Crayfish

[klow]

I have been noticing more and more crayfish in the southern Alberta reservoirs over the past few years. Has anybody tried to eat them? I have tried them in Lousianna and they were great!

[Centralalbertasongdogslay]

Thats good food for the fish have you noticed a decline in fish populations in said resevoirs because that could be the reason for increase in crawfish population.

[Foot Stomper]

I have been noticing more and more crayfish in the southern Alberta reservoirs over the past few years. Has anybody tried to eat them? I have tried them in Lousianna and they were great!

Yes they are! Free for the taking too!
The only way I know how to catch them is in summer at night with a flashlight shining on them. They freeze and you can just pick them up.

[Mackinaw]

Yes they are! Free for the taking too!
The only way I know how to catch them is in summer at night with a flashlight shining on them. They freeze and you can just pick them up.

Easy way is to get a minnow trap put a piece of chicken or pork in it toss it in come back later. Then eat them up.

Mack

[Big Racks]

We used to eat these by the bucketful down on the Oregon coast when I was a kid. Us kids would get knee deep in the river and spend hours catching them, then boil them up over a fire. Delicious. Sadly a big flood in the early-mid 90's pretty much decimated the crawdad population in that area.

[huntsfurfish]

Easy way is to get a minnow trap put a piece of chicken or pork in it toss it in come back later. Then eat them up.

Mack

Best check the regs before you do that. Page 28 bottom left.
Might need clarification on this.

[Mackinaw]

Best check the regs before you do that. Page 28 bottom left.
Might need clarification on this.

You are right would have to look into that . Was never an issue back home have not tried it here. Thanks

Mack

[pinelakeperch]

You can catch piles of them in the bow near Rolling Hills. Grab a lantern and walk down the shore. 50 in 30 minutes would be possible.

[HowSwedeItIs]

Does anyone else find it odd that they are somehow native to the Beaver River? Like why only in that particular watershed? Are they really native or did they get introduced somehow early on?

[Talking moose]

Does anyone else find it odd that they are somehow native to the Beaver River? Like why only in that particular watershed? Are they really native or did they get introduced somehow early on?

I have always wondered about this. My theory is all the waterways were the hiways during the fur trade that either some hitchhiked in canoes or some trapper in the area dumped a bucket and they took hold. If he planned on trapping the area for awhile he might of introduced them. Just a thought. Or natural migration....

[HowSwedeItIs]

It's a real head scratcher eh, with all the back and forth it seems perfectly plausible they could have hitchhiked their way up there for sure, hadn't thought about that

[alacringa]

Best check the regs before you do that. Page 28 bottom left.
Might need clarification on this.

Perfectly legal to take them (exc. in Beaver R) if they are immediately killed (possession of live crayfish is illegal).

[huntsfurfish]

Perfectly legal to take them (exc. in Beaver R) if they are immediately killed (possession of live crayfish is illegal).

Not questioning taking them, just how you take them. Check for yourself.:)

[alacringa]

Not questioning taking them, just how you take them. Check for yourself.:)

The description on p. 28 says "by hand." This seems fairly unambiguous.

[huntsfurfish]

The description on p. 28 says "by hand." This seems fairly unambiguous.

By hand or angling, not with traps is how it sounds.

[snowman160]

I had one at crawl across bottom while fishin in the pond yrs ago.also found a dead one on shore at Carson last summer.

[Supergrit]

It wasn't legal to use a trap six years ago they were trying to change it so a person could. That's what I was told by fish cop a Carson lake. Maybe it changed since then he wanted them out of the lake.

[double gun]

Pretty dumb you can't legally trap them, they are good eating.

[Alexey]

Apparently you can use a trap. See below FnW response I got in 2012. Since then nothing has changed.

"Thank you for contacting the Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development Information Centre.

It is legal to catch crayfish by hand or by using hook and line, except in the Beaver River and it's tributaries, as explained on page 22 of the Alberta Guide to Sportfishing under the heading "Crayfish". Crayfish may also be captured by the use of a trap provided the trap does not capture fish (including bait fish); if the trap resembles a minnow trap and could capture bait fish also, it must follow the requirements on page 22 under "Collecting Bait Fish". In short, a trap that may catch bait fish and crayfish both must not exceed the dimensions of a legal minnow trap and must be marked as noted.

