Whats the deal with crawdads ? Why do people hate on useing them?

[Andrews90]

So I found a honey hole full of crawdads and wondering what lakes I could use them at ? Without getting bashed lol

[etucker1959]

So I found a honey hole full of crawdads and wondering what lakes I could use them at ? Without getting bashed lol
A purist Bass fishermen thinks ALL Bass should only be caught on something artificial!!! That answer's your first question, "I won't dare try to answer your second question!!!" lol

[DarkShadow]

A purist Bass fishermen thinks ALL Bass should only be caught on something artificial!!! That answer's your first question, "I won't dare try to answer your second question!!!" lol

I think the fact that meat fisherman are associated to using live bait is why 'purists' think that all bass should be caught on something artificial.

[etucker1959]

In the late 80's and early 90's using live crawdads in lakes like Castaic to catch a DD LMB was a pretty common practice. That was long before the era of the swimbaits. My Bass friends scoff at the thought of using a live N/C or Crawdad to catch a Bass. (they say that would be too easy) In reality unless your trophy hunting for a DD, it's best to keep it on the down low to admit to anyone your using live bait to catch a Bass. Even I wouldn't consider doing it because you really don't need too. (they will eat a lure pretty easily) Bass aren't exactly the smartest fish in the pond!!! lol

[Andrews90]

is it more acceptable to use live bait for catfish rather then bass or is that considered cheating lol I have seen some guys nailing bass on the crawdad it's almost to easy but this was at Vail lake where we where using shad we caught

[BALLERONBUDGET]

not here to judge. But if need them, Any Asian market sgv area has them $5lb. My pet turtles chomp on em and stalk them down. :Big Grin:

[Viejo]

So I found a honey hole full of crawdads and wondering what lakes I could use them at ? Without getting bashed lol

Is it true that in CA you can only use live bait in the body of water in which you catch it to not introduce species that could become invasive

[DEVOREFLYER]

ARTICLE 3. BAIT REGULATIONS FOR
INLAND WATERS

4.00. BAIT-GENERAL.
Legally acquired and possessed invertebrates,
mollusks, crustaceans, amphibians (except
salamanders), fish eggs and treated and processed
foods may be used for bait, except:
(a) No species specified as endangered, threatened,
candidate, fully-protected, or otherwise protected
under state and federal law may be used as bait.
(b) No salamander may be used as bait. See section
5.05 for other amphibians that may be used as bait.
(c) See Section 5.35 for restrictions on crayfish;
(d) See Section 7.50(b)(74) for restriction on bait
collecting in Hat Creek;
(e) No trout may be maintained or possessed in
a live condition in any container on or attached
to any boat;
(f ) Except for restrictions listed under special
regulations, dead ocean fish may be used as bait

This section supersedes the provisions
of sections 4.10, 4.15, 4.20, 4.25 and 4.30.

4.05. BAIT FISH CAPTURE METHODS.
(a) Approved bait fish may be taken only by hand,
with a dip net not exceeding 36 inches in greatest
dimension, excluding handle, or with traps not over
three feet in greatest dimension. Such bait fish may
not be purchased, bartered, sold, transferred or
traded; or transported alive from the location where
taken. Any other species taken shall be returned to
the water immediately. Traps need not be closely
attended. Dip net use: A dip net must be hand held,
and the motion of a dip net shall be caused only by
the physical effort of the operator. A dip net may
not be moved through the water by any mechanical
force or motorized device.
(b) Within the area bounded by Highway 111 on
the north and east and Highway 86 on the west
and south, approved bait fish may be taken only
with dip nets with diagonal mesh size one inch and
greater, or by traps in water greater than four feet in
depth. Traps may not exceed three feet in greatest
dimension. Approved bait fish may not be taken
by hand within this area.

4.10. BAIT FISH USE IN THE SOUTHERN
DISTRICT.
Except as provided below, live or dead fin fish shall
not be used or possessed for use as bait in the
Southern District:
(a) Dead threadfin shad and live or dead longjaw
mudsucker may be used in all Southern District
waters.
(b) Live threadfin shad may be used only at the
location where taken.
(c) Golden shiner and red shiner may be used in
San Diego County.

4.15. BAIT FISH USE IN THE COLORADO RIVER
DISTRICT.
Except as provided below, live or dead fin fish shall
not be used or possessed for use as bait in the
Colorado River District:
(a) Live or dead golden shiner, fathead minnow, red
shiner, mosquitofish, longjaw mudsucker, threadfin
shad, goldfish, sunfish, molly, and dead carp may be
used in all Colorado River District waters.
(b) Live carp may be used only at the location
where taken.
(c) Tilapia may be used in the Salton Sea, and may
be taken for bait only within the area bounded by
Highway 111 on the north and east and Highway
86 on the west and south (except as in subsection
(d) below.
(d) Tilapia may be taken and used for bait in the
Colorado River and its associated backwaters only
within the area bounded by Palo Verde Diversion
Dam south to the Morelos Dam.

