Trapping and Cooking Invasive Red Swamp Crayfish in the Pacific Northwest

Join me as I take a road trip to a new location to try trapping a different species of crayfish. These are red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii), which are invasive here in Oregon. They tend to inhabit warmer, still waters, not the faster-flowing streams I usually go to for trapping native signal crayfish. Red swamp crayfish are also purported to be delicious, so I was excited to have the chance to try trapping them! Despite the occasional rain it turned out to be a great day to try this new location and I ended up with a decent amount of crayfish. I hope you enjoy the video!
If you're wondering where I got my traps, I ordered them from:
www.trapperarne.com
Please note that I am not affiliated in any way with this site, but I have purchased from them a few times and they were very good. They also have some great information about crayfishing on their site. I hope that helps. Good luck!

[@ZiggityPow]

If you are ever up in Washington, we have no limit on non-native crayfish species. Limit of 10lbs of Signal. No shellfish license is required. If you have a WA shellfish license for our clams (except razor, separate license) covers squid. If you have any interest in that, let me know and I'd be happy to share everything I know and give you some jigs to get you started.

[@WesternEclectic]

Thanks Kyle! If I make it up your way one of these days I will take you up on that--I'd love to try for squid! And yeah, I was a bit surprised that the same 100/day limit on native signal crayfish here in Oregon also applies to invasive species like red swamp crayfish, but I checked with the ODFW and yes, it seems that's the law. Anyhow, thanks again for the offer to provide some guidance if I make it up to WA; that's very kind of you! -Michael

[@ZiggityPow]

Still having luck crayfishing or is the season ending? Squid fishing is starting to heat up in the sound it looks like. I don't live that far north and haven't been out myself. Dropped some pots near Tualatin the other day and pulled out some monster Signals though! Out geocaching today. (And copying your style... watch of the day is a Benarus Moray 44 Dart on a CUDA Isofrane style and carrying a ZT 0456)

[@dabigrikishi]

@@ZiggityPow I live in the Seattle area and have been thinking about crayfishing for years! Are there any criteria you use to decide which stream, river, creek, pond, or lake to go to? We just booked a place by Mt. Adams and there are a few creeks and ponds nearby the campsite I want to finally try crayfishing it but I'm not sure they'll have any in them. Thanks in advance for your response.

[@ZiggityPow]

@@dabigrikishi I haven't been doing this long so my advice won't be great. I look for rivers with rocks and cover. I look where salmon are traveling to spawn since the dead salmon are a food source for the mudbugs. I've also looked for any research fish and wildlife departments done. I found some spots in Oregon that way. I found a really interesting research study of crayfish in Crater Lake and it was amazing how deep they were living. You just have to get out there and drop pots though. 10 yards has made a large difference with a pot coming up empty and 10 yards away having several huge Signals. That variance could be due to different bait. Next time I am out I'm going to start recording what flavor cat food I am using and the results. If I have enough to come to any conclusion I'll comment... or maybe I'll eventually throw up some YT videos of my own.

[@dabigrikishi]

@@ZiggityPow I'll be camping near Mt Adams next month looks like there's a fishery/hatchery nearby, so I'll probably give it a shot there. I've seen videos where folks threw their traps in shallow river water and caught some, so I guess it'll have to be some trial and error on this trip.

[@RedclawCrawfish]

I’m currently breeding Red Swamp , Redclaw and soon signal crawfish (if I can find someone to send me some I’ll pay!) I’m indoor farming them in home built tanks and getting great results.

[@deancarver6899]

Definitely stay away from the cat food and get some oily meat such as herring or trout and watch catch numbers skyrocket

[@WesternEclectic]

Thanks for the suggestion, and maybe this summer I'll head back to that same pond and try cat food in half the traps and oily fish in the others (that could be a fun comparison video to make!). But I hate to spend much money on fish just for bait. If I bought salmon, for example, I'd rather just stay home and eat it myself, haha. Maybe if I catch some trout I could just fillet them and use the rest for bait.... Would that work? Any other suggestions?

[@markhouser7247]

Make a horseradish mayo and ketchup dip then yer eatin Louisiana style! Garlic n butter aint bad either!

[@markhouser7247]

They 10 bucs a lb down here boiled add new potatoes too smaller taters are best

[@ThomasDillon-z6u]

Red crayfish are migrating to Minnesota by way of the Mississippi River drainage system. They do not tolerate cold weather well and are only doing so due to rising water temperatures. They coexist well with other species of crayfish And all species of North American fish. They are not environmentally destructive and become just another link at the bottom of the food chain for larger creatures. The facts being what they are begs the question how are they invasive?

[@WesternEclectic]

Interesting. I didn't realize these crayfish are making their way up the Mississippi River, and I'm glad to hear they're not considered environmentally destructive. Thanks for the information on this. I refer to them in the video as invasive because here in Oregon, that's how the ODFW (Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife) designates red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii). And sorry if I've caused any confusion; this video was recorded in Oregon but I am originally from Minnesota (and grew up on the Mississippi!).

[@gus473]

Sure looks good! 😋 And yes, odd that an "invasive species" has a limit! Thanks for the post! 👍

[@WesternEclectic]

Thanks for watching and checking in, Mike. Good to hear from you and I hope all is well for you!

