken,

Lots of interesting links! I hadn't really questioned the legality of stocking the ditch. I am not sure that the critters do not already exist in said ditch. I think I will drop a trap in and see! In fact I am on the way with the trap now!

----------


## wareagle69

got me thinking cowboy (wierd to type that as it was once my nickname) and a great poem by cody lambert. But any how i wonder about stocking my indoor tanks i have several 100 gallon tanks full of fish(gold fish are a respectable size bigger than most perch) and my turtles are large also, maybe i should try to cpature a few crawfish and see if they will live in my tanks

----------


## COWBOYSURVIVAL

> got me thinking cowboy (wierd to type that as it was once my nickname) and a great poem by cody lambert. But any how i wonder about stocking my indoor tanks i have several 100 gallon tanks full of fish(gold fish are a respectable size bigger than most perch) and my turtles are large also, maybe i should try to cpature a few crawfish and see if they will live in my tanks


From what I have read they feed on decaying fauna, actually I had told my little girl she could get one for her aquarium. The trap is set and we shall see what is in the ditch. I baited it with both herring and bread balls. The trap will catch most anything that will fit in the door. Will be checking it in 4 hrs. Here are some pics.

Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.

Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.

----------


## Sarge47

...who's to say that Crawfish (or, as they call them in this part of the country: Crawdaddys, don't know why.) didn't just find there way into your ditch.  BTW, any where you have "standing water" you have a breeding ground for mosquitos & run the risk of "West Nile Virus". Is there any way you can "move the water", like making it into a flowing brook?  :Cool2: 

BTW, I once lived next to a "babbling brook" but had to move as I got tired of listening to all of that incessent babbling! :Innocent:

----------


## COWBOYSURVIVAL

It moves, just slow. It was dry all winter.

----------


## crashdive123

> It moves, just slow. It was dry all winter.


That, if it happens regularly may not bode well for stocking it.

----------


## COWBOYSURVIVAL

Good point Crash. Thing is we were considered drought status for sometime. The status was recently lifted. It is actually an irrigation ditch for the 50 acre field next door. Another thing is this, part of crawfish farming in my understanding is first stocking adults males and females 50/50 in a flooded pond 18 to 24 in. deep. Allowing breeding then draining which allows the crawfish to burrow where the young are laid in the burrows then reflooding to allow the young to mature then harvest. Crawfish are abundant in many ditches here.

----------


## COWBOYSURVIVAL

Well curiosity was killing me so I checked the trap at approx. 2 hrs. When I walked up I saw a huge snapping turtle inspecting my trap. I said to myself well I could survive on turtle! I then pulled the trap and my wife like to freaked out it was packed with crawfish. I released the small ones. Looks like I am having a cajun crawfish boil for dinner! One thing to note my trap is really a minnow trap and only has a 1" entry door. I suspect I can catch more bigger ones with a new trap and it just so happens I have the wire to make one. Headin' out to re-bait the old one and make a new one! I'll post the new trap design!

Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.

Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.

Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.

Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.

----------


## Sarge47

It seems like that ditch is ALREADY well-stocked! :Sneaky2:  :Cool2:

----------


## Rick

Help me.....Please help me......

Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.

----------


## COWBOYSURVIVAL

I have set the trap again. Started a new design in my mind and am contemplating. Should I cordon them off with wire fence and start feeding them? Give me your ideas I sure didn't know I already had them here!

----------


## COWBOYSURVIVAL

> ...who's to say that Crawfish (or, as they call them in this part of the country: Crawdaddys, don't know why.) didn't just find there way into your ditch.  BTW, any where you have "standing water" you have a breeding ground for mosquitos & run the risk of "West Nile Virus". Is there any way you can "move the water", like making it into a flowing brook? 
> 
> BTW, I once lived next to a "babbling brook" but had to move as I got tired of listening to all of that incessent babbling!


I call them CrawDaddy's too! I was trying to show my smarts!

----------


## COWBOYSURVIVAL

> Interesting thought.  Let me check on the legality of this.


Ok QC is it legal?

----------


## Rick

Why wire them off? It looks like they are well fed. I doubt they are going anywhere. I'd harvest on occasion just to track the numbers. If they begin to drop then try feeding them. As long as there is food there and water they should not only stay put but increase reproduction. Animal reproduction is generally tied to the food source.

----------


## COWBOYSURVIVAL

> Why wire them off? It looks like they are well fed. I doubt they are going anywhere. I'd harvest on occasion just to track the numbers. If they begin to drop then try feeding them. As long as there is food there and water they should not only stay put but increase reproduction. Animal reproduction is generally tied to the food source.


I agree! If it ain't broke don't fix it, right. The only thought I had was maybe I could grow'em bigger you know like a lobster size!

----------


## Rick

Here are some links to some other threads on crawfish. It might give you some ideas on the trap. 

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...=crawfish+trap

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...=crawfish+trap

----------


## COWBOYSURVIVAL

> Hello people, I am from Louisiana. Born here and will die here. Crawfish are a main food source here when they are in season. Here are a few pointers for catching them. 
> 1. First and foremost, CHECK YOUR LOCAL LAWS ON TRAPS AND LIMITS.
> 2. They can be caught in traps, or with crawfish nets, or (if you must) a small jug or bucket. The best way to catch them is traps. Vinyl coated traps work better because they will not feel the metal of the wire. Down here, there are 2 main types of traps that work very well. Read this study by LSU AG Center.
> http://www.lsuagcenter.com/en/crops_...aps+Needed.htm
> 3. The best bait for traps is FRESH fish (preferably oily fish or fish heads and guts) but beef melt (cow pancreaus) is used by most recreational crawfishermen. 
> Most recreational crawfishermen use crawfish nets because it requires more attention and is more fun. See here>
> http://www.memphisnet.net/product/5059/nets_crawfish
> The nets are much easier to pack and in a survival situation, one or two nets would probably be suficent for 1 or 2 people. 
> 4. To cook them at home....
> ...


