Freshwater Lobster?¿¡!
- Thread starter Crazy_J
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OK...I have a crawfish question. You are the second person from Colorado who has posted pictures of crayfish. Your water looks alot like our lake water and the only crawfish I see are half eaten dead ones. What's the deal?
I've baited the bottom with Taters like RnR uses, I've searched in holes and nooks and crannies and no crawfish! I found a dead one big enough to crack his claws and feed them to the perch, but have no idea where to find them underwater. I can pick them up by the pound around my yard!
I need help from you Crawfish Whisperers!
I've baited the bottom with Taters like RnR uses, I've searched in holes and nooks and crannies and no crawfish! I found a dead one big enough to crack his claws and feed them to the perch, but have no idea where to find them underwater. I can pick them up by the pound around my yard!
I need help from you Crawfish Whisperers!
Finding the ever elusive crawfish, this is an interesting question. I would suggest the following:
1: get a net or container of some sort
2: capture a few of the crawfish that are by the pond in your yard
3: place the captured crawfish in the container mentioned in #1
4: take the container to a lake
5: dive down w/ the container and a camera
6: open the container and be ready to shoot
Ok ok....enough of the amusements.....Honestly, as we are plentiful in the crawfish area here in CO I have never had to bait them etc....I can say, though, that from my experience as a child searching for them in various ponds / lakes around CO....I was often able to find them hiding under rocks...they seem to like to burrow down underneath...you might try that. Also, when we wanted to capture them....the best time seemed to be at night...they were out from underneath the rocks and all over....hope that helps a little!
I will check and see if anyone knows any tricks...if not, come up to CO and we will show you lots of Crawfish, Trout and the like...
This Crawfish is in the bottom of a Cessna wreck...the only passenger left....dum dum dum.....:
Cheers,
Crazy_J
:doctor:
1: get a net or container of some sort
2: capture a few of the crawfish that are by the pond in your yard
3: place the captured crawfish in the container mentioned in #1
4: take the container to a lake
5: dive down w/ the container and a camera
6: open the container and be ready to shoot
Ok ok....enough of the amusements.....Honestly, as we are plentiful in the crawfish area here in CO I have never had to bait them etc....I can say, though, that from my experience as a child searching for them in various ponds / lakes around CO....I was often able to find them hiding under rocks...they seem to like to burrow down underneath...you might try that. Also, when we wanted to capture them....the best time seemed to be at night...they were out from underneath the rocks and all over....hope that helps a little!
I will check and see if anyone knows any tricks...if not, come up to CO and we will show you lots of Crawfish, Trout and the like...
This Crawfish is in the bottom of a Cessna wreck...the only passenger left....dum dum dum.....:
Cheers,
Crazy_J
:doctor:
canuckdiver
Contributor
Dee once bubbled...
OK...I have a crawfish question. You are the second person from Colorado who has posted pictures of crayfish. Your water looks alot like our lake water and the only crawfish I see are half eaten dead ones. What's the deal?
I've baited the bottom with Taters like RnR uses, I've searched in holes and nooks and crannies and no crawfish! I found a dead one big enough to crack his claws and feed them to the perch, but have no idea where to find them underwater. I can pick them up by the pound around my yard!
I need help from you Crawfish Whisperers!
up here, the fishermen trap them for bait. The traps are easy enough to build, and are non-harmful to the crayfish. I f you want, PM me and I'll tell you how to build one.
Another thing that works is "salting" the area with food a couple of days before you want to dive. Take a bucket full of chum, and spread it across an area, then come back a couple of days later, and you will probably find them still hanging around in the general area.
blacknet
Contributor
Crazy_J,
Looks like you have a photo of a procambarus paeninsulanis, really difficult to tell with all that mud action going on.
Dee,
The biggest suggestion I can offer on finding crawfish is research the subject, find out how the locals fish for crawfish, what type of bait they use, learn their habits, habitats, dietary needs and the like. I would not recomend looking into set traps.
