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#18196 04/02/04 10:58 PM
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I would like to establish crawfish in my pond. What type of crawfish would work best for a pond in the middle georgia area. I also thought about fencing off my bass until the crawfish are established in a certain rocky area of my pond so I would also like to know how often they reproduce and if there is any way I can feed them to help them prosper.

#18197 04/03/04 10:56 AM
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Crayfish are an amazingly diverse group. There are about 400 species of crayfish in NA alone. There are many species that won't do well in a pond, because of diffrences in habitat and fish predation. Some crayfish need moving water, others need mud to burrow in and some only live in caves.
http://crayfish.byu.edu/photo.htm
this is a great website, lots of pics and info.

If I were you I would do one of two things.
A. Find a supplier of crayfish, who knows which type of crayfish they have, and then double check the habitat preferences for that species. If they match your pond get as many as you want.

B. Find a natrual body of water that closely matches your pond in substrate, depth and fish. And then trap as many crayfish from there as you want. Don't worry about getting all of one species, diffrent crayfish will use diffrent parts of your pond.

On fencing and feeding...
I would introduce the crayfish into your pond at night near or in cover. I have heard of using chunked up bales of straw to cover crayfish. If you put them in deep enough water the racoons will never have a chance.
Crayfish reproduce at least once a year and have many offspring, because they have short life spans (just a couple years) they need to have a high reproductive rate.
Crayfish eat anything they can tear into small enough chunks to eat. This includes vegatation, fish, and each other. At my job we have a crayfish tank that also is used to store feeder fish, ussally small chubs from the bait shop. The crayfish will catch them by the tail and start eating.
One word of caution, do not stock Rusty Crayfish in your pond. They are an invasive species from the southern Ohio area. There is a thread on it.

If you stock enough of a suitibale species of crayfish you should get a good population going with out any extra work.

#18198 04/12/04 02:58 PM
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Anyone know how to find vendors of crayfish? In Iowa??? Been searching the web for a while, and just can't seem to find the right combination of words, either that or they don't exist...

New pond finished last fall, and looking to get a population started...

Matt Clark


In a lifetime, the average driver will honk 15,250 times. My wife figures I'm due to die any day now...



#18199 04/12/04 03:36 PM
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Bacon Creek General Store - Sioux City, Iowa retail
2. Fin & Feather - Iowa City, Iowa retail
3. Fishmans Bait Shop - Sioux City, Iowa retail
4. Folsom Bait Shop - Mason City, Iowa retail
5. Funcrest DX and Bait Shop - Iowa City, Iowa retail
6. Hunt Iowa Inc - Pella, Iowa retail
7. Iowa Outdoors - Waterloo, Iowa retail
8. Iowa Wholesale Bait - Johnston, Iowa retail
9. Jeffs Bait & Tackle - Mason City, Iowa retail
10. Polk City Bait & Tackle - Polk City, Iowa retail
11. Tailfeathers Gun & Bow - Mason City, Iowa retail
12. Toms Tackle - Forest City, Iowa retail
13. Wapsi Sporting Goods - Central City, Iowa retail
14. Apex Fishing Tackle - Sioux City , Iowa retail
15. Jacks Rod & Reel Repair & Bait Shop - Sioux City , Iowa retail
16. Jolly Ann Marine & Outdoor - Sioux City, Iowa retail

Not sure about Crawfish specifically, but one of these bait dealers should know an Iowa source.
^Top

#18200 04/12/04 06:52 PM
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I bought 20 lbs. of live, eating size crawdads from the grocery store last Tuesday or Wednesday. I was going to teach 3 and 5 year old Grandkids about bacon on a string. Went to the pond Friday and the coons had had a feast.
I took the mudbugs to the small pond on ice and waited until they were thawed and ready to fight before I put them in the edge of the water. Don't know what happened but, in an hour, nothing messed with my bacon. They seemed OK but???????

#18201 04/12/04 07:00 PM
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Just because a local bait shop sells crayfish doesn't mean that they are a local or native species. There are states that are really cracking down on these non-native species for good reason. Zebra mussels readily attach themselves to crayfish and thus can be spread all over by fishermen.


