Crayfish = Crawdads?

[SuzukiChopper]

Been meaning to ask this for a while, but is a crayfish really the same as a crawdad (term WAY down south from me). Lobster looking things that seem to enjoy rock beds and shallow waters? The reason why I'm curious is because I know everyone down south enjoys their crawdads, and if they're as good as lobster like they say I'd enjoy them oooooh so much next to a nice fat walleye fillet. Fresh water critters with two big front claws and such.

If so I'm thinking I can hoist in about 2 dozen an hour if I had the right trap setup for them and even on a bad day of fishing that be some awesome eating.

I tend to anchor over some spots where I know there are jack, walleye and perch swimming by and I usually use a pickerel rig, but the bites I get seem to be crayfish more then anything. Pulled more of those to the surface then anything. Should I be trapping these things and tossing them into a bucket for an awesome meal after wards (or even on the boat), or should I be letting them swim? Should I be worried about contaminants and such or are they good to go? There's lots of crayfish up here but are they the same as the crawdads caught down south USA?

 

[roscoe]

Re: Crayfish = Crawdads?

Yes they are the same.
Can be cooked/seasoned many ways.

I know of a small lake here in northern Wisconsin where you can get 5 gallons of crayfish in a 2' x 2' x 2' trap, in about 3 hours.
The bigger the better. Some folks eat only the meat in the tails. Some folks eat the tail meat and the innards.

 

[JB]

Re: Crayfish = Crawdads?

Yup. Also known as crawfish. Yum!

 

[mthieme]

Re: Crayfish = Crawdads?

I'm not too partial to them, but they may not have been prepared right (?).
They're not very popular here in MD so I don't run across them too often.

 

[LadyFish]

Re: Crayfish = Crawdads?

I LOVE mudbugs, but they ain't no lobster.

And whether you call them crawfish, crayfish, crawdads or mudbugs. Here is how we do our Crawfish Boil.

The following recipe serves ten people (or two Cajuns)

Equipment Needed:
One Large Boiling Pot, Basket Insert and Lid
Outdoor Propane Cooker
Large Tub or Two Ice Chests

A 30 Quart Outdoor Cooker is ideal for boiling crawfish. It's really popular in these parts for cooking deep fried turkey.But it's equally at home at a Crawfish Boil. This versatile unit will cook about 10-15 lbs of crawfish per batch.

If you're cooking 30 lbs, just make a couple of batches. Or pick up a
60 lb Boiling Pot with Strainer Basket and a High Pressure Propane Burner

Ingredients Needed:
30 lbs of Live Crawfish (1 sack)
8 Small Onions
8 Small Potatoes
8 Ears of Corn
Fresh Garlic
Fresh Mushrooms
4 Lemons
3 lbs Cajun Seafood Boil (Tony Chachere's)
Six Pack of Cold Beer


Directions:
1. If you have not already done so, drink a cold beer.
2. After your beer, you would normally purge the crawfish. We use a pound of Morton salt. Just rinse out the crawfish with fresh water and boil. If you want, use the time you saved by not purging the crawfish to have another beer.
3. Drink another beer. Give one to a friend.
4. Fill the large pot half full with fresh water, place on outdoor propane cooker, and start the fire. Place the lid on the pot and bring water to a boil.
5. Add about 1/3 lb of Cajun seasoningl to water. Let the boiling water mix it well for a minute or so.
6. Time to drink another beer. Send sober friend to store for more beer.
7. Drop in the onions (halved), the potatoes and fresh garlic. Let this cook, keeping an eye on the potatoes. (Check for doneness by stabbing with a sharp knife or fork. If it goes in easy, it is cooked. Hint; Do not over cook potatoes, slightly under cook them because they will continue to steam and cook in ice chest. You don't want to end up with mashed potatoes.) When the potatoes are almost done, add the corn and mushrooms. After they have cooked, lower the fire on the burner and remove the basket. Place the vegetables in a small clean ice chest - don't close the lid - just place foil on top. Time to drink another beer.
8. Turn the heat up on the burner. Add more spice to the water. (About 1/2 lbs., save rest of spice for later.) Take the lemons (halved) and squeeze the juice in the water. Then add the lemons to the water. When the water comes to a boil place the crawfish into the basket and put the basket in the pot. (Be careful - it's very hot!) Put the lid on the pot and enjoy another beer.
9. When the water comes back to a boil - keep a very close eye on this part - let it boil for 4 minutes and turn off the fire. Let it soak for another 3 minutes and then remove. Kill the boil by adding cold water or ice, not much is needed maybe a gallon or so. Then let the crawfish soak. They will sink to the bottom and fill with spicy water (JUICES).
10. Get an old table and place old newspapers on top. Dump the basket of crawfish on top of the newspaper and sprinkle with leftover spice.
11. Dump the onions, potatoes, corn and garlic on top of the crawfish. Now it's time to really drink beer and eat. The vegetables are for those guests who cannot figure out how to peel the crawfish. At least they won't starve.

