Northwest Fishing Reports

I know this isnt fishing but I didnt know where else to put it so it went here. Where is your favorite place for crawdad fishing and your favorite bait. I use all my fish heads and guts so I waste just the fins and the back bones to show the fish some respect after harvest. My favorite place is Mineral Lake but its really fallen off the last couple of years

Dude, I am thinking about catching some to eat (god I miss steamed crawfish) and tio use as bait. I saw some huge ones in Lake Padden in Bellingham.

I have wanted to do this for some time now do you have any basic tips for me?

How deep should I set my pots?
Is there a limit to the number of pots I can use?
How long should my pots soak?
Any thing else I should know?

bigastrout wrote:I have wanted to do this for some time now do you have any basic tips for me?

How deep should I set my pots?
Is there a limit to the number of pots I can use?
How long should my pots soak?
Any thing else I should know?

You really have to try the lake out to know at what depth your pots should be set. I start out shallow around the stumps and downed timber in gravle bottom parts of the lake. Your allowed 2 pots per person and you dont need a licence to go for them, you need to get a bouy a milk jug will work and put your info on them. I check my pots when ever its convienent, Im not really too into it I just drop them down on my way out and pick them up on my way in I try to leave them out all night

Ah... Crawfish. I spend a lot of time in Louisianna where where the crawfish is king.
This past year I think it was sept. I found many crawfish in Rattlesnake lk. up past North Bend.
I was on the North end of the lk. where the very large boulder is. The lk. was very low at the time, and that end of the lk. has a lot of stumps. In the past I have used liver in the traps. These days nobody buys liver so you have to go to a couple of grocery stores, and it's dirt cheap.

Does any one know if your allowed to through out crawdad pots in selctive gear waters

Good question...I THINK you can but don't hold me to it...

Lake Stevens in Snohomish County is fairly good for Crawdads.

Do crawfish have issues with cold weather?
Do you think that they would be in the big lakes Snoqualmie Pass, Kachess and Keechelus?

They hate cold water. As soon as the water cools down they hide under the ground until the water warms back up.

gpc wrote:Does any one know if your allowed to through out crawdad pots in selctive gear waters

I just emailed WDFW that question when I get the answer back I will add it to this post.


Added 5-16-07

There is no restriction on using recreational crawfish gear in any water, whether or not it has selective gear rules. The reason is that crawfish are designated as "shellfish" per WAC 220-12-020 , and the selective gear rules at WAC 220-56-100 apply to WAC 232-28-619 - Washington food fish and game fish ß Freshwater exceptions to statewide rules".

bigastrout wrote:

gpc wrote:Does any one know if your allowed to through out crawdad pots in selctive gear waters

I just emailed WDFW that question when I get the answer back I will add it to this post.

Thank you Ive always wanted to know that answer but never thought of something as simple as emailing the WDFW LOL

bigastrout wrote:Do crawfish have issues with cold weather?
Do you think that they would be in the big lakes Snoqualmie Pass, Kachess and Keechelus?

I dont know if those lakes have them or not but those lakes do look like prime crawdad habitat

Here are the regs

CRAWFISH
ALL WATERS CRAWFISH 1st Mon. in
May-Oct. 31
Min. size 3¼" from tip of rostrum (nose) to tip of tail. Daily limit 10 lbs. in shell. All
females with eggs or young attached must be immediately returned to the water
unharmed. No Shellfi sh/Seaweed license is required. See gear rules on page 137.

I am going to buy 2 pots. What type should I buy?

bigastrout wrote:I am going to buy 2 pots. What type should I buy?

Im not sure the brand name.But the pots that I have are black. They are the most comon and they only run about 10$ a piece. The ones that I have also make minnow traps. They look the same but the minnow traps have a lot smaller holes for the minnows. I got mine from Cabelas, but Iv seen the exact same ones a Sport co, Sportmans warehouse and JOES. No sense in buying a real nice one when you can get away with a 10$ one. But Im pretty sure I paid closer to 8$ for mine

how many do you guys normally catch because im from california where in an hour you catch them by the truck loads....and i mean truck loads.

Rizzla-
Nothing like that...Off my buddies dock in Lake Washington my best pull that sat overnight was like 5 crawdads...Nothing spectacular, but then again, it's not prime crawdad habitat...I wanna try some new spots that I found....I'll let you know the results of those....

Here is a great resorce for crawfish info. I think this guy has some good ideas.

http://www.terrybullard.com/CrawfishMain.html

i see people over here using cans of dog food as bait. they just punch a bunch of holes on the can and set it in the pot. crawdads absolutely love it.