Crawfishing

[The_Lobbster]

Crayfish, crawfish, crawdads, whatever you call them.

Recently got into the sport of fishing for such critters, and I’m hooked! (Pun intended)

Strawberry is definitely a great spot with plenty of them, but wanted to see if anybody here has any recommendations on where else might have some big mud bugs, or has some pics to share from their hauls.


Here’s a few pix from my latest adventures.

 

[jeeper]

I spent a couple years in Mississippi. I've had some seriously good crawfish.

Tried a couple Utah fish shacks. Not the same.


I've seen a few traps along the canals that run through South Jordan / West Jordan. I don't know how successful they are though

 

[1969honda]

I've heard that Cutler marsh/Benson marina can be decent but never tried myself. However a good southern crayfish boil can't be beat in my book.

 

[DAA]

Used to catch a ton of them at Lost Creek, but that was more than 30 years ago and the place has changed so much, don't know if it's any good now or not.

- DAA

 

[Cody]

I've done well at starvation and Lake powell.

The San Rafael river is full of them too and they're easy pickings in the fall or spring before the runoff starts

 

[The_Lobbster]

I've done well at starvation and Lake powell.

The San Rafael river is full of them too and they're easy pickings in the fall or spring before the runoff starts

I dropped traps at starvation before and didn’t catch a thing, maybe I just wasn’t in the right spot?

Any particular location on the San Rafael river you could recommend?

 

[The_Lobbster]

Some decent sized ones in Salem Pond too. Caught this one this morning by hand.

 

[Rot Box]

I caught a Burbot that was full of them at the Gorge once. I imagine he had a huge tummy ache because some of the crawfish were still alive and pinching lol.

 

[Spork]

I've heard East Canyon has them but never tried out there. Strawberry we always just used a piece of chicken on a string for catching. I did pull one out when I was ice fishing on Strawberry with a worm.

 

[The_Lobbster]

Almost forgot about these two, I snagged them on a spinner out at Tooele somewhere a few years ago, I can’t remember exactly where.

 

[The_Lobbster]

I caught a Burbot that was full of them at the Gorge once. I imagine he had a huge tummy ache because some of the crawfish were still alive and pinching lol.

I was actually wondering about this last night, could a claw kill a fish from the inside by tearing open its stomach?

 

[Rot Box]

I was actually wondering about this last night, could a claw kill a fish from the inside by tearing open its stomach?

Not sure…. that particular Burbot had five or six decent sized ones in it too. Edit: not nearly as big as the ones you’ve posted pics of (Rot Box telling fish stories again haha 😣)

I know the Burbot move in on the shoreline at dusk to eat them. Legend has it anyway. Weird fish for sure!

 

[Cody]

I dropped traps at starvation before and didn’t catch a thing, maybe I just wasn’t in the right spot?

Any particular location on the San Rafael river you could recommend?

I was a kid when we'd get than at starvation, but at night you could take a stringer with a piece of bacon and put it in the water and ten would come wandering up within seconds.

We've had luck about a mile south of the swinging bridge on the Mexican mountain road. When the water is reasonably clear you can just catch them by hand at night. My kids love it.

 

[bryson]

What do you guys do as far as prep/cook methods? I've caught them several times, and always just end up tossing them back because I've never bothered to figure out how to prep and cook them.