Any crayfish caught must be killed without delay as crayfish cannot be possessed live.

Thank you,"

[fish99]

in the rivers in BC we caught cray fish with a plastic 5 gal pail , the pail had 1/2 inch holes drilled in the bottom in a fashion that when you put in the river the water would flow thru the pail with out resistance, next you get a tree branch , put the pail in the river down stream of the cray fish tough the cray fish on the nose with the branch and he swims backwards into the pail , when bottom of the pail gets full or the water pressure gets to much to hold the pail in the river empty it out and start again until you have enough for supper. bona petite .

[waterninja]

Apparently you can use a trap. See below FnW response I got in 2012. Since then nothing has changed.

"Thank you for contacting the Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development Information Centre.

It is legal to catch crayfish by hand or by using hook and line, except in the Beaver River and it's tributaries, as explained on page 22 of the Alberta Guide to Sportfishing under the heading "Crayfish". Crayfish may also be captured by the use of a trap provided the trap does not capture fish (including bait fish); if the trap resembles a minnow trap and could capture bait fish also, it must follow the requirements on page 22 under "Collecting Bait Fish". In short, a trap that may catch bait fish and crayfish both must not exceed the dimensions of a legal minnow trap and must be marked as noted.

Any crayfish caught must be killed without delay as crayfish cannot be possessed live.

Thank you,"
Perfect example of a confusing reg. It states that 2 legal capture methods include angling or capture by hand, but says nothing about trapping them. At the same time you were nice enough to show us an e-mail that states it is legal to use a trap as long as the trap follows certain guidelines. Now how the heck is someone to know this? Also what was legal in 2012 might not be today. You'd think that by now (3 years later) some more clarification might have been added to the regs.
Anyways, a fun place to catch lots of Crayfish around Edm. is at Cardiff pond. The pond is full of Crayfish.

[NewAlbertan]

Apparently you can use a trap. See below FnW response I got in 2012. Since then nothing has changed.

"Thank you for contacting the Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development Information Centre.

It is legal to catch crayfish by hand or by using hook and line, except in the Beaver River and it's tributaries, as explained on page 22 of the Alberta Guide to Sportfishing under the heading "Crayfish". Crayfish may also be captured by the use of a trap provided the trap does not capture fish (including bait fish); if the trap resembles a minnow trap and could capture bait fish also, it must follow the requirements on page 22 under "Collecting Bait Fish". In short, a trap that may catch bait fish and crayfish both must not exceed the dimensions of a legal minnow trap and must be marked as noted.

Any crayfish caught must be killed without delay as crayfish cannot be possessed live.

Thank you,"

Reading into the strict point on live crayfish strongly suggests to me this is an invasive species and the live concern relates to the potential to spread to other watersheds

[huntsfurfish]

Reading into the strict point on live crayfish strongly suggests to me this is an invasive species and the live concern relates to the potential to spread to other watersheds

Agree.

[fitzy]

The vermillion and north Saskatchewan are both full of them around here. I've often thought about eating them mostly just played with them with the kids.

[Gerv]

I read that you can catch them by tying a minnow on your fishing line and then dangling it in front of them. They will grab onto the minnow and then you just lift them up out of the water and knock them into a bucket. I've been meaning to give it a try but haven't come across any in my travels.

[waterninja]

The vermillion and north Saskatchewan are both full of them around here. I've often thought about eating them mostly just played with them with the kids.
No kidding. Kids are fascinated by those Crayfish. Had some fun with my grandson playing with them at Cardiff, though I never realised at the time that I was breaking the law by letting him play with it.

[dodgeboy1979]

I read that you can catch them by tying a minnow on your fishing line and then dangling it in front of them. They will grab onto the minnow and then you just lift them up out of the water and knock them into a bucket. I've been meaning to give it a try but haven't come across any in my travels.

As kids back in ont. we had a small net we would put behind the crayfish, then move our hand infront of them and they swim backwards info the net and you catch them that way.

[Astrocyte]

Interesting. Say I catch some in the summer just for the hell of it, how would I go about cooking them up? Providing there are no discrepancies from what I have read I can keep to eat right? I suppose a picnic at Cardiff with some "mini lobsters" for lunch wouldn't be that bad lol.

