# Anybody use crawfish for bait?



## sureicanfish (Sep 30, 2007)

Cleaned a channel cat today (thanks Scott!!) and his belly was full of the bream we used for bait and crawfish. Makes me wonder if anyone uses them for bait? If so, do the catfish like them really spicy or sorta mild? or really, where do you catch crawfish?


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## tibiasterrible (Oct 17, 2013)

interested in the answers to this thread


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## cody&ryand (Oct 3, 2007)

I have used artificial crawfish for bass haven't done much cat fishing so no help there


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## JD7.62 (Feb 13, 2008)

I use to use crawfish all the time in Kentucky for everything from small mouths wading small creeks to catfish and stripe in the river. Pretty much every freshwater fish that can, will eat one!


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## oysterman (Jan 23, 2012)

Edit


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## Rickpcfl (Nov 12, 2013)

oysterman said:


> I catch crawfish out in the forest along the road in the ditches when it's full of water. Use something looking like a sand flea rake but much bigger. The handle is prolly 12-14 feet! Just chunk it across other side of ditch water and work it back across then dump everything on the shoulder of the road. Pick out all the crawdaddys and put in a bucket with wet water greens. If you puts them in bucket wit water they will drown in time.


I used to do that but thought that it was no longer legal in Florida. Something about protecting the crawfish or something. Might want to check the regulations. If it is legal, I would like to know so that I can take my son out and drag some ditches.


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## jaster (Oct 7, 2007)

I use to feed em to my pet Bass. He ate em up!!!


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## CatCrusher (Jan 18, 2009)

They'll catch just about anything in the river. The little one's are the best bream bait there is. They work great on the catfish for sure.


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## Jason (Oct 2, 2007)

You gotta use a minnow net and drag it through grass and mud. I usually will put a 1-2 oz weight on the bottom w/ a small hook suspended above it about a foot and a half up and chunk it into deep holes....Bass/cats/bream/cotton fish will all eat it up!!!


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## NoMoSurf (Oct 2, 2007)

Jason said:


> .Bass/cats/bream/cotton fish will all eat it up!!!


What in the world is a Cotton fish? Been fishing all my life and never heard of that one...

The channel and blue cats that we catch here in Central AL are usually full of little thumbnail sized mussels. The ones with ridges in their shells. Not sure how they get rid of the shells... :-O push real hard I guess...


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## jack2 (Mar 19, 2010)

oysterman said:


> I catch crawfish out in the forest along the road in the ditches when it's full of water. Use something looking like a sand flea rake but much bigger. The handle is prolly 12-14 feet! Just chunk it across other side of ditch water and work it back across then dump everything on the shoulder of the road. Pick out all the crawdaddys and put in a bucket with wet water greens. If you puts them in bucket wit water they will drown in time.


yep, this is how we do it in bama. also on that list of fish with the cotton fish (i would guess a grinnel or bowfin). stripers love crawfish the best.

jack


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## lettheairout (Mar 11, 2008)

Yeah bowfin, grinnel,cotton fish all the same. Live crawfish for bass on the bed. Can't beat it.

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## 6.5 mike (Sep 1, 2014)

I've caught rainbows & brown trout with them out west.


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## NoMoSurf (Oct 2, 2007)

lettheairout said:


> Yeah bowfin, grinnel,cotton fish all the same. Live crawfish for bass on the bed. Can't beat it.
> 
> Sent from someplace unknown on Forum Runner


I've heard alot of slang names for a Bowfin, but never that one. haha


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## jack2 (Mar 19, 2010)

NoMoSurf said:


> I've heard alot of slang names for a Bowfin, but never that one. haha


when you cook a bowfin, the meat is tasty if you eat it hot but the cooler it gets the larger the piece of meat gets in your mouth. it's similar to eating cotton. i have done this before. it is not a rumor.

jack


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## Donut slayer (Jan 16, 2009)

oysterman, mind posting up a pic of your crawdad catching contraption? I'd really like to see it. Heck, maybe even a video of you using it?


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## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

Donut slayer said:


> oysterman, mind posting up a pic of your crawdad catching contraption? I'd really like to see it. Heck, maybe even a video of you using it?


I think mine is at the camp but he's right, basically a sand flea rake. Mines rebar covered with 1/2" hardware cloth with a 12' metal conduit handle. Haven't used it in a longggg time

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