Norm Kopecky
#18202 04/13/04 09:04 AM
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Dave - I bought 100 lbs. of crawfish last year at Caddo Creek Crawfish Farm in East Tx. 1-903-876-4123 and was told to not let their gills dry out . How did you transport your dads to prevent this ? . I used igloo ice coolers , got them to my pond , but they did not want to stay in the water . They didn't want to move much but when they did move they came out onto the shore , they kept me and my brother -in - law busy putting them back in the water . that nite the coons had a feast , don't think a single one survived . was this your experience to ? . Has anyone had a similar experience . Would like to have Crawfish but don't know if i want to go to the trouble , expense , and long drive to just have disaster again . Any suggestions out there . Harvey

#18203 04/13/04 10:11 AM
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i often read that they do good in some ponds and others can't get them started.in louisiana there every were.they are great for food for your bass.i would think that if you have them in your part of the country they would take to your pond very well.if not in your state,not sure.as far as what they eat?they eat anything(waste from other fish,bugs,etc.)just throw them in the pond they will lay eggs like crazy,they carry there eggs under there tail.they would rather have a soft bottom to live in,muddy water and will hide under anything in your pond.they will live in water from 2" to 6'deep.

#18204 04/13/04 06:27 PM
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I bought some live crawfish last year. The were the Red Swamp Variety.

https://www.lacrawfish.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=LC

#18205 04/13/04 08:39 PM
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There is a crayfish for every type of standing water. Some need mud to burrow in and others need rocks to hide under. They occure accross the entire globe and no state or natrual body of water is with out them. Make sure you have something for them to hide under, someone mentioned bales of straw, and definetly keep them wet. Thier gills are inside thier shell so they can trap water in thier gills and live out of water for a while, but if they get to dry thats the end of them.

#18206 04/14/04 10:29 AM
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Harvey, I assume they came to the bank after dark and commited suicide by coon. I transported them from Fort Worth to Bowie, 70 miles, on ice, and dumped them out. I didn't put them into the water until they were thawed enough to want to fight. Some went into the water by themself and others I had to encourage. I left after an hour and none were in sight at edge. Two days later it looks like as massacre. These were large, bright red which is meaningless to me. I may try it again but will be more comfortable if I can seine some locally.

#18207 04/14/04 12:48 PM
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Anyone happen to know what type of habitat the red swamp variety require?


Take great care of it, or let someone else have it.
#18208 04/14/04 08:15 PM
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My guess is a swamplike habitat. :rolleyes: \:\)

#18209 04/14/04 08:25 PM
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Don't seine them, they will hug to tight to the bottom to get with the seine. Just buy a crayfish trap and bait it with some scraps of meat. The traps are around $10 bucks and less effort than seining. Also, try transporting them in water. I think you can also keep them under wet burlap or spanish moss.

#18210 04/15/04 08:43 PM
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Now Dudley, be nice.

#18211 04/16/04 09:17 AM
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tyw33,you do not have to worry about trasporating problems with crawfish,trust me on this one,you can keep them out of water for a long time with temp's we are having.in the heat of summer you can leave them out of water for several hours,before getting into problem.however,if you do leave them out in the heat(above85) of day just splash some water on them ever hour are so and you can keep them alive for days.

#18212 04/16/04 08:12 PM
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Dumb ol' me! Looks like I was the only fish to munch on that bait. If the question had been "what habitat do mountain goats prefer", I'd probably have hit that one as well. Nice joke, JB!

#18213 04/16/04 09:35 PM
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Yes, a gold star for Dudley. Most observant.
I can't say I didn't ask for that one. What would life be like if I never got a chance to laugh at myself from time to time? I suppose I should have been a little more clear with my question. I did infer from their name that the red swamp variety might prefer it shallow, muddy, and weedy. But I was wondering if anybody had any specific information regarding thier prefered depth, bottom type, cover, diet, temperature range, spawning reqirements, etc, that would help determine whether or not they would be a suitable species for stocking.
Thank you
-Scott


Take great care of it, or let someone else have it.
#18214 04/24/04 01:41 PM
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Scott,
Busy as ever here. I have been stocking the red swamp variety for the last two months. I'm not sure of the prefernces of habitat vs. other species. I just know they were readily avail. I will let you know next year how they did. I'm selling them for $2.50/lb and making decent money and I get them stragiht out of LA every fri. First post in awhile I hope all is well in Pond BOss land.


Greg Grimes
www.lakework.com
#18215 04/25/04 10:10 AM
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thanks for the info greg. we are anxious to see how your bugs do. good to hear from you again. jb and scott.


Take great care of it, or let someone else have it.

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