Thanks Rick! I enjoyed this post! Almost time for my second haul!

----------


## COWBOYSURVIVAL

Thanks Rick,

Those links did help! I especially liked this post, Originally Posted by catfish10101  
Hello people, I am from Louisiana. Born here and will die here. Crawfish are a main food source here when they are in season. Here are a few pointers for catching them. 
1. First and foremost, CHECK YOUR LOCAL LAWS ON TRAPS AND LIMITS.
2. They can be caught in traps, or with crawfish nets, or (if you must) a small jug or bucket. The best way to catch them is traps. Vinyl coated traps work better because they will not feel the metal of the wire. Down here, there are 2 main types of traps that work very well. Read this study by LSU AG Center.
http://www.lsuagcenter.com/en/crops_...aps+Needed.htm
3. The best bait for traps is FRESH fish (preferably oily fish or fish heads and guts) but beef melt (cow pancreaus) is used by most recreational crawfishermen. 
Most recreational crawfishermen use crawfish nets because it requires more attention and is more fun. See here>
http://www.memphisnet.net/product/5059/nets_crawfish
The nets are much easier to pack and in a survival situation, one or two nets would probably be suficent for 1 or 2 people. 
4. To cook them at home....
30 lbs of Live Crawfish (1 sack)
2 bags of Onions
2 bags Small Potatoes
12 Ears of Corn (cut in half)
3 packs of hotdogs
3 pounds of smoke sausage (cut 3 inches long)
12 whole cloves Fresh Garlic
2 packs Fresh Mushrooms
8 Lemons
8 oranges
3 lbs Seafood Boil Powder (Zateran's is best)
1 big bottle of liquid Seafood Boil (Zateran's is best)
about a dozen fresh bay leaves (if available)
12 Pack of Cold Beer (at least)

Directions:
1. If you have not already done so, drink a cold beer.
2. After your beer, you would normally purge the crawfish. This is done by placing them in a container (or ice chest), filling it with water and adding a container of salt, wait about 5 minutes and rinse until clear water comes out. 
3. Drink another beer. Give one to a friend. 
4. Fill the large pot half full with fresh water, place on outdoor propane cooker, and start the fire. Place the lid on the pot and bring water to a boil. 
5. Add Liquid Seafood Boil, bay leaves, and 2 pounds powder (save rest for later) to water (Zateran's is the best). Let the boiling water mix it well for a minute or so. 
6. Time to drink another beer. Send sober friend to store for more beer. 
7. Drop in the onions (halved), the potatoes and fresh garlic. Let this cook, keeping an eye on the potatoes. (Check for doneness by stabbing with a sharp knife or fork. If it goes in easy, it is cooked. Hint; Do not over cook potatoes, slightly under cook them because they will continue to steam and cook in ice chest. You don't want to end up with mashed potatoes.) When the potatoes are almost done, add the hot dogs, sausage, corn and mushrooms. After they have cooked, lower the fire on the burner and remove the basket. Place them in a small clean ice chest - don't close the lid - just place foil on top. Time to drink another beer.
8. Turn the heat up on the burner. Add more spice to the water. (About 1/2 lbs., save rest of spice for later.) Take the lemons and oranges (halved) and squeeze the juice in the water. Then add the lemons and oranges to the water. When the water comes to a real good boil place the crawfish into the basket and put the basket in the pot. (Be careful - it's very hot!) Put the lid on the pot and enjoy another beer. 
9. When the water comes back to a boil - keep a very close eye on this part - let it boil for 4 minutes and turn off the fire. Let it soak for another 3 minutes and then remove. Kill the boil when you turn it off by adding cold water or ice, not much is needed maybe a gallon or so (Tip- have some 2 liter bottles almost full of water and frozen, use these instead of loose ice so that you do not dilute your water for the next batch). Then let the crawfish soak. They will sink to the bottom and fill with spicy water (JUICES).
10. Get an old table and place old newspapers on top. Dump the basket of crawfish on top of the newspaper and sprinkle with leftover spice. 
11. Dump the onions, potatoes, corn and garlic on top of the crawfish. Now it's time to really drink beer and eat. The vegetables are for those guests who cannot figure out how to peel the crawfish (we call them Yankees, LOL). At least they won't starve.

Use leftover spice to experiment. You can always add more to the ice chest. Sprinkle it on, stir it up and let it steam in chest for 10 minutes. Then test again.


Tips:
1. To hold hot crawfish for a short time (1-2 hours), you can use a styrofoam ice chest. Most plastic chests will melt or warp. 
2. Use leftover spice to experiment. You can always add more to the ice chest. Sprinkle it on, stir it up and let it steam in chest for 10 minutes. Then test again.

In a survival situation, they are a great food because even if you want to cook them, they cook quickly and easily, though they will not have much flavor, they are a good food source found in many places.

----------


## COWBOYSURVIVAL

Just got back from checking the trap. 5 or 6 small crawdad's was it. I released them. What did we learn? The first time I had put bread balss in the trap along with Herring. This time was just herring. I had left the trap in the same location. I have now moved the trap but didn't have bread balls at the ditch cause I honestly thought the Herring was what nabbed the great catch the first time. Looks like maybe it was the bread. If nothing happens this time I will know what bait is best.

----------


## Ken

> The vegetables are for those guests who cannot figure out how to peel the crawfish (we call them Yankees, LOL). At least they won't starve.


