Page 5 of 15 FirstFirst ... 34567 ... LastLast
Results 81 to 100 of 283

Thread: Crawfish

  1. #81
    whipper snapper hermitman's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    NY
    Posts
    119

    Default

    O yes minnows would be good bait. For the fish food with milk I don't think it will work shrimp that eat fish food have been eating it since they were born.


  2. #82
    Senior Member flandersander's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Chief Executive Officer of All Operations
    Posts
    797

    Default

    So what do you reccomend for shrimp? Anybody.

  3. #83
    Senior Member flandersander's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Chief Executive Officer of All Operations
    Posts
    797

    Default

    Nobody has ever caught shrimp using bait??? Really thats odd!

  4. #84
    Crazy Coonass catfish10101's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Des Allemands, Louisiana
    Posts
    241

    Default

    Hello people, I am from Louisiana. Born here and will die here. Crawfish are a main food source here when they are in season. Here are a few pointers for catching them.
    1. First and foremost, CHECK YOUR LOCAL LAWS ON TRAPS AND LIMITS.
    2. They can be caught in traps, or with crawfish nets, or (if you must) a small jug or bucket. The best way to catch them is traps. Vinyl coated traps work better because they will not feel the metal of the wire. Down here, there are 2 main types of traps that work very well. Read this study by LSU AG Center.
    http://www.lsuagcenter.com/en/crops_...aps+Needed.htm
    3. The best bait for traps is FRESH fish (preferably oily fish or fish heads and guts) but beef melt (cow pancreaus) is used by most recreational crawfishermen.
    Most recreational crawfishermen use crawfish nets because it requires more attention and is more fun. See here>
    http://www.memphisnet.net/product/5059/nets_crawfish
    The nets are much easier to pack and in a survival situation, one or two nets would probably be suficent for 1 or 2 people.
    4. To cook them at home....
    30 lbs of Live Crawfish (1 sack)
    2 bags of Onions
    2 bags Small Potatoes
    12 Ears of Corn (cut in half)
    3 packs of hotdogs
    3 pounds of smoke sausage (cut 3 inches long)
    12 whole cloves Fresh Garlic
    2 packs Fresh Mushrooms
    8 Lemons
    8 oranges
    3 lbs Seafood Boil Powder (Zateran's is best)
    1 big bottle of liquid Seafood Boil (Zateran's is best)
    about a dozen fresh bay leaves (if available)
    12 Pack of Cold Beer (at least)

    Directions:
    1. If you have not already done so, drink a cold beer.
    2. After your beer, you would normally purge the crawfish. This is done by placing them in a container (or ice chest), filling it with water and adding a container of salt, wait about 5 minutes and rinse until clear water comes out.
    3. Drink another beer. Give one to a friend.
    4. Fill the large pot half full with fresh water, place on outdoor propane cooker, and start the fire. Place the lid on the pot and bring water to a boil.
    5. Add Liquid Seafood Boil, bay leaves, and 2 pounds powder (save rest for later) to water (Zateran's is the best). Let the boiling water mix it well for a minute or so.
    6. Time to drink another beer. Send sober friend to store for more beer.
    7. Drop in the onions (halved), the potatoes and fresh garlic. Let this cook, keeping an eye on the potatoes. (Check for doneness by stabbing with a sharp knife or fork. If it goes in easy, it is cooked. Hint; Do not over cook potatoes, slightly under cook them because they will continue to steam and cook in ice chest. You don't want to end up with mashed potatoes.) When the potatoes are almost done, add the hot dogs, sausage, corn and mushrooms. After they have cooked, lower the fire on the burner and remove the basket. Place them in a small clean ice chest - don't close the lid - just place foil on top. Time to drink another beer.
    8. Turn the heat up on the burner. Add more spice to the water. (About 1/2 lbs., save rest of spice for later.) Take the lemons and oranges (halved) and squeeze the juice in the water. Then add the lemons and oranges to the water. When the water comes to a real good boil place the crawfish into the basket and put the basket in the pot. (Be careful - it's very hot!) Put the lid on the pot and enjoy another beer.
    9. When the water comes back to a boil - keep a very close eye on this part - let it boil for 4 minutes and turn off the fire. Let it soak for another 3 minutes and then remove. Kill the boil when you turn it off by adding cold water or ice, not much is needed maybe a gallon or so (Tip- have some 2 liter bottles almost full of water and frozen, use these instead of loose ice so that you do not dilute your water for the next batch). Then let the crawfish soak. They will sink to the bottom and fill with spicy water (JUICES).
    10. Get an old table and place old newspapers on top. Dump the basket of crawfish on top of the newspaper and sprinkle with leftover spice.
    11. Dump the onions, potatoes, corn and garlic on top of the crawfish. Now it's time to really drink beer and eat. The vegetables are for those guests who cannot figure out how to peel the crawfish (we call them Yankees, LOL). At least they won't starve.

