The Piragis catalog has crawfish traps for sale. I am from Illinois. Can I use these traps in the BW or do I have to be Minnesota resident?

I'm from illinois to and was wondering the same thing. and is there anywhere in illinois to catch a lot of crawfish? (Not trying to take over the thread just wondering)

Kids and the trap

From the 2012 regs, "licensed anglers and children under 16 may take
and possess up to 25 pounds of crayfish longer than 1 inch for personal use."

they are easy to catch in shallow water, put a piece of meat on a hook on the end of a line, dangle it near the crawfish, when it grabs the meat, pull it out of the water

the hook is for holding the meat, not catching the crawfish

quote ZaraSp00k: "they are easy to catch in shallow water, put a piece of meat on a hook on the end of a line, dangle it near the crawfish, when it grabs the meat, pull it out of the water


the hook is for holding the meat, not catching the crawfish"

now thats good advice.,

We tried a collapsible net trap from cabs a few years ago. Baited with fish scraps. Worked well most the time. Caught a few every day.We base camped and left the trap in the same place. Fish love them too.

Our group took one up to the Boulder Bay area this past September. Crayfish 0, our group 0, Otters won hands down. Those cute little buggers ripped the trap to shreds trying to get to our fish guts bait.

One night on Disappointment a couple of years ago we walked down to the shoreline after nightfall with our headlamps. They were all over the place. We just reached down and grabbed them with our pliers we had brought for fishing.

We were on the island campsite on Ima. Crayfish everywhere. Kids just waded in and caught them with their hands. Boiled them up as part of supper. They were a hit.

On Thomas this last year there was a shallow, flat rock sloping into the water from our campsite. We just waded in the shallow water with our headlamps and grabbed them and tossed them up to buddies on the shore. Lots of fun, and they make a nice addition to meals!

Crayfish appetizer on Ensign this summer.
Used a minnow wire trap with fish remains. Caught about 50 per night.

From what I remember the rusty crayfish is an invasive species on Ensign lake. I think the DNR wants then out of that lake. Those sure look tasty BeaV.

quote BeaV: "Crayfish appetizer on Ensign this summer.
Used a minnow wire trap with fish remains. Caught about 50 per night."

What do you do with all those shells!

I have eaten crayfish in the past several times but never in the Bdub.
So, I am just wondering how are you cooking them up there?

Lots of rusty crayfish (invasive spp) in lakes at the end of the Gunflint. They're big and plentiful, but I've never partaken.

I'm pretty sure Gull Lake at Trail's End is full of them and probably most of the connected lakes, as well. Superior National Forest has a list of infested lakes, I believe.

quote fitgers1: "I have eaten crayfish in the past several times but never in the Bdub.
So, I am just wondering how are you cooking them up there?"

I usually don't prepare them whole as in my picture(these were just fried in the pan whole). Normally, I cut the tail off and just boil the tail until it turns a nice red just like in the pic. Add a little salt and dip in butter/margerine if you got it. Good eating but hard to eat fast enough to get filled.

I caught some a couple of years ago and I steamed them in a pan with a lid on the fire. Just put a little water in the pan and leave them alone for about 10-15 minutes. I seasoned the water with Old Bay. I kept them whole for the extra bit of flavor from the bodies. I like to let them sit in clear water on shore for a while (change water a few times) this seems to help get some of the silt off of them and the poop out of them. The weather was cold that day so I was able to keep them in a sandwich bag and ate some as a snack while traveling. It's a lot of fun catching and preparing them on layover days. A meal that you harvest and prepare yourself is always tastier.

quote alpine525: "

quote BeaV: "Crayfish appetizer on Ensign this summer.
Used a minnow wire trap with fish remains. Caught about 50 per night."

What do you do with all those shells!"

I treated the shells like I would treat fish remains. I leave them on a rock by the lake away from campsites and portages. Not sure if that's the best way of dealing with them but I try my best to limit the stinky garbage in my pack. I suppose you could also bury them away from trails and campsites.

Those things have NO chance down here, they're pretty easy to catch. One of the better ways is to tie a chicken neck to the trap. One neck will last all day, you can run that trap 20 times.

I was thinking of catching them for bait. Never thought of eating them.

If I can bring a trap I Will next year.

quote Bwoods: "

quote alpine525: "

quote BeaV: "Crayfish appetizer on Ensign this summer.
Used a minnow wire trap with fish remains. Caught about 50 per night."

What do you do with all those shells!"

I treated the shells like I would treat fish remains. I leave them on a rock by the lake away from campsites and portages. Not sure if that's the best way of dealing with them but I try my best to limit the stinky garbage in my pack. I suppose you could also bury them away from trails and campsites. "

To a raccoon, a crawfish is like a lobster tail stuffed inside a filet mignon smothered in crab meat. There's nothing they'd rather eat.

This looks like a cool trap...

trap

Mad_Angler: "This looks like a cool trap...


trap "

It says it is a fish trap. I don’t think this is legal to use in Minnesota because of the opening size. You would catch anything the size of the trap opening including fish and I don’t think you can take fish this way.

For catching ones you find on the shorelin, I always found an old tennis racket was the best tool.

Yeah, Dbor, -you can get the traps, get a fishing license, and get a load of crayfish.
The numbers of rusty craws were UNBELIEVABLE up EP 37.
I suspect those rusty craws are rampant on most shallow lakes with a lot of inflow and outflow. Delicious, and great bait, also, though I've never used them in Minnesota. I like to keep them suspended under a bobber, and predators of all species seem to love 'em. Crayfish Regulation in MN

I can remember being on mack in quetico in the early 90's, we caught them at night with a slab of jackfish, just pinching against the backs. I had never fished with them before but my southern cousins had, and we hit a school of smallies one day where we could not get them off the hook quick enough. I never seen anything like that, we had to just ditch the bobbers and throw one over with a hook and they would strike in Seconds. It must have lasted 30 minutes or so, i think i will catch a few next trip just to see how they do.

Craws work great. I didn't read the whole thread but my experience with the collapsible traps baited with fish scraps was destroyed via a snapper.

You can catch them via what Zara suggested. A piece of fish on a hook. Just lift steadily and slowly, they usually don't let go. A bit more time consuming however.

Craws fished on light line with no weight and a single light wire hook is devastating on smallmouth as they try and kick their way to the bottom. They are only good for several casts.......when they stop trying to get to the bottom time for a fresh one.

campnfish: "....on mack in quetico in the early 90's..."

Can't speak to the regs in the 90s, but I'm pretty sure that wouldn't be kosher in Quetico today for the live bait prohibition.

I think the live bait in the Q changed later in mid or late 2000's. However, mack lake back then we could have probably had the same success with a bare hook.

My son and his cousins learned, when they were young, to catch crawfish along the shoreline at dusk. They attract them with their headlamps, stick a finger in the water and let the little guys clamp onto their finger, then just toss them into a pan.

We cook them up with some fish, sausage, rice, red pepper, tomato, and roux. Sort of an Étouffée (BWCA style).