 :Sneaky2:   That's 'cause us Yankees are only used to eatin' them saltwater crawfish.  We call 'em lobsters.  When we wanna cook up 30 lbs, we don't weigh 'em, we just throw a dozen in the pot.  To us, crawfish are just newly hatched lobster eggs.

We boil ours up with some spices and about 2 quarts of liquid crushed red pepper in it's own juices - like Hopeak says, that's what real men use.  We serve it with drawn butter.   But if we've had too many beers, we just get lazy and use a couple of pounds of Zateran's Seafood Boil.  It's the best!

Anyway, thanks for the recipe.  It's similar to the one I use for my shrimp boil. 

Here's what the liquid crushed red pepper looks like:

----------


## COWBOYSURVIVAL

Just checked my trap for third time today. I think it must be that the bait of choice is bread balls. It was empty except for one minnow. Good news though it was the first minnow. I moved and rebaited the trap to include those wonderful bread balls. It is dusk thirty now so we will need a light for this last set. Waiting...........................

----------


## Sarge47

To keep things organized I merged both "Crawfish" threads into one. :Cool2:

----------


## crashdive123

Well, ain't that cool.  Looks like you won't have to worry about stocking the ditch.

----------


## COWBOYSURVIVAL

> Well, ain't that cool.  Looks like you won't have to worry about stocking the ditch.


I baited and set 4 times. The first time I got approx. 30, the last time I just came in, about 5 and not many in between. Not sure if it is the time of day the bait or what makes them crawl in the cage. I do know I am cooking the keepers right now along with our gardens first yield. So I have protein and a great source of beta carotine right outta my back yard!

----------


## COWBOYSURVIVAL

I have more pics and a new trap that I was gonna share but, just gonna let it lie being my post is done.

----------


## crashdive123

Why not just post them here in the merged thread.  All of your posts are here on the topic.

----------


## COWBOYSURVIVAL

I will when time permits. Just got a little befuzzled when my post just disappeared. Now that I know what happened it makes sense. I also ran outta steam because it looks like the subject has been well documented as it is.

----------


## Rick

The other option is you ate the ones that were in the ditch!

----------


## flandersander

Yeah, post some pics of that new trap you've been talking about. Thats amazing, right in your backyard. I'd love to do that, trouble is in the winter, my water becomes somewhat of a solid. The craws could survive the cold i think, but the water underneath becomes stagnant and pretty gross. IF I kept it circulating it would be good, but the equipment for that is expensive. I would not want to restock every year, so does anybody know of a cheap way to keep water liquid in -35 degree weather? There is actually a "guy" that sells live craws for stocking not to far from here. Therefore, its legal, but impractical to stock every year. Anybody have any ideas?

----------


## COWBOYSURVIVAL

I will do more with the post soon. One thing I had considered was digging a small impoundment. The crawfish only need 18-24 in. of water. This way you could stock and feed'em. Yeah, I too was a little concerned about water quality. I figured eat'em now while a doctor was readily available.... Logic? This is an irrigation ditch. Run off water is not always of acceptable quality even for a fish pond you need a spring or other source. A paddlewheel aerator is what is used to move water in a crawfish pond. Usually a motor drives a good size paddle wheel and it just throws water around at the surface. Also part of the yearly cycle is a time when the pond is allowed to dry up and the crawfish burrow. I will post a link that will help you understand the production of crawfish a little later gotta hit the shower, time to goto work. Gees I don't wanna wake up this morning.

----------


## crashdive123

> Gees I don't wanna wake up this morning.


It sure as heck beats the alternative.

----------


## Rick

You wouldn't have to use a paddle wheel to aerate. Folks around here use a fountain to aerate small ponds. Just pump the water through a hose into the air and let it fall back in the pond. Looks like a fountain. 

Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.

----------


## COWBOYSURVIVAL

The purpose of the paddle wheel is also to move the water and provide current for healthy production. Louisiana is the most successful at crawfish aquaculture so I am going off of their experience. Here is the best info I have found.

http://www.lsuagcenter.com/en/crops_...ion+Manual.htm

----------


## Rick

Man! What a publication! That's everything you ever wanted to know about the subject. Thanks!!!!!

----------


## bulrush

> well i have heard of folks stocking swimming pools with fish, but i am sure that would violate your limit on fish, probably would be the same with crawfish. the only logistical problem i see with stocking a ditch is population density, how many do you need to eat for a meal and how many can that area of ditch sustain


In my aquariums I raise marbled crayfish. These are all female and all reproduce without males. They all reside on the bottom of the tank (generally) and need no more than 36 square inches each. I have about 8 in my tank with a bottom of about 12 x 24 inches. 

Square footage on the bottom is not the deciding factor. The deciding factor is number of hiding places. They need to hide when they molt or the other crayfish will eat them when their shell is soft post-molt.

Since marbled crayfish multiply so fast, they might be an ideal candidate for a TIGHTLY CONTAINED crayfish production facility. For example, a swimming pool with 3 ft high walls (these buggers can climb also but not out of water, they can climb to the top of the water). I get about 30 babies every 30 days per adult crayfish. It takes about 120 days for a baby to mature. 

Starting with 1 adult, here's what I would have: 
after 30 days: 31 crayfish
After 30+120 days: 1+(30*30) = 901 crayfish

----------


## COWBOYSURVIVAL

> In my aquariums I raise marbled crayfish. These are all female and all reproduce without males. They all reside on the bottom of the tank (generally) and need no more than 36 square inches each. I have about 8 in my tank with a bottom of about 12 x 24 inches. 
> 
> Square footage on the bottom is not the deciding factor. The deciding factor is number of hiding places. They need to hide when they molt or the other crayfish will eat them when their shell is soft post-molt.
> 
> Since marbled crayfish multiply so fast, they might be an ideal candidate for a TIGHTLY CONTAINED crayfish production facility. For example, a swimming pool with 3 ft high walls (these buggers can climb also but not out of water, they can climb to the top of the water). I get about 30 babies every 30 days per adult crayfish. It takes about 120 days for a baby to mature. 
> 
> Starting with 1 adult, here's what I would have: 
> after 30 days: 31 crayfish
> After 30+120 days: 1+(30*30) = 901 crayfish



WOW Bulrush! What is done with all the babies currently and how big are these adults? The Red Crawfish in Louisiana do require males. I am gonna look up these marbled crayfish. I am setting up an aquarium for my daughter. What do you feed them?