I'll do some digging to see what I can come up with for you.
Ed
Looks like you have a photo of a procambarus paeninsulanis, really difficult to tell with all that mud action going on.
Dee,
The biggest suggestion I can offer on finding crawfish is research the subject, find out how the locals fish for crawfish, what type of bait they use, learn their habits, habitats, dietary needs and the like. I would not recomend looking into set traps.
I'll do some digging to see what I can come up with for you.
Ed
blacknet
Contributor
Hello,
They start their life in a larvae phase, they swim upside down and usually tail first. Brackish water is needed for this phase and they eat constantly, primary on zooplankton worms and the like. After 11 molts they enter into the post larvae phase. During this post larvae phase they shift from free swimming to bottom dwelling. In many areas they will hibernate in colder temps and they do migrate. Keep in mind that each species is different.
As for feeding goes, if food is scarce they will resort to cannibalism. Non-adults feed on zooplankton, brine shrimp, macro algae; adults feed on snails, algae, detritus, insect larvae, minnows, and worms.
Since they have many predators they tend to hide during the day and active during the night. This would make them difficult subjects to find. One person recommended shad, herring, salmon heads, and cod guts to be the best bait to use. He also reports the best time is during the summer months. You could use this bait and watch it; eventually something will come along to eat it.
Check with the local fishers and find out where they are going, what seasons and what bait they are using.
Ed
They start their life in a larvae phase, they swim upside down and usually tail first. Brackish water is needed for this phase and they eat constantly, primary on zooplankton worms and the like. After 11 molts they enter into the post larvae phase. During this post larvae phase they shift from free swimming to bottom dwelling. In many areas they will hibernate in colder temps and they do migrate. Keep in mind that each species is different.
As for feeding goes, if food is scarce they will resort to cannibalism. Non-adults feed on zooplankton, brine shrimp, macro algae; adults feed on snails, algae, detritus, insect larvae, minnows, and worms.
Since they have many predators they tend to hide during the day and active during the night. This would make them difficult subjects to find. One person recommended shad, herring, salmon heads, and cod guts to be the best bait to use. He also reports the best time is during the summer months. You could use this bait and watch it; eventually something will come along to eat it.
Check with the local fishers and find out where they are going, what seasons and what bait they are using.
Ed
this is likely actually a Cambarus (Cambarus) bartonii bartonii. The procambarus paeninsulanis is vividly "blue" in color...ours are mostly red...like a mini lobster. "though I do see some blue in the claws..."
Cheers,
Crazy_J
:doctor:
CJ...yours is Blue!
Ed...I don't know about the brackish water part, at least for what we have around here. We're a good 10 miles from the ship channel, which is the closest brackish water, and the crawfish in my yard hatch and live their whole lives in our ditches. As a kid, I remember catching the females with babies under their tails. their biggest predator is the cattle Egrets that cruise around.
I think maybe the ones found in the lakes are different from what I'm used to. The dead one I found Sat. was a deep maroon red color. I guess this calls for a night dive, huh?!
Ed...I don't know about the brackish water part, at least for what we have around here. We're a good 10 miles from the ship channel, which is the closest brackish water, and the crawfish in my yard hatch and live their whole lives in our ditches. As a kid, I remember catching the females with babies under their tails. their biggest predator is the cattle Egrets that cruise around.
I think maybe the ones found in the lakes are different from what I'm used to. The dead one I found Sat. was a deep maroon red color. I guess this calls for a night dive, huh?!
blacknet
Contributor
Hello,
The requirments vary according to species. those found in your backyard and in the streams are different. Baiting would be the best way to lure them out from what I gather.
Ed
The requirments vary according to species. those found in your backyard and in the streams are different. Baiting would be the best way to lure them out from what I gather.
Ed
My-way
Contributor
Hey they have fresh water crayfish on the Island as well! Vancouver Island that is.
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