Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum
Fishing in British Columbia => General Discussion => Topic started by: Nymph on March 30, 2009, 07:33:26 PM
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Anyone have any tips on catching Crawfish?
Or even what time of year is the best to catch 'em?
I am heading out for a man trip in the next couple months and was hoping to catch a bunch.
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Well....
I always use to go to the Vedder River in summer months (July/August) and we would put on a pair of goggles and dive for them. Look for slower sections of river and flip over large rocks, always worked for us.
Jones Lake is an awesome spot... you could find hundreds in a day, biggest one we ever got out of there was 16".
You can also buy traps but have no idea how to use them ;D
Another method that works well is go to a slough/lake etc and get a long stick with 10 or so feet of fishing line tied to it. At the end put on a hook (no need for the hook even) and a peice of bacon. The crawfish will hold onto the bacon until they are up on the beach ;)
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Jones is good as is Lake of the woods outside of Hope .Remeber your only allowed to retain 25 :)
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Do you rekon that early May is a good time to fish for them critters?
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they are there all year. I've seen 'em crawling around in basically every river i've fished. I've dropped small prawn traps for them in the Fraser but a lot of people fish the stave for them.
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Are they edible? I've seen them in a creek on the north shore and with the strong resemblance to lobster, this old Nova Scotia boy gets to drooling....
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They are very good.....
I actually like them better than Lobster, smaller so their taste is more focused and not as bitter I find :P
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I am looking forward to catching them soon.
I figure it'll be good eats after a hard day of fishing and drinking beer.
Life is rough!
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Yup, Jones Lake is great for them, prawntraps, baited with fish heads, or chicken, both work well.
Bring a big pot, the garlic butter, and cookem up right on the beach, and dont forget the beer...MMmmmmmmbeer
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they are a fair bit of work for not a lot of meat but they do taste damn fine.
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Just curious, how long do you typically leave a trap in?
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When we are camping, I will drop the trap later in the after noon, and leave them for the night, check in the morning, and usually lots of good sized ones. They really seem to come out at night.
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Crayfish are nightfeeders. Sure you can catch them at daylight too, but the best time is during the night. Back in the days when I was a kid we caught them by hand at night using a flashlight. They started to show up close to the shore once it was dark.
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I would like to try and trap some. Does anybody know where they are present in Okanagan area?
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Tadpole
The closest to the Okanagan I have caught them is in the Thompson River by Achcroft. The average size was about 4". Just flipping rocks seemed to work best.
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KAWKAWA Lake in Hope has many crawfish. Use a trap with a can of dog food (with holes punched in it). Leave it sit for an hour or so. You will be rewarded.
These are only about 4-inches long, but very tastey
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Are they edible? I've seen them in a creek on the north shore and with the strong resemblance to lobster, this old Nova Scotia boy gets to drooling....
Where abouts on the Shore did you see them?
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Okanagen River and the canal between OK lake and Skaha. I have seen a few in deep creek near Peachland as well.
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Cultus lake has some large cray fish,easy to catch by hand under the large rock near sunny side camp grounds
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Lot of good info about them. Thanks guys.
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I have had some Crawfish from Jones lake, and i have had plenty of Cape Breton Atlantic Lobster. Honestly in my books you can't beat those east coast critters but i am bias seeing as i'm a Caper in the flesh and at heart...
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Here I am with a Nova Scotian crawfish ;D (ocean run)
(http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t82/Willy1956/100_0126.jpg)
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I'm guessing that goes in the "Select" Bin. Or is there an "Ultra Select"? LOL
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I'm guessing that goes in the "Select" Bin. Or is there an "Ultra Select"? LOL
Nope. A pot of boiling salted water or my favourite, an outdoor fire with a good layer of seaweed tossed on it to steam them. Generally followed by the butter bath. Yum!
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There is a store in Burlington, Washington called The Sportsmen Warehouse and they see crayfish traps at a reasonable price! This store is VERY good for your fishing/hunting needs!
Also see you on the mamping trip SNIFF
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In the okanagan you can get them right out of hydraulic (mcculloch) lake. Idabel also holds them, and in better numbers if I remember right.
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you can get traps pretty much any where i know riverside in poco has them
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Hey Novabonker, my uncle captains his own Lobster fishing boat out of Main-à-Dieu...good size crew, nice old boat he christened the "Bump 'n Grind." lots of crazy stuff comes out of some of those traps...he does Tuna and Crab out there as well...hoping to go back and do a couple weeks out on the boat this summer...
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Its more sporting if you use a rod ;DTie on a chunk of old fish or meat and toss it out once they grab hold they will not let go.It does not take long to get the 25 your allowed to keep.
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Are they edible? I've seen them in a creek on the north shore and with the strong resemblance to lobster, this old Nova Scotia boy gets to drooling....
Where abouts on the Shore did you see them?
I think it's McKay- the one that runs by Cap mall.