----------


## flandersander

I just whipped up a couple traps this afternoon while I was off work (sick).
Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.
Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.
Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.

----------


## Rick

Not bad for a "sick" day. Gotta love those tie wraps!!!!!!

----------


## crashdive123

Nice work Flanders.  Are you going to put in a door to remove the catch, or just cut the tie wraps and remove one end?

----------


## Rick

Why do I have a vision of the monkey with his hand trapped in the jar?

----------


## Ken

> Why do I have a vision of the monkey with his hand trapped in the jar?


Like this?

----------


## flandersander

crash- There will be doors about 4-5" both ways. cable ties (tie wraps) on one side for a hinge and twist ties on the other so it can be opened. I just cut out a row of the mesh. It was called hardware mesh, but it can be found by the chicken fencing. I used 1/4 inch mesh, so i'll probably get a bunch of itty bitty craws, but thats alright.

----------


## crashdive123

Thanks for the explanation.  I'm familiar with hardware cloth.  Use it all the time for rodent exclusion.

----------


## Rick

Rodent exclusion? Man! You really are picky about who you let in.

----------


## crashdive123

Every club has to have its standards.

----------


## Rick

Their time is coming.......soon!

Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.

----------


## flandersander

do you guys think the opening of the cone is too close to the bottom of the cage? I mean, so the craws can get out?

----------


## Rick

They aren't that smart. The only thing that could give you a problem is the diameter of the hole limiting the size of the crawfish that can get in. Try it and see what happens. The worst will be you come up empty.

----------


## COWBOYSURVIVAL

I don't think they will get out and the hole is plenty large enough. I am also making the same design. Instead of a door, I am gonna make it to where it seperates in 2 halves then just dump the critters out. I let my daughter catch some in my old trap yesterday for her aquarium. We selected an adult male and female. The rest were released. 1 drop of the trap produced more than 10. 1 was too large to go in the 1" hole. We still caught him though as he hung on when the trap was pulled.

----------


## flandersander

wow. I tried today (no good bait) and came up with nothing. But it was pretty cold and windy, and i only left it for half an hour. I guess i'll keep at it.

----------


## catfish10101

> I just whipped up a couple traps this afternoon while I was off work (sick).
> Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.
> Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.
> Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.


We make traps like that to catch minnows for fishing. for the door, we take a strip of rubber from an old innertube and tie one end to the trap behind the door, and the other end to a small wire hook then stretch it across the door and hook it to the trap to keep it closed. Makes it easy to open and close. We only put one door in the middle. Just tilt the trap both ways to dump them out.

----------


## COWBOYSURVIVAL

> wow. I tried today (no good bait) and came up with nothing. But it was pretty cold and windy, and i only left it for half an hour. I guess i'll keep at it.


Any oily fish will work! cut it in 1" steaks 2 or 3 pcs. will do. If they are there at all I guarantee you at least 1 otherwise they are not there! I leave mine 2 to 4 hrs. min. and maybe 6 max. Look for overhangin' roots or any kind of cover to set your trap.

----------


## flandersander

On the west side of the lake, there are a whole bunch of fist sized rocks that were put there by man to keep the waves from ruining the road. On the shore, there are a whole bunch of bodies from craws, mostly claws. I don't know if there are lots of crawfish there or if thats where the gulls take them to be eaten. Do they preffer lots of vegitation or lots of rocks?

----------


## glockcop

> On the west side of the lake, there are a whole bunch of fist sized rocks that were put there by man to keep the waves from ruining the road. On the shore, there are a whole bunch of bodies from craws, mostly claws. I don't know if there are lots of crawfish there or if thats where the gulls take them to be eaten. Do they preffer lots of vegitation or lots of rocks?


Common Ya'll.....butter and "seafood sauce"-whatever that is. Come on down to New Orleans if ya wanta eat dem der bugs sher. We do em right with cayenne pepper, salt, lemon oil , and other seasonings. Boil them with mushrooms, potatoes (not fallin apart), corn on  the cob, cellery, sausage, onions (whole or cut in half), and whatever else ya like. Dump da whole ting on da table an go afta it (lay down news paper first). You can buy the seasoning mix in stores around here and it is called "dump". you dump it in the boiling pot and get to cookin. The "Zatartanz" brand is pretty good. You can also buy liquid "boil" to put in the water instead of "dump". but the "dump" is waaaayyyy better. Different seafood houses where ya buy the live crawfish have their own "dump" recipies but all the good one are pretty close. Timming is everthing too when boiling them. If ya boil them too long the shells get hard and you cant peel the tail w/o destroying the meat. When done right the tail meat slips right out when gripped with your froint teeth. no peeling of the tail is necessary. Pull the head and suck the juice out, then put your teeth on the little bit of meat sticking out of the tail and gently pull away from your mouth (simultaneously pinching the bottom of the tail) leaving a hunk of meat between your teeth. The boiling procedure goes like this for perfect crawfish every time---Put your prefered seasoning("dump"--Zataranz) into you boiling pot and bring to a boil. You need one box of "dump" per sack of crawfish (about 40lbs) place your live crawfish into the water (they should be in a basket for easy removal). At this point the water will have stopped boiling because you added in the cool crawfish. bring the crawfish and water to a boil again and immediately turn off the propane. Let the crawfish stand in the water for 15 min and pull them out. Ready to eat. An average person can eat about 5-10 lbs in one sitting. Some people way more than that. Man I just got myself hungry!