    Use leftover spice to experiment. You can always add more to the ice chest. Sprinkle it on, stir it up and let it steam in chest for 10 minutes. Then test again.


    Tips:
    1. To hold hot crawfish for a short time (1-2 hours), you can use a styrofoam ice chest. Most plastic chests will melt or warp.
    2. Use leftover spice to experiment. You can always add more to the ice chest. Sprinkle it on, stir it up and let it steam in chest for 10 minutes. Then test again.

    In a survival situation, they are a great food because even if you want to cook them, they cook quickly and easily, though they will not have much flavor, they are a good food source found in many places.
    Last edited by catfish10101; 02-12-2008 at 06:49 AM.

  5. #85
    Administrator Rick's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Central Indiana
    Posts
    58,832

    Default

    Great post! Nice recipe. It could have used some beer, though. Your sober friend never returned with it. You need to talk to him about that.
    Tracks Across the High Plains...Death on the Bombay Line...A Touch of Death and Mayhem...Dead Rock...The Griswald Mine Boys...All On Amazon Books.

  6. #86
    (FMR) Wilderness Guide pgvoutdoors's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Northeast Ohio
    Posts
    1,991
    Blog Entries
    2

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by donny h View Post
    Great survival food.

    They're not just in the south, these guys are from Flaming Gorge, a 90 mile long lake straddling the Utah/Wyoming border, so these are northern dads, with good size and flavor.

    My quickie trail sauce for dipping is a mix of packets of honey and lemon juice, with butter buds/packets and a dash of cayenne.

    Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.

    Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.

    Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.
    Back when I was a kid in California a neighbor took me crawdad fishing. First he had us make a simple net out of a nylon stocking and a coat hanger. We fished for the big red type by tying a piece of chicken to a string on a pole and holding along the edge of the water. The crawdads would come up to the chicken and we would scare them backwards into the net. They were great to eat too.

    Here in N.E. Ohio the streams have the smaller greenish colored ones. You find these under rocks in the streams. You have to catch a lot of them but they're good too.
    Last edited by pgvoutdoors; 02-11-2008 at 10:23 AM. Reason: more info
    "Just Get Out!"
    WildernessSkillsTrailhead.com

  7. #87
    Crazy Coonass catfish10101's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Des Allemands, Louisiana
    Posts
    241

    Default

    You are right, they are found in many places, but the fact is that many people have never eaten them and will never eat them. Others have said that they might eat them in a survival situation. In fact, down here, there is an entire commercial industry on them, to the point where some people even farm raise them. If they are abundant in your area, you could probably make a living catching them and selling them to the southern states.LOL.

  8. #88

    Default

    Were I used to live, we caught crawfish all the time. One time we boiled them and ate them. The tail was basically the only part worth eating. I thought they were pretty bland. Taste much better with a dash of salt.
    Chica del yermo (wilderness girl)

  9. #89
    Administrator Rick's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Central Indiana
    Posts
    58,832

    Default

    Okay, Crazy. Calm down. We know 'dads are good. They ain't bland. Not after boil and the garlic and the smoked sausage and sure not after that Louisiana Hot sauce hits it, anyway. But son I don't suck head. Tail only.
    Tracks Across the High Plains...Death on the Bombay Line...A Touch of Death and Mayhem...Dead Rock...The Griswald Mine Boys...All On Amazon Books.