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Hey Novabonker, my uncle captains his own Lobster fishing boat out of Main-à-Dieu...good size crew, nice old boat he christened the "Bump 'n Grind." lots of crazy stuff comes out of some of those traps...he does Tuna and Crab out there as well...hoping to go back and do a couple weeks out on the boat this summer...
My Dad was a scallop fisherman out of Lunenburg - I used to hate watching him get home after 2 weeks at sea as he always brought in at least 40 pounds of scallops. And we knew many recipes to cook them. :P I still don't like them, but I will devour lobster with gusto!
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Reaction fly and tackle sells traps... they work wicked.... sumas canal is just loaded with crawfish.
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Reaction fly and tackle sells traps... they work wicked.... sumas canal is just loaded with crawfish.
Dunno if I would eat them out of there.
Remeber that they are garbage eaters, pretty much eat anything they can find.
I only eat them out of lakes, clean running rivers or streams personally, that way less chance of them being loaded with toxins, etc.
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Year ago I snagged one in Vedder under rail bridge. It was huge like a lobster and I let it go. It was snagged after all :D
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There were lots in the Hope Slough in Chilliwack....years ago. Not sure if they got fished out or what...
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Ya I wouldn't eat em outta there Ive only ever used em for bait...
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so...for eating any in the lower mainland the general view is to only eat them if caught in a lake? any feedback on the ones reported in the okanagan?
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You can eat them out of a clean flowing river too.
Just make sure no farm by products/sewage, etc flows into sloughs or lakes/streams you are eating them out of.
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Ha...Thats great, i don't mind scallops but i don't go out of my way for them either....Lunenburg eh?? My father tells me that the "Tanner" half of my heritage landed there long time ago...dont know if any reside there now...
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Reaction fly and tackle sells traps... they work wicked.... sumas canal is just loaded with crawfish.
Dunno if I would eat them out of there.
Remeber that they are garbage eaters, pretty much eat anything they can find.
I only eat them out of lakes, clean running rivers or streams personally, that way less chance of them being loaded with toxins, etc.
Do you know the difference in say a sumas river crayfish in compairison to a vedder river crayfish? So crayfish aregarbage feeders just like the carp you stated in anouther thread? Have you eaten a crayfish befor outta the sumas? Now your a fishing biolligist?
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CK...
I have eaten lots of thing before that I probably shouldn't have ;D
I can tell you I have eaten fish out of stocked lakes that are nasty duck crap filled ponds - shouldnt have (they taste horrible).
Yes you can tell diff in taste between lake (freshwater crayfish) and slough and ditch crayfish. Just like you can with stocked fish in crap ponds.
Yes I have eaten crayfish out of the sloughs before (like hope slough) before (when I was younger) and got sick (AND it tasted pretty gross).
The sumas slough, IMO, looks a lot worse than the Hope slough.
I am sorry but I would not be eating crayfish out of a ditch where farm crap (and runnoff fromt he highway) flows into.
YES, they ARE garbage eaters. Go throw any type of organic material in front of them that stinks and they will be all over it.
At least in the Vedder, I can ASSUME ( yes I know what assume means) that they only eat dead fish and not septic.
To answer your question I guess, no I do not.
Based on WHAT I HAVE SEEN them eat, I wouldn't touch them in that ditch :-\
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CK...
I have eaten lots of thing before that I probably shouldn't have ;D
I can tell you I have eaten fish out of stocked lakes that are nasty duck crap filled ponds - shouldnt have (they taste horrible).
Yes you can tell diff in taste between lake (freshwater crayfish) and slough and ditch crayfish. Just like you can with stocked fish in crap ponds.
Yes I have eaten crayfish out of the sloughs before (like hope slough) before (when I was younger) and got sick (AND it tasted pretty gross).
The sumas slough, IMO, looks a lot worse than the Hope slough.
I am sorry but I would not be eating crayfish out of a ditch where farm crap (and runnoff fromt he highway) flows into.
YES, they ARE garbage eaters. Go throw any type of organic material in front of them that stinks and they will be all over it.
At least in the Vedder, I can ASSUME ( yes I know what assume means) that they only eat dead fish and not septic.
To answer your question I guess, no I do not.
Based on WHAT I HAVE SEEN them eat, I wouldn't touch them in that ditch :-\
OK then wouldnt DFO put out a warning that ppl should not consume crayfish out of such areas as hope slough and sumas river if it makes them sick? Or was it you just can't stomach them? Crayfish are no different than crabs we eat here in the ocean, think of the garbage crabs eat on the bottom? Where do you think the farm runoff goes? To some special place to get cleaned and filtered? Your views on fishing and other things are making you look more and more like someone who hasn't a clue! Just remember just because you report on EVERY outing you have gone fishing and publish it to every fishing site ther is to post on, does not make you a good fisherman! Think about what you say or type befor you brodcast it for the world to see! Remember the fishing rod does not make the fisherman nor does sounding foolish either!