----------


## glockcop

Flandersander I dont know what I did to this freaking computer to pull up your reply and put it with mine but that was not intentional. Sorry brother. I am very new at this forum stuff.

----------


## flandersander

Hey don't worry about it buddy, It was useful information.

----------


## COWBOYSURVIVAL

Here is one of the crawfish caught back when i first posted. We have what we think is a male and female for pets. We think this guy is the male. His name is Bearclaw.

Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.

----------


## flandersander

He's a nice color. Howd ya catch 'em?

----------


## COWBOYSURVIVAL

> He's a nice color. Howd ya catch 'em?


He is one I caught in the trap I posted. Look back at the post. Any how we have had them more than a month and they are doing great! Learnin' how to breed them I think.

----------


## crashdive123

> He is one I caught in the trap I posted. Look back at the post. Any how we have had them more than a month and they are doing great! Learnin' how to breed them I think.


Ummmmmmmmmm.........nevermind.

----------


## COWBOYSURVIVAL

Here is the pair. I figure the male is colorful and the female isn't.

Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.

----------


## flandersander

hey cowboy, I don't believe you ever did post pics of that new trap design. Did you end up making it?

----------


## Rick

Here is a link to determine the sex. 

http://biog-101-104.bio.cornell.edu/.../crayfish.html

----------


## doug1980

Just about the only thing I miss about Louisiana are crawfish.  They are so delicious.  I miss Gumbo too though.

----------


## COWBOYSURVIVAL

> hey cowboy, I don't believe you ever did post pics of that new trap design. Did you end up making it?


I made a good start at it but never finished it. I'll post it when I do though.

----------


## COWBOYSURVIVAL

> Here is a link to determine the sex. 
> 
> http://biog-101-104.bio.cornell.edu/.../crayfish.html


Good link Rick! you solved a dilema we were having as to being sure of the sex. I had found an identifying prong is used for louisiana crawfish. It is absent in the species I have been catching. This should clear it up for me thanks!

----------


## crashdive123

> I made a good start at it but never finished it. I'll post it when I do though.


Hey, hey, hey now.  You just march yourself out to your workshop and finish that knife.  No getting side tracked with fishing!

----------


## COWBOYSURVIVAL

> Hey, hey, hey now.  You just march yourself out to your workshop and finish that knife.  No getting side tracked with fishing!


Thanks Crash soon everyone will know how I jump from project to project. Seriously I do intend to try my hand at the forge this weekend. Oh, have to build the forge first.....

----------


## tonester

does anyone know if you can find crawfish in so-cal? ive been researching and looking in fishing/hunting forums but cant find anything.

----------


## COWBOYSURVIVAL

I am sure they are in your state. I know they were in NM.

----------


## tonester

thanks cowboysurvival. i actually found out that they are some in big bear lake. im gonna start making some traps and try to catch some.

----------


## flandersander

i found that i catch more by flipping over rocks, and scooping them up with minnow or butterfly net. They're really fast though, and i think they look like a frog shooting away. You've can't be afraid to be pinched, thats why i started using a net. easier, and less pain. Thats just my 2 cents though.

----------


## COWBOYSURVIVAL

Your call my trap was full in less than 2 hours, and that is my 1 cent. I used herring for bait....

----------


## tonester

is there a certain time to set the traps? or is anytime a good time?

----------


## flandersander

Oh, maybe it was the place i put mine. I go around the rocks, but maybe the weeds is the answer. herring... hmm. Maybe i'm going about this all wrong.

----------


## COWBOYSURVIVAL

If you read back in my post I tried bread balls and herring. The herring worked best. Any fresh cut bait will work cut brim, etc. I did it through mid day. I have also seen them come to a lantern when camped on a lake. I think they are more active during a full moon at night.

----------


## donkeynomad

In Australia here we love eating not only yabbies (Your crawfish) which abound in rivers, farm dams and lakes but we also have freshwater Spiney Crayfish which grow up to nearly 3 feet long. These are covered in spines and found in many rivers in various places in Aus. Unfortunately, when it was discovered they were great eating, they were nearly fished to extinction as they are easy to catch and they are illegal to hunt now - but many people still catch them.
Yabbies are commercially farmed here as well as caught in the wild.

Cheers,
Rowan

----------


## COWBOYSURVIVAL

I am very interested in what your calling spiny crawfish.. I'll do a search but any info you have would be nice! I wanna farm crayfish...

----------


## COWBOYSURVIVAL

http://www.nativefish.asn.au/spiny.html

Them are some big crayfish! Is it possible you could send me a male and female?

----------


## donkeynomad

That article is very conservative as far as the sizes are concerned, in isolated areas the crays will reach double the sizes stated in the article. The pictures do not show the spines well, you have to have some experience in handling them so as not to get your hands full of spines. I spent a lot of my childhood waiting for tips of the sharp spines to grow out of my hands when I mishandled them. Painful.
Sorry CowboySurvival, I doubt it would be easy to export these creatures. Australia is very strict on exporting native animals.

----------


## COWBOYSURVIVAL

Your right! What was I thinking' I know we all have to keep our resources natural and ferel animals intoduced to a foreign ecosystem is not a good thing. I'll just go after the biggest US species... Thanks for responding and telling us about these large crayfish of Australia.

