anybody catch and use crawdads?

Each time i visit Mille lacs, nearly all of the smallies that i have caught puke up crawdad parts. But in all the time i have been to the lake i have never seen anyone using crawdads for bait.

Does anyone on here use em? Does anyone here trap them and use them for smallies? I picked up a trap to give this a try but figured maybe someone on here has already tried and either can tell me they catch too many little ones…..or whatever other observations they have as it would just seem like the primary bait to me….which does not seem to be the case….and i don’t know why.

Thanks

If they’re puking up crayfish parts, then use an artificial lure that imitates a crayfish.

Agree with gimruis, an artificial is the way to go. I’ve tried trapping and using live crawdads in my younger, more ambitious days. They are difficult to keep alive and active for any period of time and they are not very durable after you get them on a hook and drag them around. Also, depending on whims of the state thug enforcers in any particular year you might find yourself being extorted for cash for the crime of trying to catch a fish with natural bait.

Those things pinch and hurt, try one of these.

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Rapala has 2-3 crawdad imitation shad raps. I use all of them with good success.

I have had the most success with the Yum Money Craw on a VMC Rugby Jig.

So I take it that’s a no to the original question, nobody is catching and/or using live crawdads?

They work. Super glue your hook to it’s back.

1. They die quickly.
2. The claws fall off right away.
3. When they are alive and intact they instantly go ape-s swimming under things and clampjng onto weeds or your line.

Dave maze wrote:

1. They die quickly.
2. The claws fall off right away.
3. When they are alive and intact they instantly go ape-s swimming under things and clampjng onto weeds or your line.

I agree. We fished a lake on the border of the UP and WI many weekends each summer growing up. The water was crystal clear and crayfish were everywhere. We caught smallies puking out those things constantly. A crawdad crank was our best lure. The trick was to not burn them in, and really focus on keeping them tight to the rocks. If they were suspended on the retrieve at all, we’d never get bit. The smallies would literally pin them to the rocks.

…and can we all agree to call them crayfish?!?!?

Never tried real but artificial work just great. I‘d agree that you’ll have problems with live ones just from memory when trapping these as a youngster…but give it the old try and report back!

The problem is that MN is so anti-crawfish that you cant even get live ones flown in anymore for a boil. Pretty sad really.

First problem is you can not transport them from one body of water to another. Second problem is if they are rusty crawfish instead of natives, you cant even return them to the same body of water.

Nope. Crawdad.

Best bait there is for big sheep head (drum). We use them to give the kids a thrill when local Walleye club has kids day.
Tubes on a jig are good substitute for SM and walleye.

ClownColor wrote:

…and can we all agree to call them crayfish?!?!?

Absolutely not! I don’t like crayfish or crawdads. It’s either crawfish, or if you are a real coonarse, they’re mudbugs.