Northwest Fishing Reports

WDFW notifying crawfish sellers not to ship live crawfish to Washington State. Big fines involved.
I just read this today and frankly was surprised. I know its been a Federal law for years and has been ignored by most States. I know Molly really set into motion public awareness on crawfish and Jon Anderson is a huge supporter, all great people. It seems WDFW is really sitting up and taking notice as a whole. Has anyone else heard anything new on crawfish regulations lately? Personally I would love to see a year round unlimited open season on invasive crawfish. Its great to know that WDFW is keeping focused no smaller issues like crawfish and not just one of the biggest issues, the Wolf, what a storm that is.
Crawfish Regulation suggestions anyone?

In a perfect world, opening up the harvesting of invasive crayfish to year round and no limit would be a great idea. However, in our world it would probably do much more harm than good. We have anglers that can't tell the difference between a trout and a salmon let alone be able to identify our native signal crayfish. Add to that, I still find myself "reminding" people that there is a minimum size limit on crayfish and that the clumps of "sand" stuck on the the underside of the crayfish are eggs which means that it can't be kept.

What I think would help is publishing, in the regs and on the WDFW web site, a list of lakes where non-native species have been documented. At these lakes colored signs should be displayed at common access points, much like the have done with bull trout waters, to aid in identification and inform the fishermen of the current regulations.

Some people don't read those signs, some people just don't care, some people will poach anyway. They moved the REAL BIG sign at the boat launch from under the trees down to the side of the launch, and people STILL can't do the 5 mph speed limit.

I guess that means no sacks for the boil next Mardi Gras. I didn't even know I've called my family in Louisiana and had 'em shipped live cargo on American Airlines (my cousin is an attendant and can fly cargo for free) for years and just gone and picked them up at the airport.

Who needs to have crayfish flown in? There's plenty here to catch!

I own an aquarium business, and have had to follow the invasive species restrictions for years, why not everyone else? Makes sense to me!

Well when you are trying to do a crawfish boil for 30 people that's a little beyond what most people are going to be able to catch on their own. I mean I've had the huge plastic net sacks that 50lbs of onions/potatoes come in sent air freight same day from Louisiana. I know that places like Chuck's Seafood Grotto in Snohomish and the Pike Place market downtown have live crawfish flown in.

Yeah, and the federal department of fish and wildlife will allow food exemptions most of the time, so those will probably be allowed still. But probably not direct shipments to non business customers.

But, since you're having a family member ship them to you, I don't think dfw would ever be involved. Not that it makes it any more legal.

And it's not like I'm some dumb ass who's going to dump those tasty beasties in a creek somewhere either....

Way back ,we used to use crayfish tails for summer steel. We did well at dusk and dawn using them.

TroutSnipr wrote:And it's not like I'm some dumb ass who's going to dump those tasty beasties in a creek somewhere either....

Maybe "YOUR" not! But Lake Washington's problem is saying that there are some "STUPIDS" out there!!!!