----------


## hoosierarcher

One of our local Chinese Buffet places actually have crawfish on their hot bar. BUT it's precooked, frozen and then they cook it again so it's seriously over cooked. That's what happens when you have Mexicans cooking Chinese food and not one Cajun in the mix. I jokingly walked up to the kitchen door and yelled "Imigracion!!!!!Imigracion!!!" in a high voice then, "ICE nobody move!" in a deep voice one day. The kitchen was vacant of all Mexican and Chinese workers in under 15 seconds. The parking lot looked like a Chinese firedrill, if you'll pardon the expression.

----------


## COWBOYSURVIVAL

If you recall I had said I had picked a male and female for pets. I thought I saw my pet crawfish mating. Well this week my male comes up dead and now the female is going to be a momma She is carrying an egg clutch that could mean more than 500 baby crawfish. One problem she is in a tank and should be burrowed to hatch her young. I have got to get this right. 500 little babies what should I do? I am thinking either return her to a burrow in the wild or try and switch her to a dirt burrow in an aquarium. Any ideas?

----------


## COWBOYSURVIVAL

See the last post...

Look close under her tail...

Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.

----------


## flandersander

I have used a section of pvc pipe. I us about a 3 inch piece, then a 90 dagree elbow, then another 3 inch piece, then an end cap. This was for ghost shrimp mind you, not craws, but I don't see why it wouldn't work. Or do they need to be where its dry to lay their eggs? IN that case, you could weight it, then trap some air in the pipe. Just a thought.

----------


## Oasis de Tucanes

Tastes like chicke...I mean lobster.

----------


## mccaw69

let me tell u they are delicious!!u can use a trap to catch them,or go out at night ,in a creek,ditch,where ever u see they're holes/stacks,catch them by hand,jus watch those pincers.

----------


## COWBOYSURVIVAL

We have successfully breeded our craws and now have literally hundreds of little ones. They are too small for pics, plus I need to clean the tank...gonna be hard to clean with the baby craws. They were hatched underwater (full tank) it appears they are doing good..I will post pics when I am able!

----------


## crashdive123

Do I sense some etoufee in your future?

----------


## Rick

Yeah or some kind of crawfish dish?

----------


## COWBOYSURVIVAL

Nah! I am amazed at the beauty of it and sharin' it with my little girl. She is 6 and these are her Craws...She is even writing a book! about the Jestation period. Maybe a future Science Fair project! I am so proud of her! Straight A's in the first qtr. nothing under 97!

----------


## flandersander

It's that time of year again. Cowboy, did you ever get around to making that trap? I'm still interested in catching these things. How many gallons is the tank that your daughter keeps them in? I'm thinking of raising some, so I know exactly what's in them. No harsh pesticides. I have a ten gallon I'm looking to try, but I've also got my grubby little paws on a huge 100 gallon setup. I think I might be able to breed some craws in there. We'll see what happens. My traps are out. I used ground beef, because I couldn't find anything fishy. This weekend I'll make a run for the city to get some fish. The cheapest, grossest fish I can find should suffice. Right?

----------


## COWBOYSURVIVAL

Nope I never finished the trap. a wire cylinder is still sitting in the corner...all you need is a wire cylinder and 2 wire funnels in each end, a door to place bait and remove cawdaddy's! Or a store bought minow trap works just as well.. I'd not try to breed them in the 10 gal. maybe the 100 gal. would work.

----------


## Swamprat1958

We cook them frequently during the late winter and spring in Louisiana.  We use a good seasoning mix for a starter then add our own seasonings to jazz it up.  Throw in some lemons, potatoes, onions, etc. and boil them all together for a heck of a meal.  We generally plan on at least two pounds/female and at least 5 pounds/ per male.  I know some guys who are just getting started good at 5 lbs. and eat far more than that.

----------


## flandersander

Oh you're just building the standard trap. There are a few designs that i'd like to try still. One that looks like a pyramid, but without a top. /_\ Something where they fall down from the top, and can't get out. Just a thought.

----------


## Rollicks

I want to point out that in a survival situation you wouldn't want to eat a crawfish raw because they can be infected with parasites. Someone here on the forum said that you could, but I would strongly recommend that you cook them, if you can't make fire then eat something else. 

The CDC has a page about Crawfish Parasites, but the forum won't let me post it.

You can also just google for Crawfish Parasites. Though you can't always trust what you read on the interwebs, I've heard some pretty horrific things have happened to japanese people who ate raw crawfish, like swollen testacles and yeah... Not gonna say anymore there.

For bait I've had luck with hot dogs and oily fish. Crawfish also eat other Crawfish, so whatever parts you don't eat you should use for bait. Crawfish also like eating plants, so it might be good to try some veggies, I have not tried this.  I've tried cat food, but the bugs didn't like it, but then it probably would have made them taste like friskies. 

When I see bubbles floating above the trap I yank it up, empty it out, drop it back in. I can usually score about 8-11 every 15 minutes. You can set a trap at night, they're more active at that time, but they tend to eat and run, so it's good to check your traps often. 

For a trap, I have a basket trap and I've put a suet feeder in there for a bait box. 

You don't have to purge them, IMHO there is no taste difference between a purged and non purged Crawfish. If you purge them, don't use salt, all that does is piss them off. What you want to do is put them in a tank of water with an aquarium pump and don't feed them anything. They'll poop out everything in their system in about a day. You also want to change the water and hose em off before you cook em, because they'll be swimming in poop. It's more trouble than it's worth.

When they say pinch the tail, suck the head, you don't actually suck the head. It's more of a back or chest cavity that has this tasty orange goo in it. The goo
is the hepatopancreas of the animal. It does for the Crawfish what a liver does for us. Think of it as Lake Lobster Foie Gras. Slurp it, or put it in a Crawfish Pie, or mix it into Cornbread with bacon, cheese and jalapenos. But that's okay if you don't want it, give it to me!