Tips:
1. To hold hot crawfish for a short time (1-2 hours), you can use a styrofoam ice chest. Most plastic chests will melt or warp.
2. Use leftover spice to experiment. You can always add more to the ice chest. Sprinkle it on, stir it up and let it steam in chest for 10 minutes. Then test again.

 

[mthieme]

Re: Crayfish = Crawdads?

Would it be acceptable to steam them like shrimp with seasoning (Old Bay) ?
gonna need to start slow

 

[LadyFish]

Re: Crayfish = Crawdads?

Not enough spice using Old Bay, honestly. You use a LOT of seasoning and Old Bay just dosen't have enough cayenne pepper and salt in it.

 

[aspeck]

Re: Crayfish = Crawdads?

Fresh water are good also ... have made them into a gumbo, just steamed them like shrimp, and even did a spaghetti sauce with them ... they ain't lobster, but when you are 400 miles away from the coast, they will do just fine!

 

[DJ]

Re: Crayfish = Crawdads?

I learned to love them when I lived in Louisiana.

I transferred that love to Minnesota. I used to catch and eat them there, all the time.

My freinds and neighbors thought I was insane. Just more for me!

 

[wildmaninal]

Re: Crayfish = Crawdads?

I use to catch and play around with them when I was a kid. We use to have crawfish fights. I recall my cousins boiling up a bunch of them, they tasted pretty good. I've have ate them maybe 2 times in my life. We have 2 creeks running through our land, both eventually run down to our famous Naccalula falls, and both are loaded with crawfish.

 

[QC]

Re: Crayfish = Crawdads?

I LOVE mudbugs, but they ain't no lobster.

Yeah I totally agree with you although I have started eating them when in Houston. Like you said they need more spice because they are basically pretty bland.

Funny thing is in Australia . . . Crayfish = Lobster or they simply call them Crays or Bugs . . . I don't think they know what a Crawdad is. And they also have these things they call a Morton Bay Bug which we call a Slipper Lobster.

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: Crayfish = Crawdads?

If you're gonna eat mudbugs, you gotta burl them da right way, cher! Use your T. Chachere's or Zatarains an spice em up! Put dem on da table like LF said (BTW, you a Trosclair or a Meaux, cher? ) and start ta pinchin da tails and suckin da heads! Eye-eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Where's my Boudin an Abita beers?

 

[SuzukiChopper]

Re: Crayfish = Crawdads?

If you're gonna eat mudbugs, you gotta burl them da right way, cher! Use your T. Chachere's or Zatarains an spice em up! Put dem on da table like LF said (BTW, you a Trosclair or a Meaux, cher? ) and start ta pinchin da tails and suckin da heads! Eye-eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Where's my Boudin an Abita beers?

lol I read...

blah blah blah

Where's my ... beers?

Just pokin'


Thanks for all the responses, now I can't wait to catch some of these critters. I wonder if they're just as active in the winter as in summer? Would be neat making a net to drop down an ice fishing hole while ice fishing. Yummy ice snacks!

 

[waterinthefuel]

Re: Crayfish = Crawdads?

Fresh water are good also ... have made them into a gumbo, just steamed them like shrimp, and even did a spaghetti sauce with them ... they ain't lobster, but when you are 400 miles away from the coast, they will do just fine!

Good thing, because lobster don't have nearly the flavor of a crawfish.

 

[Benny1963]

Re: Crayfish = Crawdads?

thats rifgt wtf ,luv the mudbugs and lady fish has it right ,
you have to drink a lot of beer to boil them,

 

[External Combustion]

Re: Crayfish = Crawdads?

Purging them is the secret of of not having them taste muddy. Put them in some salt water for ten minutes. They get sick and turn loose (puke) the mud out. The flavor is much better then to my way of thinking. Here in the Nations most call them crawdads.

 

[fdmsiv]

Re: Crayfish = Crawdads?

I have been eating crawfish all my life and I keep finding new things to add to the boil. I would like to add the following:

1. Get some turkey necks and put them at the bottom of the pot (under the basket with the crawfish). Put them in before the crawfish and take em out at the very end.

2. Pineapple is amazing when it has been cooked with the crawfish. Just take off the skin and cut it into large pieces.

3. Keep on tasting them as you cook them, once the tails get firm cut the fire and add ice to the boil and let em soak for 10 ~ 30 mins. The ice stops the cooking and lets the spices and flavor get into em.

4. LF has given some great directions, but 1 sack of crawfish and only a 6 pack? I would usually go a case or two, maybe even a pony.

I think the most important ingredient is friends and family. Having a boil is an afternoon activity that all ages will enjoy and remeber.

 

[ehenry]

Re: Crayfish = Crawdads?

Ditch Crickets are fine no matter what or whos recipe you use.....I'll take em any way I can get em.

 

[rogerwa]

Re: Crayfish = Crawdads?

I hate to ask but what does purge the crawdads mean? If it is what I think it is, I'll have a steak.

 

[SuzukiChopper]

Re: Crayfish = Crawdads?

I hate to ask but what does purge the crawdads mean? If it is what I think it is, I'll have a steak.

Along the same lines as what chefs do to clams. Soak 'em in oatmeal to "purge" them and help open the shells.