  10. #90
    Tubby fella afield
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    the dreded 'burds - london UK
    Posts
    3

    Default

    i once saw a show where Ray Mears demonstrated plucking out their tail 'fins' and with them out came the 'vein' that is the digestive tract. As usual he made it look very easy!
    Don't take life so seriously mate - it's not like anyone gets out alive.

    Feel free to comment on my blog
    http://suburbanbushwacker.blogspot.com/

  11. #91
    Tracker Beo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Cincinnati, Ohio (Dunlap's Station)
    Posts
    4,017
    Blog Entries
    40

    Default Crawfish as a whole....

    CRAWFISH to me are nothing more than river, pond, and lake shrimp and lobster. Here is what I know about crawfish, crawdads, mudpuppys or whatever you wanna call them.
    Crawfish, like shrimp or lobsters, belong to the scientific class Crustacea. Their hard outer shell, called the exoskeleton, does not grow with the crawfish and is shed periodically. In Louisiana, two species of crawfish -- the red swamp and the white river -- provide for the harvest. Crawfish are harvested from both wild habitats (natural rivers, bayous, swamps, and lakes) and controlled, managed crawfish farms. Harvest takes place from November through June, with baited wire-mesh traps. Traps are checked daily, and the catch is packed into 50 lb. onion sacks for delivery to processors. Only the tail meat is recovered from processing. The claw meat is tasty but very meager and difficult to pick out. Tail meat can be purchased fresh or frozen, with prices varying with the time of season and supply.
    Both species of crawfish occur naturally in the Mid-Atlantic region, but crawfish farming is a very recent development here. Small, shallow ponds have been stocked with red swamp crawfish and are managed for commercial production. The harvest takes place during spring and summer, coinciding with the tourist season. Production is still very limited, but there is considerable interest in exploring the potential of crawfish farming as an alternative crop.
    Crawfish can be purchased whole and fresh, raw or pre-cooked, for immediate use of for your own crawfish boil. If you purchase whole, fresh crawfish, make sure they are alive. Dead crawfish decompose rapidly, resulting in mush, discolored meat.

    CULINARY DESCRIPTION
    Boiling crawfish is a popular method of preparation, since the meat can be used in a variety of ways. Plan on 3-4 pounds of whole crawfish per person, and 3/4-1 pound of crawfish per gallon of water. Crawfish yield approximately 15% in tail meat, so count on 10 pounds of whole crawfish to get 1 1/2 pounds of meat. Bring water to a boil, and then add the live crawfish. Begin cooking time once the water returns to a boil, with time depending upon how the crawfish will be prepared.
    Boil the crawfish for 5 minutes or less when you plan to peel them and use the tail meat for dishes such as bisque. Boiling time is 10 minutes when crawfish are to be eaten immediately. For a traditional boil, season the water by adding lemon wedges, onion, red pepper, garlic, commercial crab- boil seasoning and salt (1/2-1 pound of salt per 5 gallons of water, or to your taste). Whole potatoes, onions, and sweet corn can be boiled along with the crawfish. After the 10-minute boil, turn off heat and let the crawfish soak up the spices for another 10-15 minutes. Remove the crawfish and allow them to cool before peeling. Refrigerate those you don't plan to eat immediately. The crawfish will be red after boiling. Once cooked, the tail meat is tender, firm and slightly sweet, somewhat of a cross between shrimp and lobster.
    To peel the crawfish, wash hands first, since you will be handling the meat, and peel them while they are still warm. Separate the tail from the head by slightly pulling and twisting, and discard the head. Hold the tail between thumb and forefingers and squeeze until you hear the shell crack. Grasp the first three segments of tail from the side and pull off by lifting up and pulling around the meat. Firmly grasp the exposed meat in one hand, the tail fin in the other, and pull gently. The meat is now ready to eat, freeze, or serve with your favorite cocktail sauce.
    So that's my take do as you like.

    There is no greater solitude than that of the Tracker in the forest, unless perhaps it's that of the wolf in the wilderness.

  12. #92
    Senior Member nell67's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Southern Indiana
    Posts
    7,725

    Default

    We call them ditch crawlers here,eewww,LOL

  13. #93
    Tracker Beo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Cincinnati, Ohio (Dunlap's Station)
    Posts
    4,017
    Blog Entries
    40

    Default Had the wife fax me this...

