anyone got hints on catching crawdads

didnt have a clue where to put this but figured this is as good as any...

mystripers arebeing finicky and im tired of paying 5 dollars a dozen for crawdads so does anyone have any hints on catching your own

I use a small mesh net to dip in drainage ditches or creeks. Find a small ditch or swamp hole and dip the muck off the bottom, leaves and all. Rinse around in the water and you will see them if they are there. I had several spots to get them around here but they are all dry right now.

i got plenty of canals and culverts and stuff. i set out a couple traps i just bought at walmart with bacon in it to see if that works. i saw it on internet. i have a small mesh net i always keep with me ill go and try that when i go to check my traps later. not sure if they are even in the canals around here. i know there is tons by where i catch mystripers i usually get a dozen or so in the rocks there but i need bout 7- 10 dozen for a good days fishing.

We usually use a seine me & a friend.Usually in about 30-45 minutes we have enough minnows & crawdads to do use.

I used to make a crawdad rake. I'd weld a rectangle frame out of light angle iron, then weld a 10 foot pole on it. I'd then weld fine wire mesh to the angle iron frame. Just rake the ditches and I'd pull up a half dozen or so each pull. I'd have enough for bait in a few minutes.

u can get a sain ( 4x 4 net) at walmart . attach both ends to a pole . find a small shallow creek put the sain on the bottom with a pole in each hand strech the sain as far apart as ya can . have someone up stream walk toward you kickin all the rock as they go . u will have more crawdads than u need

Just make sure the seine has weight on one end.This makes it easier so your seine will remain on bottom of creeks and will not float up so minnows/crawdads can't get by.

The seine is the way to go. Especially if you've got some young ones around to take with you. They love to get in the water anyway and the critters you pull out of the net will absolutly amaze them. It's a good way to teach kids about the outdoors. I have many fond memories of me and Dad trompin' around in the creeks catchin' trot line bait.;)

I made some traps this spring and a catcher/rake after the traps failed.
I used a wire produce basket from the thrift store because I always used to tear through the mesh ones i made. I bent a wire frame out of a broken garage door spring and then tywrapped and used another loop perminantly wired in to hold the basket open. It works so good, i can scarpe rocks and dads and anything i want and not worry. I have mine attached to a scottys garden tool handle that takes replacable heads and is about 5.5' and its perfect.http://onfinite.com/libraries/1225670/a1c.jpg
http://onfinite.com/libraries/1225671/a1c.jpg
Hope this helps. Its alot of fun to go out dadn'.
I made 2, one with mesh and one with the basket. Being carefull the mesh lasted 2 trips but will be replaced with another basket. Id make 2 so you can take a friend or the kids. I then use a spotlight for night hunting with the battery removed and in a backpack so the light wieghs nothing and last for 2 hours.http://onfinite.com/libraries/928975/47e.jpg

As far as where, I got to a small creek at night and look in the deeper holes, right now they are full. We used to go to the lake at night and they were everywhere but we got alot wetter in the lake.

thanks for all the hints will try most of em till i get me some crawdaddys

I generally just catch them by hand in shallow lake water with rocky bottom or stream with rocky bottom. Have to wear polarized shades to see 'em easily, but just flip over rocks and grab them. Usually in 15 minutes I'll have a couple dozen to fish with. When I run out, I catch some more.

Wow, how did I miss this thread?! Live dads are the ultimate bait up at Guist creek where I mostly fish, because it's mostly all rock bottom. There are a million there but because they're under huge bolders and heavy rocks so the net thing is really impractical except on small rocks right by the ledge. I think the trap would be awesome for somewhere like that if you had a way to keep them hid for a few days at a time. Like plant them a few days prior to a big outting and then show up and hour or so ahead of time and get them all up and then go fish!

Dads are awesome, sometimes when the wife gets bored, I let her grab me some, I never buy them just because of the money. But yea, I'd love a way to easily harvest some :D, nice post.

get a old short pole tie a string ,hook, and gum

Best thing to do is get a long handled, fine mesh(1/4") net. when you scoop the net do it hard along the bottom and through all the weeds along the bank. you should come up with a lot of crap in your net. Just dump everything out and pick up your crawfish, minnows, ect.

Do this up and down the bank of a creek, river, pond, ect.
hope this helps....works well in Louisiana.
I just buy 35lbs for $20, i can imagine they are rather price up north.

Good Luck

Take some screening and make yourself a bait trap with a 1.3 inch diameter intake funnel. Put some purina dog chow in it. Drive down to Louisana. Catch the crawmoms in it first. The crawdads will follow and can't get out.

I used to catch'em at night while wearing a head lamp. They are mostly nocturnal and we would just wade a shallow creek, turn over rocks and catch them by hand coming up behind them (a seine or net would be better). Oh, yeah, we'd always wade upstream so they couldn't "feel" us and we wouldn't muddy up the place. DON'T cover them with water in your cooler (unless it's aerated) or they'll drown!!! Just put 2-3 inches of wet leaves in there for them to stay moist with.