Crayfish Calgary

[lds]

I know there are lots of threads about this but none that mention anywhere that is less than 2 hours away other than nose creek but I read stuff on that and it is not very safe to eat anything from there. If anyone knows somewhere closer than 2 hours from the city with these little guys I would love to know. I'm dieing to eat some.

[kevinhits]

Originally Posted by lds

I know there are lots of threads about this but none that mention anywhere that is less than 2 hours away other than nose creek but I read stuff on that and it is not very safe to eat anything from there. If anyone knows somewhere closer than 2 hours from the city with these little guys I would love to know. I'm dieing to eat some.

Lake newell by Brooks has lots but it is a 2 hour drive

[ORV]

Originally Posted by lds

I know there are lots of threads about this but none that mention anywhere that is less than 2 hours away other than nose creek but I read stuff on that and it is not very safe to eat anything from there. If anyone knows somewhere closer than 2 hours from the city with these little guys I would love to know. I'm dieing to eat some.

http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showt...light=crayfish

this link should help.

orv.

[lds]

Again there is lots of info on places 2 hours away but I've never tried to catch these guys so I would like to try closer if there is suck a place.

[WayneChristie]

lots in the lower Bow. wouldnt be surprised if theyve made it to Calgary now

[Gslice]

travers. Any beach (but preferably rocky areas). throw in any piece of meat in shallow water and they'll come in masses. They seem to be more nocturnal so bring a flashlight.

wouldn't know why anyone would specifically target them though... They have such little meat you'll probably burn more calories trying to find them than what they're worth... Although you would be doing the lake a favour.

[recce43]

nose creek in airdrie has crayfish in it

[the local angler]

i just bought some crayfish meat at billingsgate, $19.95 for a package maybe 1lb ish 2lbs i think peeled devained and ready to go. with the price of fuel this seemed the cheaper quicker route.

[kevinhits]

Originally Posted by Gslice

travers. Any beach (but preferably rocky areas). throw in any piece of meat in shallow water and they'll come in masses. They seem to be more nocturnal so bring a flashlight.

wouldn't know why anyone would specifically target them though... They have such little meat you'll probably burn more calories trying to find them than what they're worth... Although you would be doing the lake a favour.

Kids caught about 20 and brought them home and boiled them up.....For the kids sake and more work than they are worth for sure...LOL

This was at our cabin in Montana..not Alberta

[pinelakeperch]

Originally Posted by the local angler

i just bought some crayfish meat at billingsgate, $19.95 for a package maybe 1lb ish 2lbs i think peeled devained and ready to go. with the price of fuel this seemed the cheaper quicker route.

How was the taste?

[rybak]

taking notes, will be heading out on these lakes this summer when the weather get a little warmer... i actually paid a lot for fresh crayfish last year as i didn't know where you could catch them here, I used to catch them a lot overseas... they taste great with beer
As for not having a lot of meat on them.. chicken wings don't have a lot of meat either... it's all about the process i think...

[the local angler]

i find them great tasting but not as great as fresh caught and cooked crayfish. for myself i find it convenient cause i don't hunt crayfish often. the fresh is more tender cause these store bought is precooked.

[Big Red 250]

A bit off topic but, the meat from the tail makes great bait for walleye and perch. Threaded on a jig I find is best. Just don't jig too vigorously or the meat will tear off.

[huntsfurfish]

Originally Posted by Big Red 250

A bit off topic but, the meat from the tail makes great bait for walleye and perch. Threaded on a jig I find is best. Just don't jig too vigorously or the meat will tear off.

Dont think you want to do that.

pg 28 regs - "Crayfish cannot be used as bait."

[Big Red 250]

Originally Posted by huntsfurfish

Dont think you want to do that.

pg 28 regs - "Crayfish cannot be used as bait."

Then I guess that bit of info isn't of much use to Alberta fisher's. Sorry about that. Then again, I havn't fished for about 10 year's plus I don't live in Alberta.

[Tomcatchesallthefish]

I use to catch crayfishes and eat them on occasion when I live on the west coast, they were not bad taste, I don't eat that much fish, fish lover would like it a lot. I see them in Beaumont pond so I catch two and they were blue color. Taste very gross. Not the same taste as ones I eaten before.

