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Message
Crawfish Theoretics (Round 2)
Posted on 2/10/16 at 11:46 am
Posted on 2/10/16 at 11:46 am
Some of you may remember my failed attempt to seed crawfish in a shallow farm pond 2 years ago. I let the cycle run and only managed to catch a few. I chalked it up to poor water quality, and an excess of cow poo and piss.
Moving on...
Last February, we cleared a 2 acre hole in a low spot that traditionally held a little bit of water. Maybe 10' wide by 60' long and averaging 4" deep. It always had a few crawfish holes around it, but again it was so small and shallow I never messed with it.
Flash forward 1 year, and after clearing trees and brush, scratching it out a little, and stopping up the drainage ditch, it now floods about 1.5 acres (roughly 60,000+ sq. feet) and averages 18" deep. There are no cows on the property, and with each rain the pond flushes itself. It's stays very clear.
So here we go again... So far, no crawfish have been seeded or introduced.
The last weekend of duck season, I set 4 traps Sat. morning about 10 am after my hunt.
It got cold that night. Like 26 degrees, freezing the water cold. You can see a trap in the back along the edge to the left of the wood duck box. This pic only represents 1/25th of the whole pond. It's got good size, plenty enough to run 40-50 well spaced traps.
So I wake up Sunday morning to find my traps in ice water and I think there is no way I'm catching anything...
Much to my surprise, 4 traps baited with BAR S wieners caught 11.
So as to the theoretics, here's my hypothesis. I think these are the few who were originally living in the small low spot. They appear to be a quality strain of crawfish as opposed to a white ditch crawfish.
Should I fish it this spring?
Have they done the seeding this past fall and winter? (A few small ones did rattle out of the traps when pulled)
Should I seed additional crawfish for new genetics?
Will the increase in water area be too much for the available breeding age specimens to populate to a correct population density?
How good of a sign is it to catch that many on a freezing night?
History of the hole is 1995-Feb. 2015 it was a small overgrown wet spot
Feb. 2015 it was cleared and filled up rapidly.
Drained it June of 2015
Stopped it up again Oct. 2015
It still sits full today, but will be drained in the next couple of months.
Moving on...
Last February, we cleared a 2 acre hole in a low spot that traditionally held a little bit of water. Maybe 10' wide by 60' long and averaging 4" deep. It always had a few crawfish holes around it, but again it was so small and shallow I never messed with it.
Flash forward 1 year, and after clearing trees and brush, scratching it out a little, and stopping up the drainage ditch, it now floods about 1.5 acres (roughly 60,000+ sq. feet) and averages 18" deep. There are no cows on the property, and with each rain the pond flushes itself. It's stays very clear.
So here we go again... So far, no crawfish have been seeded or introduced.
The last weekend of duck season, I set 4 traps Sat. morning about 10 am after my hunt.
It got cold that night. Like 26 degrees, freezing the water cold. You can see a trap in the back along the edge to the left of the wood duck box. This pic only represents 1/25th of the whole pond. It's got good size, plenty enough to run 40-50 well spaced traps.
So I wake up Sunday morning to find my traps in ice water and I think there is no way I'm catching anything...
Much to my surprise, 4 traps baited with BAR S wieners caught 11.
So as to the theoretics, here's my hypothesis. I think these are the few who were originally living in the small low spot. They appear to be a quality strain of crawfish as opposed to a white ditch crawfish.
Should I fish it this spring?
Have they done the seeding this past fall and winter? (A few small ones did rattle out of the traps when pulled)
Should I seed additional crawfish for new genetics?
Will the increase in water area be too much for the available breeding age specimens to populate to a correct population density?
How good of a sign is it to catch that many on a freezing night?
History of the hole is 1995-Feb. 2015 it was a small overgrown wet spot
Feb. 2015 it was cleared and filled up rapidly.
Drained it June of 2015
Stopped it up again Oct. 2015
It still sits full today, but will be drained in the next couple of months.
7
Posted on 2/10/16 at 11:51 am to Clyde Tipton
Thing to remember about seeding is once they burry let the water out of your pond
Posted on 2/10/16 at 11:55 am to Clyde Tipton
Either bait a craw trap with dog shite or shite in one yourself and report back with the results. Dead serious, you're mind will be blown.
Posted on 2/10/16 at 11:59 am to Clyde Tipton
I don't know how important seeding is when crawfish are already present. I was talking to someone this weekend who is just getting into it, he has 50 acres in crawfish, last year was his first year to fish it. He said that he harvested over 1k lbs per acre off of it last year. This year is a little slower, but it's still early.
