Where to buy live crayfish?

I have a large 180 gallon glass fish tank that I want to get rid of since I'm moving, but because it's glass I haven't been able to find anyone interested in buying it.

I was thinking about putting in some live crayfish and breeding them and just using them for bait on fishing trips. I have a lot of experience breeding rare freshwater shrimp so I'm sure it won't be an issue breeding crayfish, but haven't been able to find any to buy.

Anyone have any suggestions on where to buy live ones without having them shipped?

I could be wrong but you might want to look into the legalities of using live crayfish to fish local lakes, many don't allow live bait other than worms or night crawlers. The fine might be more than the worth of any bass or catfish you might catch.

when we need crawdads for catfishing we catch them.
use a piece of bacon tied to a string
place in front of crawdad
they should grab hold & not let go to easy.
don't know where you would go in your area tho!
good luck!
could try a seafood place, see if they sell them live!?

I checked the DFG website and they did have a section under crayfish, but it only covered catching them and didn't have anything included about being able to fish with them or not. I'll keep looking for some feedback.

I used to catch them all the time at this park in LA, but it would be 1-2 a day if that. Not a lot of them. Since my tank is 180 gallon I was hoping to stock it with at least 50 and just take 5-6 with me fishing at a time that way they can breed and I'll always have them available when I need them.

i think if u catch crawdads u have to use them out of the lake u got them out of i dont think you can catch them and bring them to other lakes but most lakes let u use crawdads there not really considered live bait

So if I put a trap out caught 20 I couldn't fish with them that day, but couldn't take them home and bring them back to the lake to use them as bait?

Ok I finally decided to just call and after being transferred a few times I finally got someone in the enforcement section.

He said there is no limit on their take and no restrictions on using them AT ALL in the southern district. There are some regulations on catching them as you can only use a trap under 3', but the good thing is you can use as many traps as you want.

He said you can't take "FIN FISH" from one area and put it in another and crayfish don't fall under that restriction.

Their is however some area's in the Northern district that don't allow the use of crayfish.

(c) Crayfish shall not be used for bait in the Pit River and all tributaries between Pit 3 Dam (Lake Britton) and the Fall River-Cassel Road Bridge at Fall River Mills, California (includes Hat Creek and Fall River and their tributaries).

Now all I need is a source to get my patio pond going!

I have the entire regulations printed out. I could research the correct answer on this but you have to say please.

Well...never mind I guess

Hey thank for the offer. Once I got to the enforcement area he showed me where to download the pdf and from their all I had to do was search for "crayfish" and found the info on page 16.

You wouldn't happen to know a lake where I could catch a bunch of them by chance? PLEASE

Just remember one bait one lake you don't wanna bring in disease or something your best best would be to get some out of a tackle shop there is one in perris that sells them I don't belive you can gather crawdad at one lake and take them to another and fish the water could be infected with quagga to you don't wanna tranfer that around

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HEADCASE881 wrote:Just remember one bait one lake you don't wanna bring in disease or something your best best would be to get some out of a tackle shop there is one in perris that sells them I don't belive you can gather crawdad at one lake and take them to another and fish the water could be infected with quagga to you don't wanna tranfer that around

Well according to the DFG regs and enforcement officers I can buy, catch, transport, breed crayfish without any concearn as to taking them from one lake and putting them in another. He said the guys that sell them at the tackle shops do just that. They simply go out catch them hold em in a tank and sell them. That restriction is ONLY with fin fish. Plus I don't think a mussel could be transferred by way of crayfish, but i'll look into it just to be sure.

Hey guys,
This is one of those regulatory loopholes that the DFG seems to not have a clear perspective on considering the strict controls they have on fin fish. Unless crawdads do not pose the same threat as fin fish for transport and infection of alien species that fin fish do then I suppose the present rules are fine. But it seems counterintuitive to assume so if for no other reason than that to keep them alive for transport you must transport water from place to place. I believe the problem here is not necessarily the crawdads but what they are sitting in. Isn't that the reason for the present boat inspections for the quagga mussel ? Hmmm...
In the past I used to be able to buy live crawdads from a number of different tackle stores and bait shops. But most of them have stopped selling the little monsters. I am not sure why. Perhaps they are just not as popular as they used to be. I know they are a pain in the butt to keep. We used to have a large tank at the tackle store I worked at and man what a lot of work they were. The ones we used to sell were from Louisiana.
I know of a few places in Ventura county where they can be caught in numbers quite easily.

