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Crawfish

Blan37

Member
1,800
64
SW Ohio
Anyone ever try to catch enough of them to do a boil? If so, what's your preferred location / method of catching them? Any tips for a beginner?

And as far as laws are concerned, looks like you are limited to 100 in your possession unless you have a bait dealer's license. I can't find anything in the regs other than the 100 limit. I'm assuming you can use whatever trap you want as long as you release non-target critters.
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,856
260
SW Ohio
Good question Joe! I'd like to try em boiled myself! One of my bucket list items is to eat a bucket full in the bayou state of Louisiana!
 

brock ratcliff

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
24,834
247
Been a while, but I think the traps are to have a maximum 1" opening. The quickest way I've caught them is in a creek with a sein and a buddy to help. I have two traps too but when I decide to eat them it's usually a quick deal so industry go catch them.
 

jagermeister

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Supporting Member
18,060
223
Ohio
They're alright, in moderation. I like them but after eating a handful I've had all I need.

If you want big eaters, hit up the lake Erie marshes... We've got the Louisiana reds up here... The big sumbitches.
 

Carpn

*Supporting Member*
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Wooster
I've eaten em in Louisiana ..Good stuff . I can eat several pounds of em pretty easy . Not really a whole lot of meat on em tho...Pinch the tail , peel the first couple segments of the tail , Pinch that in your teeth and then use you thumb nail to separate the meat at the base and pull it out . Toss the shell, suck the head...toss it..on to the next one . Every now and then grab some corn , or red taters , or sausage ...Gawd that sounds good
 

Blan37

Member
1,800
64
SW Ohio
Been a while, but I think the traps are to have a maximum 1" opening. The quickest way I've caught them is in a creek with a sein and a buddy to help. I have two traps too but when I decide to eat them it's usually a quick deal so industry go catch them.

I thought the 1" was only for minnow traps. I think as long as you release any non-target animals you can use them. Could be wrong about that, though. I think I'll run it by my county GW just to be sure.

This is the one I'm looking at. It's a Gee Crawfish Trap, 9 in. by 31 in with 2.5" openings.

GeeCrawfish200.jpg
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
They're alright, in moderation. I like them but after eating a handful I've had all I need.

Same here for me. Frog legs are like that for me too.

We used to have a ton of crawldads when I was growing up. They are scarce these days. It's a bummer. I grew up catching slungers in the creek next to the ball fields after every practice and game. Those were the days...
 

Blan37

Member
1,800
64
SW Ohio
They're alright, in moderation. I like them but after eating a handful I've had all I need.

If you want big eaters, hit up the lake Erie marshes... We've got the Louisiana reds up here... The big sumbitches.

Wrong side of the state for me unfortunately. I'd be all over that if I were closer!
 

Bigslam51

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
25,778
127
Stark County
Same here for me. Frog legs are like that for me too.

We used to have a ton of crawldads when I was growing up. They are scarce these days. It's a bummer. I grew up catching slungers in the creek next to the ball fields after every practice and game. Those were the days...
I would catch them in the creek next to our ball fields also, it's only a few hundred yards from my house!
 

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,841
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Take it from a man that's boiled and eaten thousands of pounds of crawfish in his life. The crawfish you find in streams in ohio are not the same as the ones you find in Louisiana. I've tried a couple of times to boil some up I caught here and they tasted like utter shit. At best they were Chinese buffet quality, which is disgusting. They weren't even Joe's crabshack quality which is mildly disgusting. They're not even the frozen Walmart reheat Louisiana kind that's only kinda disgusting.

Trust me. If these crawdads tasted anything like the ones you get back home you wouldn't find a stream with a crawdad in it within 100 miles of my house. Bass would be looking anorexic. Cranes would have migrated out of the area. The DNR would be looking at making them a protected species in my watersheds. Something about them ain't right and they're gross. . Don't waste your time.
 

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,841
260
They're alright, in moderation. I like them but after eating a handful I've had all I need.

If you want big eaters, hit up the lake Erie marshes... We've got the Louisiana reds up here... The big sumbitches.

Well I'll be! Looks like they were somehow introduced into the lake Erie marshes. What kind of numbers are we talking about here buddy?

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1462918059.505607.jpg


 

Carpn

*Supporting Member*
2,234
87
Wooster
Take it from a man that's boiled and eaten thousands of pounds of crawfish in his life. The crawfish you find in streams in ohio are not the same as the ones you find in Louisiana. I've tried a couple of times to boil some up I caught here and they tasted like utter shit. At best they were Chinese buffet quality, which is disgusting. They weren't even Joe's crabshack quality which is mildly disgusting. They're not even the frozen Walmart reheat Louisiana kind that's only kinda disgusting.

Trust me. If these crawdads tasted anything like the ones you get back home you wouldn't find a stream with a crawdad in it within 100 miles of my house. Bass would be looking anorexic. Cranes would have migrated out of the area. The DNR would be looking at making them a protected species in my watersheds. Something about them ain't right and they're gross. . Don't waste your time.

Jesus... Is anything better in Ohio ...I know it's not home , and ya have fond memories... But damn dude ..Ohio has to have ONE thing better ..lol
 

Blan37

Member
1,800
64
SW Ohio
Take it from a man that's boiled and eaten thousands of pounds of crawfish in his life. The crawfish you find in streams in ohio are not the same as the ones you find in Louisiana. I've tried a couple of times to boil some up I caught here and they tasted like utter shit. At best they were Chinese buffet quality, which is disgusting. They weren't even Joe's crabshack quality which is mildly disgusting. They're not even the frozen Walmart reheat Louisiana kind that's only kinda disgusting.

Trust me. If these crawdads tasted anything like the ones you get back home you wouldn't find a stream with a crawdad in it within 100 miles of my house. Bass would be looking anorexic. Cranes would have migrated out of the area. The DNR would be looking at making them a protected species in my watersheds. Something about them ain't right and they're gross. . Don't waste your time.

Well crap... There goes my dream lol
 

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,841
260
Jesus... Is anything better in Ohio ...I know it's not home , and ya have fond memories... But damn dude ..Ohio has to have ONE thing better ..lol

The size of bucks. And ohio finally figured out sweet tea is awesome. I'll keep thinking. Lol.