SDDave
04-05-2011, 11:23 AM
Though this isn't the only way to keep them it works well for me.
Also this system is used for locally caught dads, but I'm sure it would work for the ones shipped from the southern crawdad co.
I been keeping dads since December and I've still got some of the originals since then.
Alls you need are a couple of older ice chests and water, you don't need a filtration system, pumps, filters, just water and drops for what ever crap your water retailer adds to your water, mines chorlamine, sure I didn't spell it right, but a few drops to a five gallon bucket.
When you first get them from the creeks or what ever source you have, it's good to get them in a separate container before adding them to the rest of your stock, this flushes out the mud in them, change out the water as needed.
Crawdads do have gills that need to stay wet but also they need to beable to come up out of the water to, just add enough water so the can pop there heads up, try not to crowd them and try to keep them by size, don't have a monster with huge pinchers in with a bunch of peanuts because the big one will kill them.
Believe me the monsters will work just as well as the peanuts, just have to use the proper size hooks for the size used.
Also during the summer months change the water a couple times a day, you'll know when it's time,
As far as feeding, I use tropical fish flakes,
And don't over feed, and yes they will eat each other, I figure if one gets ate, it wasnt one I wanted to use anyway.
The more they eat the more there going to grow and this means molting dads, and soft and mushy, get those into a separate container until they harden up.
Once you get a good stock pile up, you can take as many as needed for a day of fishing and there be cured and ready to go with a bad dadatude...
Crawdads catch big fish and it's just another way to get them,
And if your a purist and don't use live bait, crawdads or shad then good for you,
This thread is for going out to guys who are interested in dad fishing.
http://i498.photobucket.com/albums/rr349/sddave50/48abe88b.jpg
Also this system is used for locally caught dads, but I'm sure it would work for the ones shipped from the southern crawdad co.
I been keeping dads since December and I've still got some of the originals since then.
Alls you need are a couple of older ice chests and water, you don't need a filtration system, pumps, filters, just water and drops for what ever crap your water retailer adds to your water, mines chorlamine, sure I didn't spell it right, but a few drops to a five gallon bucket.
When you first get them from the creeks or what ever source you have, it's good to get them in a separate container before adding them to the rest of your stock, this flushes out the mud in them, change out the water as needed.
Crawdads do have gills that need to stay wet but also they need to beable to come up out of the water to, just add enough water so the can pop there heads up, try not to crowd them and try to keep them by size, don't have a monster with huge pinchers in with a bunch of peanuts because the big one will kill them.
Believe me the monsters will work just as well as the peanuts, just have to use the proper size hooks for the size used.
Also during the summer months change the water a couple times a day, you'll know when it's time,
As far as feeding, I use tropical fish flakes,
And don't over feed, and yes they will eat each other, I figure if one gets ate, it wasnt one I wanted to use anyway.
The more they eat the more there going to grow and this means molting dads, and soft and mushy, get those into a separate container until they harden up.
Once you get a good stock pile up, you can take as many as needed for a day of fishing and there be cured and ready to go with a bad dadatude...
Crawdads catch big fish and it's just another way to get them,
And if your a purist and don't use live bait, crawdads or shad then good for you,
This thread is for going out to guys who are interested in dad fishing.
http://i498.photobucket.com/albums/rr349/sddave50/48abe88b.jpg