4.20. BAIT FISH USE IN THE VALLEY AND
SOUTH CENTRAL DISTRICTS.
Except as provided below, live or dead fin fish shall
not be used or possessed for use as bait in the Valley
or South Central District:
(a) Live or dead golden shiner, fathead minnow,
mosquitofish, longjaw mudsucker, and staghorn
sculpin, and dead threadfin shad, Mi
ssissippi silverside and lamprey may be used in
all Valley and South Central District waters except
those listed in subsection (f ) below.
(b) Red shiner may be used only in the Valley District
north of Interstate 580 and Highway 132.
(c) Yellowfin gobies may be used in the Valley
District only in those areas described in subsections
(d)(1)-(3) below.
(d) In addition, except for trout and salmon, fin fish
lawfully taken in the following waters by angling or
with bait fish methods approved in Section 4.05
may be used, only in the waters where taken:
(1) Carquinez Strait and Suisun Bay and their
tributaries and saltwater tributaries.
(2) Sacramento River and tidewater of tributaries
downstream from the Highway 32 bridge near
Hamilton City, Feather River downstream from the
Oroville Hatchery Fish Barrier Dam, and American
River downstream from Nimbus Dam.
(3) San Joaquin River and tidewater of tributaries
downstream from Interstate 5 bridge.
(e) Live threadfin shad, Mississippi silverside and
lamprey may be used only at the location where
taken.
(f ) Fin fish may not be used in Keller Lake (Glenn
Co.), Letts Lake (Colusa Co.), Merced Lake (San
Francisco Co.), Upper and Lower Plaskett Meadow
Ponds (Glenn Co.), Whale Rock Reservoir (San Luis
Obispo Co.).

4.25. BAIT FISH USE IN THE NORTH CENTRAL
DISTRICT.
Except as provided below, live or dead fin fish shall
not be used or possessed for use as bait in the North
Central District:
(a) Golden shiner, fathead minnow, red shiner,
mosquitofish, longjaw mudsucker and staghorn
sculpin may be used in Napa and Sonoma counties,
in Marin County except for Stafford Lake, in Lake
County except for the Eel River and its tributaries,
and in Lake Mendocino (Mendocino Co.).
(b) Live threadfin shad, Mississippi silverside and
lamprey may be used only at the location where taken.

4.30. BAIT FISH USE IN THE SIERRA AND
NORTH COAST DISTRICTS.
Except as provided below, live or dead fin fish shall
not be used or possessed for use as bait in the Sierra
and North Coast Districts.
(a) In Donner, Fallen Leaf and Tahoe lakes Lahontan
redside, tui chub, Tahoe sucker, Lahontan speckled
18
California Department of Fish and Wildlife
dace, mountain sucker and Paiute sculpin may be
used only in the same lake where taken.
(b) In Shasta Lake only golden shiner, red shiner,
fathead minnows, mosquitofish and threadfin shad
may be used or possessed for use as bait.
(c) Crayfish shall not be used for bait in the Pit River
and all tributaries between Pit 3 Dam (Lake Britton)
and the Fall River-Cassel Road Bridge at Fall River
Mills, California (includes Hat Creek and Fall River
and their tributaries).

[Viejo]

Thanks....another urban rumor bites the dust. I actually am amazed that more don't use crawdads as they are pretty much in most bodies of water.

[Andrews90]

I could never justify using a live trout to catch a big striper or bass but I know some people probably don't care about the rules or regulations.

[smokehound]

#1- unwarranted sense of self-importance- Many anglers using lures think they're some sort of elite club just because they fooled a primitive vertebrate into biting a piece of plastic.

#2- jealousy. No sense in denying it.. when you spend hundreds of dollars collecting expensive lures only catch a bass not even weighing a pound, and a fat guy on a chair playing with himself catches a monster 9 lb bass on a piece of mackerel while cat fishing, it's only natural that you'd feel jealous.

#3- ignorance/racism/stupidity


This is one of the reasons i haven't been fishing much.. I myself am guilty of most of these acts, but since i hit the magical age of 27,my brain changed, and I matured to the point of seeing most fishermen in general as lousy people overall. Sorry.. but you guys whine about obama and mexicans and/or asians too much. I'm sick of it. I see plenty of white guys poaching and using illegal methods, and the 'purists' are some of the most racist hateful human beings i've ever met.. Now, mind you, I'm not afraid to make racist jokes, or other politically incorrect statements, but these people really do believe outlandish ideas that asians are amassing to supply 99 ranch market with largemouth bass.

I don't like obama either but YEESh. find another flipping topic, will ya?

[webmaster]

People hate on using crawdads because most of the time the bass ends up getting hooked deep in the gills or gut which kills the fish. With artificials, you have a better chance of hooking them in the mouth.