[the local angler]

from what i have gathered info wise is there is 3 types in alberta, the blue ones that you mentioned which i have also caught in my mind very beautiful, the brown and the red. the brown and red seem to be the more common type. i don't know their exact name so i just call them by their colour. lol

[wonjejang]

Hello. I was planning on visiting Nose Creek sometime next week to catch some crayfish. I was wondering if the place is still filled with them because I have not been there in quite some time. Also, are the crayfish from Nose Creek not safe to eat anymore?

[Habfan]

Originally Posted by wonjejang

Hello. I was planning on visiting Nose Creek sometime next week to catch some crayfish. I was wondering if the place is still filled with them because I have not been there in quite some time. Also, are the crayfish from Nose Creek not safe to eat anymore?

In this country you can eat everything that walks,crawls,slithers,flys or swims !!

[wonjejang]

Originally Posted by Habfan

In this country you can eat everything that walks,crawls,slithers,flys or swims !!

I'm glad to hear so. Canada is one of the cleanest countries in the world.

[omega50]

When we were kids in Winnipeg-we used to spend hours catching big buckets of crayfish from the Red River. Not for eating, but as kids do-for Crayfish fighting, fishing and scaring the girls.
My dad made us little rigs out of old upholstery needles, heavy thread and a small nail.
Basically the thread was wrapped around the nail's midsection at 90 degrees and dipped in lacquer to harden-then he left about 4-5ft of line and tied if off to the dull curved needle.
He set us up with small cubes of liver and we pushed the needle through the liver cube and slid it down the thread until it was secured by the keeper(nail)
Off to the river- Hang onto the dull needle end and helicopter everything over our heads like throwing a lasso. Release and try to go more forward than sideways.
Let is sit a minute or two and very slowly start pulling it in at a shallow angle. The
crayfish would seldom let go and once they were on the bank we would fling them up on shore and scramble to grab them without getting pinched.

[TROLLER]

Unless you can get your hands on some Cajun spice bags then I would not even consider cooking them.

Never heard of anyone eating them except with all kinds of Cajun spices. Do not think they would be very tasty at all.

[Nova]

Originally Posted by TROLLER

Unless you can get your hands on some Cajun spice bags then I would not even consider cooking them.

Never heard of anyone eating them except with all kinds of Cajun spices. Do not think they would be very tasty at all.

When I was younger we used to cook them up over the fire wrapped in foil with some butter and Mrs. Dash. Pretty tasty but a lot of work for such little meat.

[3blade]

They are excellent eating. Lots of work for meat flavored peanuts, but worth it once in a while.

Kill immediately (as per regs), by pulling carapace (sp?) forward with finger, tearing off head and most of guts. Grab middle tail fin, twist clockwise, then counter clockwise, pull straight back to remove intestinal tract ("vein"). Throw whats left (tail/claws) in bucket with ice.

At home, rinse in bucket of cold water to remove sand/dirt.

Boil with potatoes, carrots, celery, corn, lemons, garlic, Cajun or old bay seasoning. Eat as is or add to jambalaya/gumbo.

[Old Wizard]

Brings back memories of being loaned out to sister engineering firm in Houston for a year. Got to fish for new fresh and saltwater species. The company and many equipment suppliers held crawfish boils in their parking lots . Spicy crayfish with boiled potatoes and corn on the cob Yum! When I got back to Calgary, The 'hot' wings served in bars weren't very hot anymore.

[Geezle]

I've only eaten them once, but they were surprisingly tasty.

This was back in SK at Last Mountain Lake...we went out at night with a couple 5gal buckets, flashlights and minnow dip nets. Just started searching around with the flashlight and flipping rocks over...as soon as you see one scoop it from behind and plop it into the bucket.

We collected a lot in a very short period of time...then we cooked 'em up lobster style...just tossed them live into a pot of boiling water. Ate the tail and claw meat dipped in garlic butter...good stuff!

From the sounds of it with the populations of crayfish we have, and the fact that they'd have to be individually killed before leaving the lake, it almost seems like more work than it's worth now.