Crawdads?

[wetyourfly]

Has anyone been out and tried thier luck with the little lobster? I would like to get out and try them but is this time a year good for them? Where is the best place to go that is close to the SLC Valley?
Any advise would be appreciated

Thanks!
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[Out4Trout]

[cool]Now is when the crawdad huntin' really starts to pick up. If you are looking for somewhere close to the Wasatch Front, I hear that the lakes around Tooele have 'dads (i.e. Grantsville Res, Settlement Res., etc.), but I've never tried them. I personally like to go to Strawberry around the Soldier Creek side for them. Best places are where there's a rocky bottom mixed with some moss/weeds etc. Take raw chicken drumsticks (with skin on) to put into your traps, or just tie on a string to it and slowling drag it back in.

I'm hoping to get up to 'da berry in July or August to get me a whole mess of them!!
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[trollinfool]

We caught a couple of crawdads just right off shore at East Canyon a couple weeks ago. Thats not a bad drive from the SLC vally. I want to head back up there and set a trap or two, the ones we caught were pretty good sized, and my boys thought they were really neat!
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[Theekillerbee]

I've found at East Canyon, the dad numbers are down, because the smallies in there really put the hurt on them! Smallies love dads!
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[chefwhofishes]

Lost Creek is full of them this year, makes it hard to bottom bait fish!
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[Tugboat-]

There are quite a few crawdads in the rocks on the dam in Lost Creek. When I was up there about a month ago they were all over the fish on the stringer.

On another note, my wife and I also got promoted to firefighters after lightning hit the hill just above the parking lot by the dam. I will have to post up the pictures sometime.
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[chickenlicken]

I just bought a crawdad trap of ebay. Last year it took too long with just a chicken leg to accumulate enough for a large group. I'm hoping this trap will move things along a bit faster. The chiken leg is great for the kids, but I'm going for volume!
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[Out4Trout]

[cool]That is dang good news, 'cause I live a lot closer to Lost Creek than Strawberry! I'm gonna have to go do some experimenting up there soon!
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[Mc_Lennon]

Grantsville reservoir is THE place me and my family go to target crawdads. There are a lot of them, and their pretty easy to get. One time we came outta there with two pillow cases full of tails. That was an amazing trip. I don't even think we caught any trout. The dads alone were worth it, though. One tip I might give you is to use trout guts. They seem to work best. After you catch a trout, gut him and toss it out 8 feet or so. Wait maybe 5 minutes, and you'll have 3 or 4, and probably more on there.
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[Pisces]

Fish parts are illegal. Don't ask me why. You have to throw them outside of your trap, not in.
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[Mc_Lennon]

I've asked DWR officers out there about it, and they said it was ok... As long as the fish wasn't ruined and was still used for human consumption(which, I might add, are usually eaten that night.) Maybe they were wrong though.

Traps are quite over-rated, too. I don't use them, never have, never will. Nothing beats a good piece of Mono line with a little bit of weight, and a net.
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[Troll]

I'll check but I think that's only "GAMEFISH" parts you can't use.
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[Out4Trout]

[cool]Since you are going for volume you'll be happy to know this (but your wallet might not be): You are allowed to have 5 "lines" out in the water p/person for them which means you can have 5 traps out at once per person. You really can get a ton of 'dads though with chicken on a string. What you do is toss it out there about 5-10 feet from shore, and put a net (with really thin mesh or tiny holes between it) in the water about a foot or less in front of the chicken leg. If you are in a good spot then you'll have about 4 'dads on that leg within a minute or two, then just slowly pull the leg to the net and scoop 'em up! You can get hundreds of 'dads this way in a very short time.

Good luck to you.
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[Mc_Lennon]

We used to use bacon, too. Almost forgot that... Seems to work better than other stuff like chicken. Who knows, though. At least that's what's worked for me.
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[cat_man]

Leftover KFC chicken drumsticks work fantastic too. Using the drumstick works well even after the meat is all gone and it is just the bone. They can't rip chunks off anymore, but it still smells to them and them come crawling in like mad. I did that at Flaming Gorge at night at the marina near the dam with lots of success.
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[Troll]

Proc says no game fish or their parts or material that is not legal to use for fish bait (corn ect.). Also make sure they are dead in those "pillow cases", it is illegal to transport live daddies away from the water they were taken in unless they are dead (or red).

Forget that DWR guy who told you different, that line of defense does not hold up in court when a different DWR guy gives you a ticket.

I buy whole cut up chickens for dinner and save the backs for Daddin.
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[Mc_Lennon]

The dads were dead, and always are dead before I transport them. I've gotten more people tickets than you can imagine for live fish/crawdads. It kind of helps that I know the Tooele county officers pretty darn well. Along with the judge out there. I also have it in writing from the officer that using trout remains for crayfish is allowable.

Thanks for the heads up. I know you're just trying to help. But I know my stuff, too.
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[Lettsfish]

As kids back in the midwest, we used to make our own home-made crawdad traps that worked like gangbusters. We "fished" for the dads from a culvert that crossed a stream, that was full of the little guys. The trap was a circle of heavy wire (heavy wire like a coat hanger) about the size of a basketball, that we tied (with fishing line) a matching circle of netting to. The netting was the plastic kind like from a potato or onion sack. We tied (wired) the bait (chicken, liver, etc) to a crossbar and then with triangulated rope (tied to 3 points on the looped wire circle) and sometimes a small stone in the net to sink it faster, we would drop it down - give it a minute or two and then pull up the net which was usually filled with dads. No reason this couldn't work from a dock or boat. No cost, no net needed, no dropped dads - it worked great.
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[Mc_Lennon]

That's a good idea. I've thought about doing that. Kind of like a crab trap for crawdads. I'm sure it'd work. It works on crab well.
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[Chester]

Thanks Lettsfish! That info is a keeper. Taking some kids up to catch some dads in a couple of weeks. We'll make some traps up and give them a try!

Chester
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