Crayfish are small freshwater crustaceans that look like a miniature lobster. In fact, the two are closely related. While they are found all over menus in the Southeast, live crayfish are not hard to find at all in North America. Catching the little crustaceans can range anywhere from fun to painful. Gloves are a good idea.
The first thing one must know before attempting to catch them, is that while small, they have pincers and it does not feel good if one of these latch onto your skin. If you’re looking to entertain younger children, hook up a cane pole with a small hook. Pop open a can of corn and put one kernel on the hook and have the child put the hooked kernel on the floor of the pond or lake. These small guys like hiding spots such as rocks, so direct the child to a good spot where one may be lurking. Please, do not have the small child take the crayfish off the hook. Little fingers injure more easily than larger ones.
For larger amounts of crayfish, say enough for eating, you should invest in a crayfish trap. Crayfish traps are generally made of mesh. They look like mesh baskets or mesh tubes, sometimes with tapered openings so that it is hard for the crayfish to get back out. The center of the wire basket is where you can put your bait. They are big eaters, so be sure to place ample bait in the basket before submerging in the body of water of your choice.
There is as much debate on bait as there are fish stories. Though fresh bait does seem to fair well amongst the crayfish. Fresh fish parts seem to do the best. Crayfish bait is also available at bait stores. However, if you are already a fisherman, keep the scraps after filleting your fish. They store nicely in gallon Ziploc bags.
Now that you have your bait and trap you will have to find a good location for your trap. As mentioned above, crayfish like to hide. Look for a rocky embankment; this gives the crayfish a lot of room to hide. When searching for an area, look for an area with algae growth as this is also a staple in the diet of a crayfish. Grassy areas also serve the crayfish well as a hiding and hunting spot. Once you have located the perfect spot, lower your trap. Crayfish are nocturnal creatures, so dropping your trap before sunset and coming back at sunrise should provide with a bountiful harvest. If you have a small boat and can access the area in the same evening, you may want to pull your trap then. An unmonitored trap might just become a stolen trap.After your harvest, soak them in clean water, preferably not chlorinated water. This keeps them alive and fresh until you’re ready to cook them up. Fill a large pot (a turkey fryer works well) with water and heavily season with lemon, salt, cayenne pepper and garlic. Toss in your fresh drained crayfish. They will turn red like a lobster. The only thing left to do is to devour!
