Crawdad,...Mudbug,...Crayfish..whatever you call them...how-to?

[liljohn]

I trap Crawdads for Bass fishing, and can get three FULL 5gal. buckets at a time.
I have been giving them away, as I don't have a state bait selling license.

I have eaten them down south before but do not know how to do the prep. for eating.
All I can find out is to let them flush themselves out for a day in fresh water, (that you change every two hours) or they taste muddy.

Are there any tricks for fixing these lil' mini-lobsters?

[prairiedog555]

I am not an expert, but when I lived in Louisiana I attended many boils, and have my own boiling set up.  So, you purge them with salt water first.  Then you get some Zatarains Crab Boil mix.  Use both the powder and the liquid both.  Or some use Old Bay, (not as good)
Then get a big pot and heat it up to boiling with a lot of salt.  You add your crab boil mix and then add anything that sounds good to you along with the Craw fish.
Onions, potatoes, sausage, mushroom's, carrots, other fish (in a onion sack so as not to fall apart. ect.
It is one of the best meals I have ever had, and I have been around.
There is a science to making sure they are done.  You don't want overdone, but if underdone just put back in.
If you have any questions just ask.

[Swampman]

http://www.greatcajuncooking.com/tips/crawfishboil.php

[liljohn]

Thanks for the help!

I can't find anything on cleaning them after cooking, and then freezing them.
I tried and they come out mushy, and are only good for ice fishing bait chunks.

[kiddekop]

In the Sierra Mtn Lakes of Calif  such as June,Silver,Gull,etc there are Tahoe Blue Crayfish(Crustaceans) that are  7  inches long with a blue spot on each cheliped (pincher) but one needs a trap with a wide opening bait used is cat or dog food .When our children were young we used to camp at the Indian Scotty Campground in the Klamath NF alongside of the Scott River and our kids would scuba for crayfish which a local inn owner would pay them a penny for each one,they harvested a pail full & then the inn owner boiled them and we washed them down with some dynamite martinis!

[SuperstitionCoues]

When I was a kid on scouting campouts and we had caught a mess, an old Southern boy named Mr. Lowe showed us how to clean 'em and cook 'em.  He simply built a wood fire, put a pot on to boil water, and cooked them like you would shrimp or lobster.  Man were they good with some butter and fried trout!