Also, check your laws. In Washington they have to be at least 3 inches long or you've gotta throw em back. There's a daily limit to how many we can catch if it's a native Crawfish. The non-native New Orleans species that we have here kill small fish and eat fish eggs, so there is no limit on how many of them that we catch. Also, we don't need fishing licenses to catch them and they're pretty much in every lake or stream. Lastly, if it is a native species you can transport them
home alive. It is illegal to transport live non-native Crawfish, they must be eaten on site or killed before removing from the area. Besides dropping them into a boiling pot of water, the most humane way to kill them is to put 'em in ice water to slow their brains down before jamming a knife between their eyes. The ice water at least helps you to not get pinched while you're executing them.

----------


## Rick

Once you reach 10 posts, which you have now, you can post links. On the swelling thingy...can you be selective on what swells? Just askin'.

----------


## Rollicks

Swollen legs, and big swollen other part of the anatomy. Of course that might just be related to the consumption of raw japanese crawfish. 

Since I can post links now, here is the CDC one that I mentioned:

http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/paragon...info/faqs.html

And for those who don't like clicking links, here is what the website says:


What is Paragonimus?
Paragonimus is a parasitic lung fluke (flat worm). Cases of illness from infection occur after a person eats raw or undercooked infected crab or crayfish. The illness is known as paragonimiasis. Paragonimus infection also can be very serious if the fluke travels to the central nervous system, where it can cause symptoms of meningitis.

Where is Paragonimus found?

Paragonimus westermani and several other species are found throughout eastern, southwestern, and southeast Asia; (including China, the Philippines, Japan, Vietnam, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand). P. africanus is found in Africa, and P. mexicanus in Central and South America. There are several species of Paragonimus in other parts of the world that can infect humans. P. kellicotti is found in the midwestern and southern United States living in crayfish. Some human cases of infection have been associated with eating raw crayfish on river raft trips in the Midwest. Paragonimus has caused illness after ingestion of raw freshwater crabs.

How is Paragonimus transmitted?

The infection is transmitted by eating infected crab or crawfish that is either, raw, partially cooked, pickled, or salted. The larval stages of the parasite are released when the crab or crawfish is digested. They then migrate within the body, most often ending up in the lungs. In 6-10 weeks the larvae mature into adult flukes.
What are the signs and symptoms?
Adult flukes living in the lung cause lung disease. After 2-15 days, the initial signs and symptoms may be diarrhea and abdominal pain. This may be followed several days later by fever, chest pain, and fatigue. The symptoms may also include a dry cough initially, which later often becomes productive with rusty-colored or blood-tinged sputum on exertion. The symptoms of paragonimiasis can be similar to those of tuberculosis.
How is Paragonimus infection diagnosed?
The diagnosis is usually made by identifying Paragonimus eggs in the sputum or sometimes in the stool (from ingesting eggs after coughing them up, then passing the eggs in the stool).

Is Paragonimus infection contagious?

No. Paragonimus infection is not contagious.
Is there treatment?
Yes, there is treatment. Once the diagnosis is made, effective treatment for paragonimiasis is available from a physician.
How can I prevent Paragonimus infection?
Never eat raw freshwater crabs or crayfish. Cook crabs and crayfish to at least 145°F (~63°C). Travelers should be advised to avoid traditional meals containing undercooked freshwater crustaceans.

----------


## Rick

And that, my friends, is why I don't eat shushi. If God had intended man to eat food raw he would not have invented the BIC lighter so we can start fires.

----------


## Rollicks

Well the thing about sushi, is that traditionally it wasn't raw. It was raw fish that had been allowed to ferment in rice. Today we eat vinegared rice to get the taste of what sushi used to be. The first sushi was supposedly discovered by a starving man in the wilderness. He watched a seabird go back to its nest, then he waited for the bird to leave and foraged a bunch of fermented fish bits from the nest. Now I realize that sounds pretty gross and probably a myth, but I like to think that there is some truth in it. If so, that's one helluva survival story. Btw u crack me up Rick.

Another story says that sushi came about when some fisherman packed fish in rice to keep it fresh. They forgot about it, but curious if it was still good, they ate it and noticed that it tasted funny but nobody got sick and I guess they liked it. There are thousands of fermented foods that have a similar story, usually involving a dare or simple human curiosity leading to their discovery. Hey without that though, where would we be?

----------


## cacteye

I LOVE Crayfish! Down here in Texas I'll between end of April and beginning of August Its a total crayfish jamboree! I have a hand full of ditches, canals, and resacas that I like to hit. I'll collect 3 or 4 five gallon buckets of them(Probably more than this because by the end of it I have a few 55 gallon barrels and big ice-chests crawling with these little guys). I'll set them to purge and only feed them cornmeal and pepper Then change the water once a day for 5 days. After that we have a HUGE(I cannot emphasize the hugeness of this) crayfish boil. 

My recipe: :Chef: 
20 bags of rice sticks(Asian rice noodles...The kind with the picture of a shrimp on the bag)
2 bags of red new potatoes(30'bs each)
50 Corn on the cobs(cut them in half makes everything fit easier)
2lbs of un-salted chile powder(Make sure it does not have salt. I usually only use 1 pound but spice to your taste)
1lb of sea salt(salt to taste)
5+ bulbs of garlic(We love garlic so we put about 10)
20-40 Fresh jalapenos(depends on your tolerance)
1 big restaurant sized bottle of Louisiana hot sauce

Put all the veggies in a GIANT pot add water and bring to a boil add spices then taste, add salt to taste.
Once you have the flavor balanced then dump in the crayfish and make sure they boil for a good 2 minutes, then add in the rice sticks boil for an additional 4 minutes. Then pull everything out leaving the "soup" behind. Place everything on a news paper lined set of tables pour on the hot sauce and mix it all around. Then make sure you have a few hungry people with you! (Both my parents come from families with 13 kids each. There are plenty of people willing to eat at my house)

We do this here once a year and it accidentally turned into a family reunion! :toomany:  

Hope you try a smaller variation of this :Wavey:

----------


## Rollicks

cacteye, I will try this but I'm gonna add some andouille sausage and bay leaves to the mix. That setup you got there sounds awesome!