bodfish

I don't belive that's correct look at the web site and look under bait to be used they are to only be used in the lake they where caught in there is a specific place in the regs that state that and u better check with a the lake u want to use them in I know perris you are only alowed to catch them there to use them there or have bought them at a bait shop. Just think about it if they want dry live wells why are they gonna let use bring in random water with your bait in it. Its simple ideas like this are just gonna bring strict rules on us all when they find out some ones bait bag has quagga or disease common sense fellas


Just looked at the siite and it does state that only fish have to be caught and used in the same lakes but I know perris has its own rulse and many other lakes might to I just personally see it as a bad idea and a easy way to be fined or kicked off a lake for the day for haveing unknown water

I was going to add that alot of the private lakes like Irvine, Laguna Niguel and others probably have their own live bait regulations besides what DFG has. I have seen guys at Irvine using live Salamanders or Mud Puppies as bait even had one crawl out next to me on shore with a "please save me" look on his face.

Might want to try some of the bigger fresh water aquarium shops they probably have them or can tell you a good source.

Sounds like way too much work to me to have live bait when you can catch it for free or pay few bucks at the bait shop to have them.

the only fish tank thats going to be in my house is my salt water tank, just IMO.

LGHT wrote:...

Now all I need is a source to get my patio pond going!

LOL...whenever I want bait, I go Vietnamese.

You can either hit up any 99 Ranch and see if they have live crawdads (don't let them cook them before you check out) in the back, or you can see if this place that's off the 22 fwy still sells live crawdads. Can't remember it's exact location but on the north side, they used to have a sign that said "Live Crawdads"

There's also a place the sells fried crawdads on Beach Blvd, just north of the 405 on the right side...kinda hidden but it's in the same parking lot as the Vietnamese supermarket, but in a separate building that's right on the near corner of the parking lot. Can't remember the name of the cross street but it's definitely before Bolsa, in the same area as where the Howard's TV used to be. There's a donut shop on another side of the same building, if I remember correctly. I'm sure, if you talk to the owner that you could buy some of the unfried ones.

LOL, you can just go to almost any pond and catch crawdads...I used to amuse myself by dangling power worms in front of them...they latch on, and if you lift and grab quickly and have a tub ready, you have bait

Crawdad traps are easy...they come out at night but you don't have to wait for night...and don't wait too long to check your trap.

Good luck, and have fun.

miller wrote:Sounds like way too much work to me to have live bait when you can catch it for free or pay few bucks at the bait shop to have them.

the only fish tank thats going to be in my house is my salt water tank, just IMO.

You're assuming that every bait shop has them?

Actually, not many do unless it's a big bass fishing area.

HEADCASE881 wrote:I don't belive that's correct look at the web site and look under bait to be used they are to only be used in the lake they where caught in there is a specific place in the regs that state that and u better check with a the lake u want to use them in

That's what I thought too, but I couldn't find anything on the website so I called. The DFG enforcement officer knew exactly what I was talking about and he gets called all the time about it. He showed me where to download the regs and gave me page 16 that shows exactly as state crawfish are fine and finfish are not. Then 2 pages later there are 2-3 areas that don't allow fishing with them and that's it.

You have to think about it. If tackle shops allow you to buy them and use them in any lake you want how is that any different than you doing the same thing? I wouldn't have believed it online either that's why I called personally.

miller wrote:Sounds like way too much work to me to have live bait when you can catch it for free or pay few bucks at the bait shop to have them.

the only fish tank thats going to be in my house is my salt water tank, just IMO.

I totally agree, but I already have a 180 gallon tank setup and running and don't have room for it in the new place so i'm just going to set it up on the patio and drop them in.

I know a LOT about breeding shrimp as I was one of the first Crystal Red Shrimp CRS breeders in California and those little things are almost impossible to keep alive and breed. However my best shrimp sold for $250 by itself and over the span of 10 years I made a LOT of money breeding and selling them to collectors.

NulodPBall wrote:

LOL...whenever I want bait, I go Vietnamese.

You can either hit up any 99 Ranch and see if they have live crawdads (don't let them cook them before you check out) in the back, or you can see if this place that's off the 22 fwy still sells live crawdads. Can't remember it's exact location but on the north side, they used to have a sign that said "Live Crawdads"

Thanks for the tips I'm gonna have to do my research and see what variety is easiest to keep and breed.

that shrimp on your pic one of those red shrimp

Yeah that was one of the better looking ones, but not the best.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] this has what im talking about its states in perenthesies (bait shop craw fish only)