Crawdads

[swampratt]

I have been running jug lines at Tbird lake every now and then and getting bait in the early morning is a little tough sometimes.

Brutal when jugs are not in the water until 9AM.

I decided to catch some local bait.
Crawdads.
There is a creek 130 yards from me and I figured I would make a tubular trap from galvanized hardware cloth.
I have a big roll here and it is on 1/2" square so not too difficult to make.

I made 4 different kinds and the best so far is long tube 8" to 12" diameter and 18" long with opening at each end.

The key is to make the opening like a funnel going into the trap.
This funnel needs to taper down then become 1.5" give or take and make that 1.5" about 2" long going into the trap.

Total funnel length about 4 to 5"

This makes it very hard for the crawdads to escape.
If the funnel is too short they escape easy.

I can't make a tall basket type because the water is 12" deep.
I baited the trap with hotdogs cut into 4 pieces and I did not just toss the dogs in the trap.

I used a bamboo skewer and made a Shish Kabob basically hot dogs suspended in the middle of the trap on a stick.

I used zip ties to keep the sticks in place.

Sorry I still do not have a working camera.

I have been putting my catch in the 55 gallon fish tank in the house.. hope they do not escape.
My Cichlids do not care for 30+ crawdads in their tank.

I will at least have some bait for first bait up on my jugs then get to tossing the shad net.

I have seen small catfish schooling in the creek and many guppies and perch in a couple pools.
Catfish about 2" ling and 20+ in a group.
Pretty cool.

 

[Oklahomabassin]

Use some hot dog for fish bait as well.

 

[swampratt]

Use some hot dog for fish bait as well.

I have tried that there every time out and not any takers and I could not get any takers on worms.

Shad heads get eyes sucked out but no takers shad tails no takers.
Filet of shad worked best.

I think right after the rains just was not ideal.
Maybe next time out I will find some less picky fish.

I did have some jugs bouncing up and down in the water only to have the fish escape.
I have easier to pull under jugs now.
Maybe less ripped lips.

One not picky day I did limit out by mid day.

 

[Oklahomabassin]

I see.

 

[Perplexed]

I have tried that there every time out and not any takers and I could not get any takers on worms.

Shad heads get eyes sucked out but no takers shad tails no takers.
Filet of shad worked best.

I think right after the rains just was not ideal.
Maybe next time out I will find some less picky fish.

I did have some jugs bouncing up and down in the water only to have the fish escape.
I have easier to pull under jugs now.
Maybe less ripped lips.

One not picky day I did limit out by mid day.

Some guys over in the Ex-Wives thread would like to hear more about this.

 

[rickm]

We use to build them kind of traps to catch perch with for bait and used some old bread as the perch bait.

 

[DRC458]

I've heard of some people soaking hot dogs in grape or strawberry soda to use for bait! Never tried it, but never had much luck on plain old hot dogs either.

 

[SPOONBILL]

If you are after flathead live bait is the only way to go. Im sure you know that. If my lines are only catching channels and blues I use the carcasses off the fish I clean. Works like a charm. Keeping lines baited sometimes xlcan be the hardest part of running them

 

[swampratt]

I did use one small channel cat for bait on a slow day at T bird no luck. not any luck on crappie parts either.

I think this no rain for a couple weeks will get them hungry.
Going for a walk and check traps now.

 

[SPOONBILL]

I did use one small channel cat for bait on a slow day at T bird no luck. not any luck on crappie parts either.

I think this no rain for a couple weeks will get them hungry.
Going for a walk and check traps now.

Hard to believe crappie scraps aren't catching them. Hang in there