----------


## cacteye

thanks, that recipe addition sounds awesome!
Crayfish.jpg
That is the mess I left one time! I couldn't believe I had eaten so much! :triage:

----------


## Enigma

> I want to point out that in a survival situation you wouldn't want to eat a crawfish raw because they can be infected with parasites. Someone here on the forum said that you could, but I would strongly recommend that you cook them, if you can't make fire then eat something else. 
> 
> The CDC has a page about Crawfish Parasites, but the forum won't let me post it.
> 
> You can also just google for Crawfish Parasites. Though you can't always trust what you read on the interwebs, I've heard some pretty horrific things have happened to japanese people who ate raw crawfish, like swollen testacles and yeah... Not gonna say anymore there.
> 
> For bait I've had luck with hot dogs and oily fish. Crawfish also eat other Crawfish, so whatever parts you don't eat you should use for bait. Crawfish also like eating plants, so it might be good to try some veggies, I have not tried this.  I've tried cat food, but the bugs didn't like it, but then it probably would have made them taste like friskies.


Paragonimus westermani

An Excellent bit of info there. Thank you.

----------


## canid

I'm going to take the other position here. I would argue that only in an emergency, when food has become sufficiently necessary, and then only in one in which you can not make fire or eat something else should one eat raw foot with a substantial potential to communicate parasites. Even in safety, with ready access to medical care you can pick up bugs the best help in the world can not always or reliably get rid of. It is when you truly must choose between your immediate and mid to long term well-being that those risks become appropriate.

----------


## Enigma

Thanks to blokes like Bear Grylls, people seem to think we can start hoeing into raw meat safely.!!!  He has a lot to answer for. Go eat some raw garden snails, if you're really keen to find out if it's safe or not. Or maybe drink blood from feral pigs? 

The modern 'wacky' myths surrounding 'survival' never ceae to amaze me. People really do want to believe the most bizarre things.

----------


## cacteye

Enigma, now that you bring up Bear Grylls. Has anyone seen the episode where he eats that mountain trout raw? Im wondering what fish is "safe" to eat raw? I'd really like to know because I LOVE making sushi. and fuma-zushi is my favorite(crucian carp fermented in rice. the original way). I would love to try this with a different type of fish....But I do fear parasites so I have have used anything else!

the quotes around safe is because everyone views safety differently. Where-as I see an old rope bridge about to fall apart someone else sees the perfect solution to getting from point A-B

----------


## Rick

Take your pick...or in this case, pict.

https://www.google.com/search?q=worm..._AUoAQ#imgrc=_

I don't eat meat raw.

----------


## cacteye

> Take your pick...or in this case, pict.
> 
> https://www.google.com/search?q=worm..._AUoAQ#imgrc=_
> 
> I don't eat meat raw.


I understand your fear. I used to have the same one when it came to raw fish. This is the Fuma-zushi Recipe:
Clean and scale your fish
Salt and cover. Leave them "salting" for 3 months
Wash them then bury them in steamed rice and cover it, for an additional 6 months. 
Then take them out separate the fish and rice.
Slice the fish and place it in a spiral with a clump of rice in the middle.

Now if there were worms in the meat they would have eaten through the fish in the first 3 months, Dont you think? (I wont even pretend to know anything Medically, Its an actual question and not an attempt to be sarcastic!)

----------


## Enigma

Salted fish isn't raw fish. The procedure I'd be most concerned with, in the above 'Recipe', is the 'washing' part. I guess 3 months of salting osmosis will have all parts of the flesh free from bacteria, except for the surface after it has been 'washed'. (Introduction of bacteria from any un-sterilised water)

----------


## hayshaker

`i miss the poki in Hawaii it was raw tuna with chopped green onions,seseme oil,redpepper flakes,soy sauce and crunchy seaweed called
ogo from the big Island.

----------


## cacteye

> `i miss the poki in Hawaii it was raw tuna with chopped green onions,seseme oil,redpepper flakes,soy sauce and crunchy seaweed called
> ogo from the big Island.


Sounds TASTY

----------


## hunter63

Friday night fish fry.....Tuesday night Brew Pub all you can eat Crab legs......Crawfish (tators, corn) from little stand along Mansfield Road south of Shreveport, La.....in season......Not sure if it even has a name....just says "Crawfish"..... 

Other wise they are "Bait".

----------


## xjosh40x

One thing about crawfish is if they are boiled its best to do it while they are still alive and if you come across one that the tail isn't curled inward don't eat the tail. Usually soiled meat. 

In Mississippi,crawfish boils are a way of life.

----------


## Rollicks

Crawfish are also good bait, fish love 'em. At least if the fish don't want 'em, you've got something to take home!

Another old technique for making food edible and less perishable is drying things in the sun. Usually this is done best in colder climates so that bacteria has less of a chance to spoil your food. Drying meat is great because without moisture, the bacteria doesn't have a medium to grow in. In warmer climates you're better off cooking and eating, or curing/smoking the meat. It actually does matter what you burn though, you wouldn't want to burn poisonous plants and have that transfer to your food or harm you with noxious smoke. xjosh40x, you are spot on about not eating Crawfish with the inward bent tail. This usually indicates that the Crawfish was dead for a long time before the boil, the meat is usually mushy and doesn't taste good.

----------

