# Crawdad, crayfish trapping in North Dakota



## JDDITCH (Apr 8, 2004)

This is something that interests me very much. I would like to exchange ideas on this fun hobby. I've even looked into Crayfish Farming.JD


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## njsimonson (Sep 24, 2002)

Ahhh man! We used to go to the little dam in Valley City as kids and flip rocks for hours. Then we'd make a terrarium in a plastic kiddie pool out of the things we found. Caddisfly larvae, crayfish, baby snapping turtles, minnows, tadpoles, etc. etc. It was a blast!

They've changed the layout of the dam now, so it's tougher to get in the rocks, but if you're looking for a place, that's the one I know!


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## JDDITCH (Apr 8, 2004)

Sounds like you had a good time. I don't s suppose you ate any?JD


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## DeltaBoy (Mar 4, 2004)

We would pick them up off the rocks up on Lake Kabetogoma, MN. We would catch around 30+ and boil them up for a good meal.

Lots of fun after a good day of fishing.


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## njsimonson (Sep 24, 2002)

One time, we did. I don't remember how they tasted (obviously not too bad...or too good). My buddy's mom soaked them in milk, causing them to burp up their stomach contents, so the crap wouldn't get in the meat when they were cooked. Strange you should ask that, I haven't thought about that in a loooong time. We played with them more often, and fed them to the little snapping turtles we would catch.

Now down south, when I was in college, there was nothing better than a pounder-bucket of crawdads and corn on the cob with some beer to wash it down! Those cajun crawdads are goo-oood, and much bigger than the variety up here.


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## mallard (Mar 27, 2002)

We trapped them at Bad Medicine lake when we were younger.We would make traps out of door screens 1'X1"X1',bait them with fish guts,and drop them in about 10' of water.Attach a rope with a float to the trap and set them out over night and pick up in the morning.Boil them for about 15 minutes,dump them in a strainer,and peel the meat out of the tail portion.Make sure you devein them before eating.crawdads dipped in melted butter mmmmmmm!


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## gooseboy (Sep 13, 2005)

And suck the heads. :beer:

Im just afraid of people stealing my traps if i get into it. I also think it would be fun JD.


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## NDhunter7 (Dec 28, 2006)

Any one know if they are good or bad for a lake. I know fish eat them but then crawfish also eat minnows. Or are they neutral?


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## crawfisherman (Jun 15, 2007)

I hunted them up at Sakakawea last summer. we got some dandies. one was bout 4 or 5 inches. we found them in beaulah bay and dakota waters. they are every where by the docks. I put traps about 5-6 feet and had maybe 30-35 avererage.


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## Trapper62 (Mar 3, 2003)

When you catch them, purge them in a container of cool water for 24 hours, but don't let the water warm up much as they will die.

Whe you boil them add in a packet of crab boil for better flavor.

I would think in your area that Apple Creek would be loaded?


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## jgat (Oct 27, 2006)

We used to catch them in a small trout stream by our house. Never ate 'em but they worked good for bait!


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## SODSUCKER (Mar 24, 2005)

Very good for bass fishing, especially smallies.


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## LoveforBigBass (Feb 19, 2008)

this also interest me. I have spent much of the last four months trying to perfect this. My final analysis is that I'm not much of a trapper. LOL. Its not that easy. The funny thing is that the best bait I've found to work for me is corn tortilla. What about you? I ready to try it all. Crawdads sell for 6 to12 dollars a dozen around here as they make a great live bait for bassfishing.


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## canadian (Dec 20, 2006)

My preferred method for catching um is to get a standard wire minnow trap increase the size of the opening where the bait (minnows, crayfish, ect) enters and then place a can of cat food that his been punctured a few times in the trap and finally place it in a rocky area over night. Sorry for the lack of periods in my would be paragraph.


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## saltydawg (Dec 30, 2007)

well gang down here in Louisiana we trap the things in the spring and right now they are starting to come in real good.
A sack is usually around 40 pounds and right now they cost about 85 cents a pound.
put the crawfish"mudbugs" loose in an ice chest and cover with one box of table salt then fill it with water for about 20-30 minutes . This will purge the mud and crawfish crap out of them. Drain the water.
have big pot with basket fill with water and crab boil. we add corn on the cob, small red potatoes and sasuage/hotdogs .
put crawfish in basket and dunk into boiling water wait until water boils again and time for 7 minutes. shut fire off and wait for 5 minutes this lets them soak up the flavor without over cooking them. goood eating there!


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## DeluxeGoodness (Sep 29, 2008)

If you are looking for a new way to cook crawfish, try puting LOTS of hot sauce and cajun spices in the water you boil them in. All the good juices from the spices get stuck in the heads, so you can squeeze the heads and eat up the Deluxe Goodness that lies inside.


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## rhino2003 (Aug 18, 2006)

I think I'd like to try catching/trapping crayfish and cook them up.


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## klatto310 (Feb 10, 2009)

How do you make a trap for them?


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## bowcarp (Feb 27, 2007)

NDhunter7 said:


> Any one know if they are good or bad for a lake. I know fish eat them but then crawfish also eat minnows. Or are they neutral?


 native species I'd say neutral

I remember years back on menegoshie (couldnt spell it right when I lived in ND either :lol: ) at night we would see some good sized ones in the shallows , dont get to eat them very often but they are good


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## bluesman (May 25, 2009)

I think there are several kinds of crayfish. Some are best for eating. i used to catch them in the creek here in Indiana. They were used for bait. Once i saw one the size of a lobster. Really! It was in an eddy in the fast part under a boulder and we watched it from the bridge rail above. Crawdad as big as your foot I wouldnt try to mess with. it might hurt real bad if they pinched you.


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## bluesman (May 25, 2009)

Oh, we also had a shallow muddy pond where we would wade and seine them. Most were small but there were lots of them if you sorted out the tadpoles.


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## ruger1 (Aug 16, 2006)

http://www.forum.minnesotawaterfowler.c ... hp?t=14352

Here's another link about crayfish boils.


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## bowcarp (Feb 27, 2007)

how did everyone do on crawdads this year never even had time to try again for them this year


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## carp_killer (Nov 24, 2006)

got a few. still got more views than the carp thread to :lol:


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## jaydenh (Jun 23, 2010)

i have been trying to catch them with my trap for the past week on the railroad bridge north of ck auto in bismarck. i had caught one overnight and chcked it and rebaited my trap and threw the trap back in. next day i had caught a 3-4 inch long carp, and i had half of my one crayfish left funny thing was the carps head was half eaten inside the trap. i have no idea what happend but no luck after that. im going to throw my trap in new johns lake hopefully this weekend but ill need to go get fresh bait. does anyone know where i can get like trout or salmon waste parts? (heads, gills, trash meat cuts). i checked with a few butcher shops but they seem to get it already cleaned. i need fresh ones also and right after they are cut they need to be frozen so they can thaw and release scent into the water while in the trap.


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