[Big Racks]

Interesting. Say I catch some in the summer just for the hell of it, how would I go about cooking them up? Providing there are no discrepancies from what I have read I can keep to eat right? I suppose a picnic at Cardiff with some "mini lobsters" for lunch wouldn't be that bad lol.

Boil em like you would a lobster. Water can be salted or not, we never did as kids. Not much in the claws, just rip the tail off, peel and eat. A bit of melted butter is a bonus but not required.

[Red Bullets]

Reading into the strict point on live crayfish strongly suggests to me this is an invasive species and the live concern relates to the potential to spread to other watersheds

I have been talking to the gal that heads the invasive species study in Alberta. Because the crayfish are native to the Beaver river in Alberta the crayfish are not considered invasive.

I noticed lots of crayfish in several creeks connected to the North Sask river. My concern is these creeks run from several lakes to the river. I suspect these lakes will now have crayfish too. Wizard, Battle, South Buck, Wabamun, Jackfish and all the lakes that connect to the Sturgeon river are going to become infested if they aren't already.

I am looking into creating a study on these creeks to see if the crayfish are migrating into the lakes. It could change fishing quite a bit and ecosystems. Crayfish eat minnows and compete for foods with the fish.

[Elkaholic338]

I have caught them on several occasions in southern AB and there is nothing like having a Louisiana style Crawfish boil.
I would love to know where I could get some a bit closer to the Edmonton area though, the 5 hours down to lethbridge is a bit far just for some Crayfish.

Are the ones in the NSR near Edm or are they further east?

and don't worry, I always just bring a pot and burner and some salt and Par boil on the spot, no transport of live ones.

[Astrocyte]

I am really liking the idea of helping deminish the numbers of these critters if I find them. I take it looking around rocky shores would be best? Or maybe just under a dock?

[Red Bullets]

I have caught them on several occasions in southern AB and there is nothing like having a Louisiana style Crawfish boil.
I would love to know where I could get some a bit closer to the Edmonton area though, the 5 hours down to lethbridge is a bit far just for some Crayfish.

Are the ones in the NSR near Edm or are they further east?

and don't worry, I always just bring a pot and burner and some salt and Par boil on the spot, no transport of live ones.

The crayfish are thick in the NSR around Edmonton. They are in all the creeks that flow into the river too.

I suspect the crayfish go upstream as far as Rocky Mtn. House. Below where the Clearwater river enters the NSR is where the river changes to a cold water river. I doubt crayfish go further upstream than that.

[Red Bullets]

I am really liking the idea of helping deminish the numbers of these critters if I find them. I take it looking around rocky shores would be best? Or maybe just under a dock?

Rocky shores under rocks is a good place to start.

[Stinky Buffalo]

I read that you can catch them by tying a minnow on your fishing line and then dangling it in front of them. They will grab onto the minnow and then you just lift them up out of the water and knock them into a bucket.

That's how I've seen the local kids catch them - they just tie a paper clip onto some twine and a stick, put a chunk of hot dog on the paper clip, and pull the crayfish out when they latch on to the hot dog.

[klow]

Thanks for all of the replies. I think I will try some new table fare this summer. Do you just boil them and break off the tail, then peel and eat?

[Elkaholic338]

Thanks for all of the replies. I think I will try some new table fare this summer. Do you just boil them and break off the tail, then peel and eat?

After you catch them you need to purge them with salt water to get the crud out of them, google purging crayfish,.
Then you can just boil them and break off the tails and eat them, (dipped in butter is awesome).

But my favorite is to do a southern style crayfish boil with corn on the cob, potatoes, farmer sausage, onions, peppers and lots of Cajun seasoning. boil without the Crayfish until the potatoes are tender, then just add the crayfish for a couple of minutes at the end. If you are doing this at the lake and cooking them live, just cook until they are red like a lobster would be.
If you are planning on getting a bunch and taking them home, best bet is to purge them at the lake, and bring a coleman stove and pot to boil them in. I just par-boil them for about a minute in a good rolling boil and then quickly cool in a cooler of ice and then at home they just need a couple of minutes in the boil to finish cooking and get hot through.

looking forward to getting some of these tasty poor mans lobsters this summer again. My mouth is already starting to water.

:sHa_shakeshout: