Or trade. It may not be legal to sell that catch and I want to stay on the bright side of the law.

 

vernon has a huge supply. Last summer i had a total of 124 after an hour or so

 

Have some fun and go out and catch some crayfish. All you need is some raw chicken I prefer use smaller bits like chicken wings tie on about 20 or 30 feet of inexpensive nylon rope, throw it out let it drop to the bottom and slowly drag it back in. Your chicken wing will be covered in crayfish.

We use to do this over off the shore in Soldier Creek Res they make for a great Cookout

 

The traps have to be left for hours to really fill them up, the drumsticks on the string is much more fun for quick action.

 

Do crawfish make good bait at waters where they are found? I lucked out and found a crawfish trap at Rockport a few weeks ago. Might just be better eatin but if you do use them as bait what part is best? Can't wait to catch my first crawfish. Seen tons pulled out of strawberry by others on the shore.

 

Do crawfish make good bait at waters where they are found? I lucked out and found a crawfish trap at Rockport a few weeks ago. Might just be better eatin but if you do use them as bait what part is best? Can't wait to catch my first crawfish. Seen tons pulled out of strawberry by others on the shore.

From my understanding and I could be wrong (got to check the proc) but the use of live bait is Illegal in Utah. Now If they where were dead Im guessing the the head since most the Bass baits Ive used imitate the head and claws.

 

I know that use of live bait is illegal. Do the craw baits just work on bass or do the trout eat them as well?

 

In waters like Jordanelle, crawdad patterms are great for Brown Trout.

 

There are a bunch of crawdad sellers on the internet. They all promise next day live delivery. You can even order a “party pack” that includes the cooking spices and napkins with crawdads on them. Very expensive. I don’t know how it can be legal in Utah. Some of them do have pre-cooked tails also, that has to be okay. With any luck they have it all figured out and you can get some crawdads one way or another.

 

What are some methods to killing it qiuckly once you catch it? I imagine you would need a small rock but where do you whack it?

 

I have always dropped them in boiling water liberally dosed with crab boil. Check out the other crawfish post under Warm Water Fishing, there are easier ways. The first time you try pick one up you'll probably end up wanting a really big rock.

 

There are a bunch of crawdad sellers on the internet. They all promise next day live delivery. You can even order a "party pack" that includes the cooking spices and napkins with crawdads on them. Very expensive. I don't know how it can be legal in Utah. Some of them do have pre-cooked tails also, that has to be okay. With any luck they have it all figured out and you can get some crawdads one way or another.

The Illegal transportation to live fish or bait in Utah refers to transporting them to or from a lake or a body of water in Utah. Buying them off the internet is a whole different story trust me the ones you buy off the internet you want alive.

 

East canyon res has a ton of the little buggers. We set out a trap on the east shore a few years ago and left it over for one night and the trap was FULL the next morning. For trap bait we used fish guts and it seemed to do the trick. Good luck! Nothing like a good crawfish jumbo mmmm.

 

I tried my crawdad trap at the 'Berry and it literally filled up in an hour. However, the chicken legs are so much more fun. But if you want a cookout it's good to throw out the traps a good 20 feet and leave them while fishing with the chicken legs about ten feet. Then when you're done fishing with the legs, pull in the trap, and have a feast!

 

How big were the crawdads up at the Berry? I hear they are pretty darn big over there

It is probably the best spot to get them, but they are not huge. We go after them every year, the easiest place is teh Berry Bay from the dock, but most are small; the kids love the fast action. Hawes Point has bigger ones, but you don't get as many when you have to pull them in instead of pulling the string straight up.

 

I just caught a bunch from Starvation Reservoir. Check 'em out, best way is to keep them alive and then drop them in boiling water until their red look at the my photos

 

Bax, There are some pretty big ones at the 'Berry. Most range from about 3-4 inches long, but there are times when you'll get one about six or seven inches long.

 

I like the smaller ones better, especially for crawfish ettouffee.

Boil them alive in crab boil. Let them cool and then break them in two and then suck the heads out....all that fat and yellow whatever it is.

Then peel and de-vein the tail for etouffee. Some don't de-vien, like the muddy flavor.

 

Crawfish Etouffee (say "A 2 fay"):

viewtopic.php?f=50&t=8318&p=247582&hilit=etouffee#p247582

The best crawfish recipe there is. From The Farm Royal resturant in Beaumont TX.....30 years or so ago......uh...maybe Port Aurthur TX....wish my memory was better.

 

This is so funny to read how you guys up here catch crawfish!! Down South we set out dozens of nets with beef melt in them and catch them like crazy. To see that you count the actual numer caught and not the pounds caught is just a culture shock for me!! I have to admit I can't wait to go out and try to catch some on a chicken wing but I'd much rather set out 50 nets and bag 100 pounds in a good morning and boil them up!!
So how do you guys cook them up here.
Don't think I'm making fun of you Utes, I rarley find something that you guys do up here that makes less since than in the South so when I do I have to enjoy it, that is why I moved after all!! The grass really is greener on the other side!!

 

This is so funny to read how you guys up here catch crawfish!! Down South we set out dozens of nets with beef melt in them and catch them like crazy. To see that you count the actual numer caught and not the pounds caught is just a culture shock for me!! I have to admit I can't wait to go out and try to catch some on a chicken wing but I'd much rather set out 50 nets and bag 100 pounds in a good morning and boil them up!!
So how do you guys cook them up here.
Don't think I'm making fun of you Utes, I rarley find something that you guys do up here that makes less since than in the South so when I do I have to enjoy it, that is why I moved after all!! The grass really is greener on the other side!!

Hog

All good points but I'm not sure if the nets are legal in Utah. If they are, my guess is one would need a commercial or some sort of bait license. Back home we caught all the crawfish we wanted using minnow seines. We got them while seining minnows for sportfishing bait or to run catfish lines.

When I first moved here I found it odd that the locals only used fishing rods for catfish. Where I come from we used bank poles, trot lines, jugs, or traps. But those methods are all illegal in Utah.

The differences in fishing methods and tackle from where I come from and here are dramatic. A fishing license in Illinois was good for up to 200 hooks; in Wyoming my fishing license is good for 2 poles (6 for ice fishing on some lakes) I can buy a 2, 3, or 4-pc cane pole at home but not a fly rod. The bait shops have leeches....uh they don't even have bait shops here. Geeze, we managed our fisheries by throwing too-numerous small fish, like largemouth, crappies and bluegills in the weeds.

And try to have a conversation with these Utah guys about fishing for gar, yellow bass, chain pickerel or freshwater drum. Mooneye; not many mooneye fisherman here. But I will say this, these Utah guys have the same passion for fishing as we do and when they get on the water they are very good at what they do.

 

And try to have a conversation with these Utah guys about fishing for gar, yellow bass, chain pickerel or freshwater drum. Mooneye;

Here in Utah,
Gar is where you keep the car. Yellow Bass is Bass that has gone bad.
Pickerel is preserved cucumbers and mooneye is what we did out the school bus windows.
I thought this was supposed to be about fishin! -()/-

 

:shock:



:mrgreen:



Hey, I left out alewives

 

Alewives?
Doesn't that have something to do with them Polymigamists from down South?

 

Alewives?
Doesn't that have something to do with them Polymigamists from down South?

Polymigamist? isn't that some sort of mayfly larva? :mrgreen: