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I'm kind of new to gettin' "mud bugs." I've caught them in the summer before, but when is the earliest time of year when you can really get into them? Is it as soon as ice-off, or is it better in the summer? Also, is the size a little smaller earlier in the year, or does that matter?
Please feel free to chime in, everyone with mud bug experience, that is...
Da mo comments, da mo betta!
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AS FAR AS I KNOW YOU CAN CATCH THEM ALL YEAR, I DONT KNOW IF THEY HIBERNATE DURING WINTER, I HAVE NEVER TRIED TO CATCH THEM DURING THAT TIME. I DO KNOW I HAVE CAUGHT THEM ABOUT THIS TIME OF YEAR AT FLAMING GORGE WHERE THE ICE HAD BACKED OFF THE SHORLINE A BIT IN YEARS PAST, WE HAD TO GO UP TO GET THE BOAT OUT OF STORAGE AND INTO A SHOP IN MANILA, AND I HAVE CAUGHT THEM INTO LATE OCTOBER ON SOME OF THE LOWER RESIVOIRS, I THINK IT WAS ROCKPORT OR MAYBE EAST CANYON, JUST FIND A GOOD ROCKY, RUBBLE COVERED AREA AND DROP A HUNK OF CHICKEN FLESH, THEY WILL COME A RUNNIN, I AM NOT SURE ABOUT THE SIZE, I ASSUME THE OLDER, BIGGER, CRAWS WILL HAVE THE BEST SPOTS FOR BURROWS AND SUCH AS THEY ARE THE BIG BOYS, A COUPLE YEARS AGO I CAUGHT A CRAW THAT I SWEAR WAS ABOUT 6 OR 7 INCHES, AND HAD TO WEIGH IN AT CLOSE TO HALF A POUND.......HE WAS THE BIGGEST I HAVE EVER SEEN!!! DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW LARGE THEY CAN GROW?? I THINK HE WAS A LITTLE FREAK OF NATURE. HE WAS FUN TO GOOF AROUND WITH THOUGH, THE DOGS WOULDNT GO NEAR HIM, THEY WERE BARKING AND WORRIED THAT THIS THING WAS AROUND THEIR HUMANS!!!! IT WAS FUNNY. GOOD LUCK ON THE CRAW DAD HUNTING, I THINK THE BEST TO DO IS GET YA A CRAW BASKET TRAP AND BAIT EM IN OVERNIGHT, THAT IS WHEN THEY ARE MOST ACTIVE.
LATERS,
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I don't think they hybernate we have seen them on the aqua-view through the ice
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I have caught them at them tru the ice at the berry numeruos times. one day i caught close to twenty,
i was watching my jig in 6ft of water, i was lying on the ice. those little critters would come up to my tube jig
and just clamp on to it... i bet if u used chiken u could get a mess thru the ice.
joe
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]The biggest crawdaddy I've ever seen came out of Flaming Gorge two weeks ago thru the ice in 80+ ft of water. A mini lobster! That deep water crayfish was 9 inches long and had 3" greenish blue claws. 50 of those big toads would make a feast fit for a king![/size][/font]
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i dont eat the dad but i have 2 traps i picked up last year im willing to take anyone out that wants to catch some for a meal. ive seen some good sized ones at east canyon and you can also get quanity up there
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[cool]Thanks everyone for your answers, and thanks petty for letting me know about East Canyon. I was thinking Soldier Creek and Scofield, but East Canyon gets fished less, and probably would have more 'dads in it too! My dad in law just got out of the hospital and wants to go get some 'dads, so I think we'll go soon as soon as the ice gets off.
petty-do you know if east canyon is ice free yet?
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i have no idea i might have to take alittle drive and check it out
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i dont really know how big they can get in utah, i think blm has seen the biggest oput of the deeps of the gorge, but i do know california, and in the creeks there you could see the brutes that would get to be 9-12 inches long, now those were lobsters,lol. the big daddys sure can taste good.
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I live for summer time crawfishing I had always thought that they dug into the mud during the winter. But I have heard of people catching them through the ice. Out of all the places I go Strawberry is by far the best. I like to go at night I don't use traps they take way to long nets work the best. I can fill a 48 Qt. cooler in a few hours and be home by midnight. My 1st trip out is around the end of May but I am sure you can go out sooner and do OK. Not sure about your size ?? I do know that about the middle of June they are full of eggs which makes them look a little gross. They have ball of little black eggs under the tail. Look me up sometime and in can show you some catching and cooking techniques. We have some great summer cookouts.
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Grab a few of those daddies at Deer Creek, then turn them into a helluva smallie lure at Deer Creek, you will be surprised to see how brazen and nutty those bronzebacks go once they sniff you around and give you a run on your screamin' reel.
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It's good to see somebody else that loves to fish and eat crawfish. We did it last year and loved it. My aunt is from Louisiana and we use cajun spices when we boil ours at the lake. Last year we did it at Scofield and there are plenty there. I find that early summer crawfish taste better than late summer ones do.
We are planning on having a BFT crawfish trip to Scofield or somewhere early this summer or late spring. I would love to see your net technique because all I have ever used is the traps. It is also nice in the traps to bring in some minnows to use as bait.
Just a reminder, you can't transport live crawfish away from the lake where you catch them. If you want to eat them you have to boil them there and eat them there or boil them before you transport them. I didn't know if you were taking them home live and didn't want you to get dinged for this some time. Let me know if you ever go out because I am always up for a good crawfish trip.
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Hey thanks for the line, Yes I am fully aware of the utah law about transportation of crawfish. The legal way to transport them is to remove the claws and tails and put on ice. I catch way more minnows than I can use with my nets I also have traps but they take way long to fill. Scofield is a little to far for me to travel for just crawfish and trout. I had heard that they do have good size and are pretty plentifully. We might have to suck it up one day and take the ride. I have some catalogs on where to get my nets I can send you some info. If you would like Thanks again Wes.
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[cool]Hey this is a good thread here. Thanks for all of the tips, fellas. Can't wait to go get some of those 'dads. And a BFT Crawdad/trout party at Scofield sounds awesome!
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