Anyways, he was telling me that if you monocrop (only crawfish, no rice) that the size will drop every year because of overpopulation. I was surprised to hear that. Apparently every few years you drain it and start over. I know there are other people on here who have a lot of experience with crawfish, they can probably shine more light on it, but I don't know if seeding is necessary.
Anyways, he was telling me that if you monocrop (only crawfish, no rice) that the size will drop every year because of overpopulation. I was surprised to hear that. Apparently every few years you drain it and start over. I know there are other people on here who have a lot of experience with crawfish, they can probably shine more light on it, but I don't know if seeding is necessary.
Posted on 2/10/16 at 12:13 pm to DownSouthDave
The seeding is the main question. I know one female can have hundreds and even thousands of babies.
That said, this pond just went from 600 sq feet 4" deep to 60,000 sq. feet 18" deep. Will they catch up this year, or should it sit idle another year to give them more time to populate.
That said, this pond just went from 600 sq feet 4" deep to 60,000 sq. feet 18" deep. Will they catch up this year, or should it sit idle another year to give them more time to populate.
Posted on 2/10/16 at 12:14 pm to Clyde Tipton
That is more crawfish that Bossier has caught in 7 years setting traps, combined. 
Posted on 2/10/16 at 12:18 pm to Clyde Tipton
i know this is off-topic, but were there any ducks on it this season?
Posted on 2/10/16 at 12:21 pm to Clyde Tipton
are you an ex oil field worker getting into the crawfish business driving prices through the roof?
This post was edited on 2/10/16 at 12:23 pm
Posted on 2/10/16 at 12:30 pm to Clyde Tipton
I really don't know.
Throw a sack in there, it'll make you sleep better.
Throw a sack in there, it'll make you sleep better.
Posted on 2/10/16 at 12:32 pm to Bossier2323
quote:I spit my lunch out reading this.
bait a craw trap with dog shite or shite in one yourself
Posted on 2/10/16 at 12:35 pm to gorillacoco
Ducks were the main reason for the pond build.
Kind of disappointing, I only killed 3 wood ducks and a merganser over 12 or so hunts. That said, it was the first year it's been open in the last 2 decades, and never as big and deep. We used to pass shoot a few wood ducks over the old low spot in the 90's when the acreage was last clear cut.
Kind of disappointing, I only killed 3 wood ducks and a merganser over 12 or so hunts. That said, it was the first year it's been open in the last 2 decades, and never as big and deep. We used to pass shoot a few wood ducks over the old low spot in the 90's when the acreage was last clear cut.
Posted on 2/10/16 at 12:37 pm to Crawdaddy
quote:
are you an ex oil field worker getting into the crawfish business driving prices through the roof?
The opposite, lucky to still be employed, and trying to save money on crawfish.
Posted on 2/10/16 at 1:13 pm to Clyde Tipton
This was a shite year. Plant some good stuff during the offseason and don't give up yet. I'm jealous you're actually doing that shite. It's a long term goal of mine.
Posted on 2/10/16 at 1:57 pm to Clyde Tipton
Fish it this year then when you are done, kill the pond and start over.
Posted on 2/10/16 at 2:05 pm to 34venture
quote:
Fish it this year then when you are done, kill the pond and start over.
That's not a bad take and allows me to continue the "survey" process. It could take off, if catching the few I did in January was a true indication. If it's shitty, I kill them all off and start over. I think it's a decent sign that those specific type of crawfish were already present though.
With the other options I miss a year. If I seed it, I won't fish it.
If I leave them be, I won't fish it.
Posted on 2/10/16 at 2:10 pm to Clyde Tipton
Certainly looks like you already have swamp reds, so I would not worry about seeding unless you wanted a mix of white rivers.
Posted on 2/10/16 at 3:12 pm to AlxTgr
quote:
I would not worry about seeding unless you wanted a mix of white rivers
Do most people seed with whites?
Posted on 2/10/16 at 3:15 pm to Clyde Tipton
Are you relying on rain or do you have a pump that you can fill it with?
Also if you don't have anything planted in there put out a couple of round bails, it gives them another food source.
Also if you don't have anything planted in there put out a couple of round bails, it gives them another food source.
Posted on 2/10/16 at 3:16 pm to gorillacoco
Food Source?
Posted on 2/10/16 at 3:28 pm to 34venture
quote:
Are you relying on rain or do you have a pump that you can fill it with?
Just rain. Although it drains a big area and it only takes 1 or 2 good ones to fill it.
It's actually harder to get it dry. The last time the property was clear cut they dug a ditch from the lowest end back towards a creek. Unfortunately, it still stayed wet in the winter as there wasn't enough slope to the ditch. When we stopped the ditch up it sits much higher in front, but water stays on the back side of the ditch as well, just lower.
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