Crawfishin 2022

[pickardjw]

Anyone been having any luck this season? Just picked up 3 frabill pots and hoping to get started on Lake Wa soon.

Did a test drop last weekend and found out one thing. The weed line can be quite a ways out from shore, or at least enough to where it would be in potential boat traffic areas. How would you handle that situation?

[dilleytech]

Putting traps anywhere you think boats will be running is asking for your traps to get stolen. I generally trap in sub 10’ water from shore where I can hide my trap line and do very well.

[KFhunter]

I had several traps stolen on a lake you can't get a boat too, I just didn't figure on someone casting a fishing lure to snag my floats and reel them in close enough to grab from shore 

[dilleytech]

I had several traps stolen on a lake you can't get a boat too, I just didn't figure on someone casting a fishing lure to snag my floats and reel them in close enough to grab from shore 

Crawfishing is such a uncommon thing people see floats on a line and they think what’s that? So they pull it in. And a lot of people are trash so they take them. If I can’t tie them off all sneaky like I won’t fish that spot. And target spot I don’t think someone will fish. It’s about craw boil time

[Jake Dogfish]

I was crawfishin/fishin a lake, setup my pots on a remote stretch on the opposite shore.  Guy comes down with his kids, hikes a mile through the brush with no trail to where my pots are at about 50 feet offshore.  Kid starts casting at my float saying “Dad i almost got it”. I shout over hey that’s my pot and the guy says “oh sorry” but the kid just kept casting at it. 
Had to pull up and fish another part of the lake. 

[KFhunter]

I had several traps stolen on a lake you can't get a boat too, I just didn't figure on someone casting a fishing lure to snag my floats and reel them in close enough to grab from shore 

Crawfishing is such a uncommon thing people see floats on a line and they think what’s that? So they pull it in. And a lot of people are trash so they take them. If I can’t tie them off all sneaky like I won’t fish that spot. And target spot I don’t think someone will fish. It’s about craw boil time

 

I use green paracord now and tie off or use a grapple to rake the line off the bottom, don't be like me folks and use floats for all to see unless you're directly tending them, but if your tending them you don't need floats

[pickardjw]

Hoping to set a few this evening for a soak while I kokanee fish if the pleasure boaters stay at the docks. Can you catch them up in the weeds? Most of what I've read seemed to say to drop pots at the edge of the weed line. That's usually 20'-30' of water where I'm setting.

[MeepDog]

I ran a couple pots last year in the Columbia and Snake but had terrible catch rates. I'm not sure what I did wrong. I put them in shallow water near rocks with fish for bait yet somehow I ended up catching more shrimp than crawdads. I didn't even know shrimp existed in the rivers. Any pointers about the big rivers and what time of year?

[Norman89]

I ran a couple pots last year in the Columbia and Snake but had terrible catch rates. I'm not sure what I did wrong. I put them in shallow water near rocks with fish for bait yet somehow I ended up catching more shrimp than crawdads. I didn't even know shrimp existed in the rivers. Any pointers about the big rivers and what time of year?

the snake is by far my most productive water, chicken for bait set just like you did

[pickardjw]

Nothing on a couple of sets in 20'-30' yesterday evening, rocky bottom. Soaked for 2 1/2 hours or so. Cat food for bait...if I was better at Kokanee fishing I might have better bait for next time but no luck on that front either!

I think next week I'll start setting some overnight in spots I can reach from shore. Check em in the morning on the way to work.

[ThurstonCokid]

Thrown a few pots this year, nothing too crazy so all were released. I’m about to drop again this weekend.


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[elkrack]

How bout catching them with a fishing pole?! My kids were fishing and one of their friends caught this craw. Monster!!

[Jake Dogfish]

Nothing on a couple of sets in 20'-30' yesterday evening, rocky bottom. Soaked for 2 1/2 hours or so. Cat food for bait...if I was better at Kokanee fishing I might have better bait for next time but no luck on that front either!

I think next week I'll start setting some overnight in spots I can reach from shore. Check em in the morning on the way to work.

I don’t think signal crawfish like cat food.  Oily fish works best.

[dilleytech]

Hoping to set a few this evening for a soak while I kokanee fish if the pleasure boaters stay at the docks. Can you catch them up in the weeds? Most of what I've read seemed to say to drop pots at the edge of the weed line. That's usually 20'-30' of water where I'm setting.

When I craw I throw my pots between the weeds and the bank. Or in the weeds. Further out I got the worse I do. 10-20’ off shore seems best. Rocks and weed combo is good .

[dilleytech]

I had several traps stolen on a lake you can't get a boat too, I just didn't figure on someone casting a fishing lure to snag my floats and reel them in close enough to grab from shore 

Crawfishing is such a uncommon thing people see floats on a line and they think what’s that? So they pull it in. And a lot of people are trash so they take them. If I can’t tie them off all sneaky like I won’t fish that spot. And target spot I don’t think someone will fish. It’s about craw boil time

 

I use green paracord now and tie off or use a grapple to rake the line off the bottom, don't be like me folks and use floats for all to see unless you're directly tending them

it's come to my attention that I can't do this, so disregard bad advice, I've got the legal floats so I guess I'll just attend to them while fishing for walleye's or something else

You can attach a small note to your line with your information and put a rock over it.