    This is my crawfish recipe for Crawfish Jambalaya
    Mmmmmm Mmmmmmmm oh so damn goooooood! Give it try.
    1 Lb. Hot Sausage
    1/2 C. Onion
    1/2 C. Green Onion
    1/2 C. Bell Pepper
    1 Can Beef Boullion
    1 Can French Onion Soup
    1 Sm. Can Tomato Sauce
    1 Stick Butter Or Margarine, Cut Into Tablespoons
    1 Lb. Crawfish Tails
    2 C. Uncle Ben's Long Grain Rice
    Brown sausage in a pan. Saute onion, green onion, and bell pepper in a separate pan until onions are soft. Add sausage to onions and saute together for a minute or two. Add bouillon, onion soup, and tomato sauce. Pour mixture into a Dutch oven; add butter, crawfish tails and rice. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees. Serve immediately eat up and enjoy cause I know I love it.
    There is no greater solitude than that of the Tracker in the forest, unless perhaps it's that of the wolf in the wilderness.

  14. #94
    Crazy Coonass catfish10101's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Des Allemands, Louisiana
    Posts
    241

    Default >>>>>

    LOL. I think we hijacked the thread and turned it into a recipe book. LMAO.

  15. #95
    Senior Member flandersander's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Chief Executive Officer of All Operations
    Posts
    797

    Default

    yeah kinda ya b@$terd$

    no just kidding these all sound really good. keep postin i wanna try 'em all

  16. #96
    Crazy Coonass catfish10101's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Des Allemands, Louisiana
    Posts
    241

    Default

    Crawfish for breakfast

    2 eggs
    1/4 cup onion chopped
    1 tbs bell pepper chopped
    1 cup crawfish tails from the crawfish boil yesterday
    1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
    butter
    salt
    pepper

    Slowly cook crawfish tails, onions and bell pepper in butter until onions are clear and remove from pan and set aside. Scramble 2 eggs and pour into pan (I like to put some of the onions and bell pepper in the eggs). Cook with a glass cover, do not stir. When almost dry (cooked) on top, add crawfish tail mixture and cheese to 1 half of the omlet, and sprinke with salt and pepper. Then, with a wide spatula, flip the other side over to close the omlet. Let cook to melt cheese (you can turn the fire off as the eggs will melt the cheese). Be careful not to burn the omlet. I hate it when it gets too brown. ENJOY!!!
    Last edited by catfish10101; 02-21-2008 at 03:33 AM.

  17. #97
    Bayou Harden Cajun GVan's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Gulf Coast
    Posts
    173

    Smile

    Quote Originally Posted by rt36crazyfists View Post
    anyone ever eat wild crawfish? what part of a Crawfish is edible?
    I'm from south Louisiana.
    We eat crawfish on a weekls basis when in season.
    Freshly steamed they're a great treat and a very good way to gather friends and family together.
    [COLOR="Red"][/COLOR]Survival is the art of steeling one's desire to overcome and surpass any situation with nothing more than personal will and fortitude.

  18. #98
    Bayou Harden Cajun GVan's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Gulf Coast
    Posts
    173

    Default

    Hey catfish,.... Thanks to the Republicans, American businesses are running from this country fraster then a rat from a sinking ship. Remember 1,000,000 Americans homeless thanks to their jobs going to foreign countries.
    [COLOR="Red"][/COLOR]Survival is the art of steeling one's desire to overcome and surpass any situation with nothing more than personal will and fortitude.

  19. #99
    Administrator Rick's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Central Indiana
    Posts
    58,832

    Default

    Ahem. No discussion on politics. Thanks.
    Tracks Across the High Plains...Death on the Bombay Line...A Touch of Death and Mayhem...Dead Rock...The Griswald Mine Boys...All On Amazon Books.

  20. #100
    Administrator Rick's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Central Indiana
    Posts
    58,832

    Default

    Gentlemen. No political discussion on the forum! Thank you! They always degrade just as this one has. I'll delete any further political posts.
    Tracks Across the High Plains...Death on the Bombay Line...A Touch of Death and Mayhem...Dead Rock...The Griswald Mine Boys...All On Amazon Books.

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •