Thanks Steve and Faz for retrieving my wayward trap.  I appreciate the info about the regs.  I'll have to modify the my bogus traps.  My bad for buying for the retail crawdad traps, I should have known better than to trust the company who makes them.

Faz and I recovered Doug's trap for him, apparently quite a distance from where it was set.  Might want to tie a cinder block to the trap? I didn't really look at the trap closely, but it looked more like a minnow trap than a crawdad trap (and I have a crawdad trap).  

Legally, you can use two traps for craws in W. WA waters, except 3 in the Columbia River. You have to have a good float, and your first & last name, plus permanent address has to be on it; phone optional. You cannot use a bleach or antifreeze bottle, etc.  The rope itself has to be weighted so it can't float on the surface.

See page 133 in the '04 regs for more info. You need to read the fine print, as there are other crictical rules you need to know, to be legal, and you can't afford not to be legal.  I have pulled up a couple of craws on plastics, in about 16'-20' of water, and about this time of year.  Maybe catfish bait would work? Or squirt some Smelly Jelly onto the catfood?  Leave the trap in the water all night!

C&R, Steve

I left my two traps out all night and still nothing.  No 'dads in that lake!  I'm gonna have to change my technique or locations.

There are a few who come out in the day time - but the majority of them are night walkers!  So early in the morning or late in the evening will produce more, but the best is to put the trap out one evening, and come back the next day or in a day or two.  Middle of the day results in very little.

And yes, you can freeze the parts; tails and claws.  (Only keep the largest of claws - the little ones result in lots of work and little meat!)  I freeze them until I have enough to eat.  50 per adult is a good average.  Dipped in melted butter... hummmmm!  (My daughter and I had 150 between us and we paid the price with extruded stomachs!)

Well I must have done something wrong.  I set my 'dad traps in at 10:00 am.  I used canned cat food as bait.  I came back at 2:00 pm and did have a one.  I tried the south end of the lake on a mud flat by the creek with the trestle and the end of mercer at the sunken forest.  I did manage a 3.1 LM on my trip though.

My mom and stepdad freeze shrimp from the saltwater all the time. They clean them, leave them raw, and then freeze the meat with water into a large block of ice. Does anyone know if this is possible for 'dads?

This talk is making my mouth water. If we end up doing this for September, I volunteer to bring a bunch of different hot sauces for our sampling pleasure!

Chris

Hi Rev,

I told Lyle about your post and we're also wondering how long you can keep 'em and if we need to "catch" them soon or can we wait later into September, since the tourney isn't until the 25-26th.  Your professional crawdad'in opinion would be appreciated. 

Thanks

Andrea

A freind of mine ordered some from Louisiana alive and kept them in a plastic pool for a week till his feast....he still finds discarded shedded shells in his backyard....escapees......

Hey Rev,
We were talking about having something a bit different at the Potholes potluck in September and you may have hit on something.  Lyle, the un-official club chief cook, suggested a large boil, toss it out on a table and have a royal feast.  This sounds like the perfect reason for club members to catch as many of the craws as possible and we have a cajun feast to end the tourny season.  Think that they would keep for any length of time?

Kirk

Hey Rev, I might want to take you up on the free trap offer.  I've never had crawfish, but wouldn't mind giving them a try! 

I'm gonna give this a try the next time I go out.  I love 'dads and its been awhile since I got some.  Where have you been putting the traps?  (Approx)  I'll have to pick up some gear and read up on the regs.

I heard that's how they do it down south, ....but I'm a Yankee for sure!

Rev,

You forgot one important and most common way to eat these big critters. You take the head and suck the entrails out of them after you boil them ??? ???. You must not have done this before. HMM,HMM,Hmm-Good.
Russ

No, no, no... You don't boil the whole crawfish.  I was talking about getting them out of your live well!  (only the claws and tails) They are still quite alive and quite strangely offended at the fact that you want to rip them in two while still alive.  (Hmmm... go figure!)

You got me a little confused....How are they still alive after you boil or steam them? I have had crawfish before and never had an issue grabbing them because they are dead....