Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Feeding Rusty Crayfish in Michigan?

Hi,
I was researching crayfish for my new pond in SW Michigan. I came across this article. It is ironic that this fellow traps Rusty crayfish in intermediate lake, a lake that my family has vacationed at for years and my wife vacationed at since she was little. Our kids always enjoy catching crayfish at night, but they are the smaller, very sandy colored variety (not sure exact ID) they don't appear rusty or blue and are not 'aggressive'.
I imagine I would NOT want these in my pond as they would overcompete for resources, but I'm curious this summer to try to trap some and see if they are good for live bait? I'm not sure I'm up for EATING them!
The article mentions putting chicken or ham in a minnow trap. It appears the trap is left on the bottom and in a little deeper water? The ham I have access to would be cooked ham, but i would of course have access to raw chicken or cooked chicken. Any other bait or experience out there?
Do people on this forum with smaller ponds in northern states have Rusty crayfish that found their way into the ponds? The article suggests that they probably are in every stream, river and pond? Are they a food source for larger predators such as YP, SMB, or HSB so that while they may be harmful in some ways, they might be kept in balance by larger predators?
My stocking plan for this spring right now is to be PATIENT and start out with some type of minnows only (FHM and possibly bluntnose or other minnows that 'get along' with FHM) I have thousands of snails already and would consider buying or trapping my own crayfish.
If we trap the 'native' crayfish from intermediate lake is it legal to take them home? (to eat, or to swim around in our pond before eating?) I may purchase some papershells as well. I assume the ban on transporting rusty crayfish is due to the fact that they are not native and displace native ecosystems?

Sorry, forgot the link:

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/mscms/fishing-articles/the-rusty-crayfish-a-culinary-delicacy/

Rusty crayfish are considered very invasive. They seem to take over areas from native crayfish. Different states have different laws about them.

Crayfish are easily trapped in cylinder type minnow traps. You need a bigger hole than minnow traps. You can get these traps cheap. They have been caught on all kinds of bait, but try fresh fish from that water, raw bacon, chicken livers.

Don't throw ur trap in the open. Put it under cover, like an undercut bank or fallen tree or logjam. You might be surprised how many you get.

Heck yes crayfish are great bait for bass and catfish.

Check your laws to be sure.

'fresh fish from that water' Do you mean live fish released to swim in that trap? Or recently caught but dead fish in that trap? Raw bacon should be pretty easy to come by

Should the bottom of the cylinder be pushed down in the sand so the opening which normally is half way up the trap is now level with the sandy bottom? I don't know how actively crayfish swim up off the bottom in search of the bait?

All the crayfish I've seen in the northern lakes would easily fit in the hole that is in the traps that are designed for minnows. Probably the southern crayfish are bigger?

Thanks for your help MSC

Whatever fish is in that particular water. I mean fresh dead cut fish. Trap placement is more important than bait. Crayfish will be looking for feed on the bottom. I use a small mesh bait box in the middle of the trap. But you can use onion bags. Never trapped in sand but it might be good to put the trap in the sand a little.

MSC, the hole on this glass minnow trap, do you think this hole is too small? The metal traps I think are a bit easier to enlarge the hole.

It is best to use the wire mesh minnow traps which allow bait scent to leach better out of the trap. You also can use dog or cat food for bait. Crays are agile enough to crawl all over a trap and will find a way in with food in the trap. And actually don't let the trap fish too long (>10-24hr) or the crays will pretty quickly find their way out of the trap. Some traps have been designed to minimize trap loss. Set traps in cover or structure for best catches.

Since the crays your kids catch are docile, I think the crays in Intermediate Lake are probably papershells or for sure the genus Orconectes that is the genus for papershells. Numerous other species are aggressive to handling. Make arrangements to send me one picked in isopropol alcohol and I will verify it.

There are only 6 reported species of crayfish in MI. It shouldn't be too difficult to figure out which specie or species you are collecting in the lake.
http://iz.carnegiemnh.org/crayfish/country_pages/state_pages/michigan.htm

Also pay close attention to the minnows that you catch in the trap from Intermediate Lk. Identify them because since they came from a lake they will likely spawn in the pond habitat and would be a good forage fish in your pond. Again it is likely these will be bluntnose minnows.

Sorry canyoncreek, forget that type trap.

Like Bill Cody says, get one like this. Here's one of mine.



Its about 31"x 9" with a 2 1/4" hole on both ends. Less than $20. You can't see it good but there is a small bait box made of hardware cloth in the middle. Stuff that full of bait.

Note if you can find the plain wire trap not rubber coated, the plain wire trap when painted drab colors (green black brown mix) will catch 2X-3X more fish than rubber coated traps when both are fished side by side. I have tried the metal traps with and without the extension. Without the extension always seems to catch more fish for me for some reason.

You know what Bill, You are right. I have one single galvanized Gee's minnow trap without the extension, it's at least 20 years old and real faded. When I go for minnows sometimes I throw out that one trap with 2 or 3 other black coated traps. It does seem to catch more minnows than the black traps. But its really visual both for the minnows and people who I don't want seeing my traps.

Thanks Bill also for the tips about painting the trap and size of the trap. Is there a water temp that I have to wait for if I want to get a start on it in the lakes/streams closer to home? Do crayfish stay active in early spring or do they require a warm up time?

Also if I find some minnows in the area BOW or streams should I be sorting OUT any unwanted types of minnows? I'm pretty sure from what I've learned here on the forums that all the minnows I've trapped from native lakes and streams have been similar.

I have trapped what appear to be juvenile bass, sunfish, bluegill and should be able to sort those out.

Also when the baitshot sells 'perch minnows' I assume they are bluntnose or flathead? Or is there no common agreement on what you are buying when they sell 'perch minnows'

Crayfish often become somewhat active when water temps get above 50F-55F same with most fish. Early caught female crays (pre mid April) will often have eggs attached. Temps of 60F+ are better for catching minnows because they (esp males)are pretty active in prespawn. All minnows always should be sorted, selecting only the desired species.

When one buys bait minnows, a lot of the species present depends where the fish came from farm or wild. Wild caught usually have more than one specie in each batch. Farm raised minnows/shiners are mostly a monoculture of one specie, however the contamination can be as high as 2 per 100 or often 1 per 500.

Bill, a few posts up you posted a link to the crayfish types in MI. That link seems to be dead, can you check no that link and update it for me?

Thanks

Try this good link to the crayfishes of Michigan. Note each current specie recognized or official name has under it a list of other synonym names (usually the old scientific names).

http://www.aquaticinsects.org/sp/Decapoda/sp_decapoda_mi.html