[shinbob]

People hate on using crawdads because most of the time the bass ends up getting hooked deep in the gills or gut which kills the fish. With artificials, you have a better chance of hooking them in the mouth.

On the rare occasions I fish with live shad, I use Owner light circle hooks. They work great, perfect corner/lip hooksets, never once had a gut-hooked fish. Just gotta remember not to quickly set the hook, though. Caught a 10.2-pounder (LMB) at Pyramid that way last fall, but it kinda felt like cheating. Especially as my largest ever LMB on artificials so far is barely 4 lbs.

[Hoot951]

The only time I use live bait is when I go to the salt. The last time I used live shad/crawdad was when I was a child in the 80's. I have nothing against it but from what I remember it was just too easy.

[MillsapBoyz]

People hate on using crawdads because most of the time the bass ends up getting hooked deep in the gills or gut which kills the fish. With artificials, you have a better chance of hooking them in the mouth.

Finally a common sense answer. To generalize that most fisherman are white racists is plain ignorant. Yes, there have been some inappropriate posts on here, but does that make us all racists? I am fairly new to bass fishing, and my main objective is to catch fish. I haven't earned the right to question what others do. Don't get me wrong, I don't agree with all fisherman's tactics, but who am I to judge. The original post asked a simple question. There really isn't a need to go off on tangents.

[DarkShadow]

People hate on using crawdads because most of the time the bass ends up getting hooked deep in the gills or gut which kills the fish. With artificials, you have a better chance of hooking them in the mouth.

Add the fact that some of these bigger females are susceptible to being caught with craws during 'that' time of year, you have another reason fishing live 'dads is frowned upon.

While you have the right to keep your catch within limits, you may not make too many friends walking up the launch ramp with 5 DDs on a stringer. You have the right to keep them, I repeat. But others have the right to express their sentiments as well, and hopefully it is done in an educative and civil manner.

[etucker1959]

Finally a common sense answer. To generalize that most fisherman are white racists is plain ignorant. Yes, there have been some inappropriate posts on here, but does that make us all racists? I am fairly new to bass fishing, and my main objective is to catch fish. I haven't earned the right to question what others do. Don't get me wrong, I don't agree with all fisherman's tactics, but who am I to judge. The original post asked a simple question. There really isn't a need to go off on tangents.
Hi MillsapBoyz,

I don't mean to run off on a tangent, but you know what REALLY burns my butt is the editor of Western Outdoor News. Every week he writes in his column like a super hardcore right wing nut job. So he believes the readers of the best fishing and hunting newspaper in the Southern California area is read by a bunch of right wing nut jobs racists. (Pick it up any week and see for yourself.) Maybe Smokedog is on to something!!!! I'm sure you and I aren't racist but somebody is giving off that impression about fishermen!!!

Sorry for the thread jack, please continue on about the evils of fishing with live crawdads. lol

[parkermann2]

Hi MillsapBoyz,

I don't mean to run off on a tangent, but you know what REALLY burns my butt is the editor of Western Outdoor News. Every week he writes in his column like a super hardcore right wing nut job. So he believes the readers of the best fishing and hunting newspaper in the Southern California area is read by a bunch of right wing nut jobs racists. (Pick it up any week and see for yourself.) Maybe Smokedog is on to something!!!! I'm sure you and I aren't racist but somebody is giving off that impression about fishermen!!!

Sorry for the thread jack, please continue on about the evils of fishing with live crawdads. lol

Most of the time he is letting us know about how the liberals are trying to take away our hunting, fishing, shooting and other outdoor activities and what we can do to stop them. Does that make him a right wing racist?

[etucker1959]

[QUOTE=parkermann2;779303]Most of the time he is letting us know about how the liberals are trying to take away our hunting, fishing, shooting and other outdoor activities and what we can do to stop them. Does that make him a right wing racist?[/QU

I love it when you said, "and what can we do to stop them????" He and all the other right wing writers aren't even smart even to connect the dots. Read this weeks column he wrote, it's all about the ballot initiative written by the Lieutenant governor on ammunition restrictions. Here is what I mean by not being smart enough to connect the dots. If you're an Ocean fishermen, what's the greatest tragedy that's happened to us in the last 5 years???? If you guessed the MLPA closures you win a cupid doll!!!! Here he goes complaining this week how the people on the left got enough signatures by hook or crook to put this ammo restrictions thing on the ballot. If it's passed there is nothing anybody can do about it. What if the sportsmen do the same thing except this time to GET RID OF ALL THE MLPA'S!!!! (there is nothing anybody can do about if it passed by the people) Why isn't he beating that DRUM every week in his paper!!!!! He isn't because he is either too dumb to do it or like many other Conservative people they lack what it takes to show true leadership!!!!! It's just too easy to be a whinny little ***** and accomplish very little!!!!!

When it comes to being a right wing racist, if you sound like Donald Trump or Russ Limbaugh. You're a racist!!!!!!