CK
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First of all I hardley post every outing, maybe 1 every 3 (and only to 2 sites).... My name is Every Day for a reason ;D
All personal views I guess, some people would share mine, some yours.
I think of it this way : Ocean is a million times bigger than that ditch, so even though runoff goes into the ocean, I highly doubt it would be as concentrated.
You could argue that the ocean has tonnes of runoff from tonnes of rivers, I still think it wouldn't be as bad since the ocean is 72% of the world's surface and rivers are something like 2%.
Also since the ocean is 9000 feet deep most places, how much is a river, 100 at most?
Truthfully, I could care less what people think. It's all personal ethics and personal choices, I'm picky with what I eat. Some Obviously are not.
Secondly, I really don't catch that many fish, I am FAR from being a good rod. I prefer to just go out and fish, when I get success SOME people enjoy the read.
I know I enjoy the read when I get home from other people's trips and I wish Chris would post more (hint hint). ;)
I guess because I dont like carp and crayfish out of nasty sloughs I have no idea what Im talking about, maybe I should just quit ::)
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ED & CK You two sparring back and forth on the two threads is kinda lame :-[ . Keep it positive guys ;D
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Deer lake in bby has tonnes in april- june, roll the rocks and scoop with a couple butterfly nets (long handles)
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UFV POOR FISHER. I played hockey with a tanner from lunenburg. New the family for years while I still lived in Nova Scotia.
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Yeah but deer lake is contaminated so according to ED the crayfish just might you sick if you eat them ::)
Please don't pick on other members simply because you do not agree with their opinion, if you enjoy your stay on this forum.
ED, next time hit the "report to moderators" link and we'd take care of it right away. Thanks.
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Thanks for your informative, accurate, and interesting input Every Day. Your posts are consistently well-written, rational, and contribute significantly to my understanding of many different fishing-related topics in the lower Mainland. You are a very strong member of this and other fishing forums, and I look forward to reading your posts in the future.
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Well-- I really dont like to rain on anyones parade but I have to call BS on Ever Days monster 16" crayfish he posted on page one. Have a look at this website http://www.issg.org/database/species/ecology.asp?si=725&fr=1&sts=sss Please notice the SIZE of the larger males... 16 cm or 6.2 inches. Give or take a couple of extra inches for those growing on the Valley sewage, its still a LONG way from what science records.
And yes-- I have collected my few allowed by MOE for many years. The biggest I have ever seen was no more than 7". Maybe a case of "fishermans measurement" ?? ::)
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Well-- I really dont like to rain on anyones parade but I have to call BS on Ever Days monster 16" crayfish he posted on page one. Have a look at this website http://www.issg.org/database/species/ecology.asp?si=725&fr=1&sts=sss Please notice the SIZE of the larger males... 16 cm or 6.2 inches. Give or take a couple of extra inches for those growing on the Valley sewage, its still a LONG way from what science records.
And yes-- I have collected my few allowed by MOE for many years. The biggest I have ever seen was no more than 7". Maybe a case of "fishermans measurement" ?? ::)
Are you kidding me ???
This summer when I dive on the Vedder I will post some pics of crayfish by a measuring tape that are well over 8 inches.
Another reason not to use traps ;D
I also don't keep anything less than 6 inches because they are a waiste of time ;)
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Perhaps that was a tip of the tail to a tip of the claws measurement. The official record is probably just the length of the carapace. Keep in mind also that there are hundreds of species of crayfish in the world, so we might not all be talking about the same thing. For example, this thread is called "crawfish." The species referred to as "crawfish" or "crawdads" in the Southern and Eastern states are not even the same animal that we find around here.
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UFV POOR FISHER. I played hockey with a tanner from lunenburg. New the family for years while I still lived in Nova Scotia.
Any idea of the first name?? all of my relatives are in either N.B. or N.S. so i would have to ask my uncles if they knew em...nice to know there are some good ol' easterners on here...i guess it makes sense that we would congregate here eh...lol...
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The son I played hockey with was logan tanner but I can't remember his parents names.
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So i did it... I set two traps into como lake for the last two nights. Checked it today but nothing! Bait was the rest of some trouts like head, fins and guts (uncooked of course) Is it still to early in the season? Temperature should be alright with about 15*C as they start to feed as soon as it gets over 10*C. It must hold crayfish 'cause I caught one last year in Juli while fishing for trout. And normaly where you find one there are many more... ???
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UFV POOR FISHER. I played hockey with a tanner from lunenburg. New the family for years while I still lived in Nova Scotia.
Any idea of the first name?? all of my relatives are in either N.B. or N.S. so i would have to ask my uncles if they knew em...nice to know there are some good ol' easterners on here...i guess it makes sense that we would congregate here eh...lol...
I went to school with a Tanner and my Dad fished with one or two. Now if I can get that brain cell working on the first names...... ??? ??? ???