[@gus473]

@@WesternEclectic Thank you! Could use some rain and a haircut, but pretty good overall! ᕙ( ͡◉ ͜ ʖ ͡◉)ᕗ

[@6stringgunner511]

Mmmmmmm!!! THOSE look really good 👌😁!!! Just need a little garlic butter sauce! Thanks for the great video!!! Have a great week and be safe out there.

[@WesternEclectic]

Thanks! You too!

[@roberthodge2771]

I have made hardware cloth / rabbit cage wire traps, plastic mesh traps as tubular and squared rectangles of mess as well. Use a half circle of pizza box cardboard for a template for the end fennel inserts as t makes is a LOT easier to use than very thin poster paper. Made 3 traps in two evenings. Plastic mesh is too floppy for use in rectangles.

[@WesternEclectic]

Hi Robert, thanks for these tips on making traps! It would be fun to try making my own traps someday and this will help. Thanks again and happy holidays!

[@roberthodge2771]

Roll ou plastic mesh for a 9" circle. double the seam for a alternated row for stiffness and use 6" or less wire ties to hold together. Cut the hole for a total of 2" openings.

[@WesternEclectic]

@@roberthodge2771 Thanks! I like your idea of plastic mesh. It seems like whenever I use hardware cloth (metal wire) for a project I always end up with cuts all over my hands, haha.

[@skinnyandshort7108]

I have two of those red swamp crayfish as pets in my aquarium, they are cool pets.

[@WesternEclectic]

Cool. I've never kept them, but I've heard crayfish can make good pets.

[@SarahOnYoutubeDotCom]

Lol I have one as a pet. I'm in Nebraska and I saw him crawling out of the lake onto the side walk. Yoink! His name is now Mr crabs.

[@WesternEclectic]

@@SarahOnKZbinDotCom Ha!

[@roberthodge2771]

Try Herring and chicken as well as the fish in that body of water they are used to.

[@roberthodge2771]

Try overnight at the least Another you tuber used herring and scored 148 in a trap. Mackerel did less at about 110 or so.

[@WesternEclectic]

Somehow I missed this comment back when you added it. Thanks for the suggestion; I'm thinking fish as bait is definitely worth a try!

[@roberthodge2771]

I think the wire covering is really prickly and wire ends when cut off really do give me an ouch !

[@TedSeeber]

How did you find out about a population of invasive? Is there a list on the ODFW site?

[@WesternEclectic]

Yes! The ODFW site has some really good resources. Check out: www.dfw.state.or.us/conservationstrategy/invasive_species/docs/Crayfish_Comparison.pdf

[@themudbugjuggler9912]

A limit? On an invasive species? At least you can catch them. I'm glad you tried them out, I hope they were good. I think your signals are a bit meatier though, especially the claws. Good to see you, thanks for sharing.

[@WesternEclectic]

Great to hear from you! Yeah, I'm hoping someday I'll have the chance to chat with someone from the ODFW (Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife) about their rationale for having a limit on these. And also yeah, the red swamp crayfish were delicious, but the signal crayfish definitely have much bigger and meatier claws. I hope all is well for you. Take care!

[@davidradtke160]

@@WesternEclectic I would bet it’s because it’s easier to enforce uniform limits then trying to check and verify that the crayfish your catching are the right species. Plus not everyone fishing knows the difference or how to verify it. That requires education and spending and more enforcement.

[@WesternEclectic]

@@davidradtke160 Good points!

[@markhouser7247]

Get some zatarains crawfish boil and cayenne pepper and salt boil with lemon onions mushrooms artichokes anything you can imagine those are as nice as the ones i get in Louisiana! Good eatin my friend

[@WesternEclectic]

Hi Mark thanks for your cooking suggestions! I've used the Zatarain's boil before; I'm glad to hear it's approved by someone in Louisiana where you all definitely know a thing or two about fixing crawfish. I didn't think of adding artichokes to the boil.... That sounds good. Thanks again!

[@ThomasDillon-z6u]

I seriously doubt anyone in Minnesota has ever heard of Zatarain's..😊

[@WesternEclectic]

@@ThomasDillon-z6u Ha!

[@wayneclarke1727]

Invasive species no limits! I'd be there every day!

[@WesternEclectic]

Hi Wayne, it's definitely tempting to go all the time! I am hoping to hit this spot before the weather gets too cold, although it may already be a bit too late. And the limit is weird: One source at the ODFW told me the 100/day limit still applies, even for this species. But a different day when I was out there, an ODFW worker told me to take all I want, since they are invasive and harmful. I'm guessing they apply the 100/day for all species since they are worried people won't know the difference. I just stick to the limit, and if I bring my kids they can each get 100 too so it works well. Thanks for checking in!

[@roberthodge2771]

Add a couple of heavy bank sinkers to put it bottom side down when thrown in.

[@SchererK]

You need to purge them mud bugs, their shells carry a HUGE amount of sediment (poo).

[@WesternEclectic]

You're right, there can be a lot of, ahem, material in a crayfish's digestive tract. One way to deal with this is to purge them like you suggested, but instead, I just make a point to remove the digestive tract when I clean them. I showed how I do this in another video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iKuYg6homZuDb8k Thanks for checking in, and take care!

[@deantucker9190]

Kind of looks like 10 mile lake, used to fish there in my youth.

[@WesternEclectic]

Tenmile lake is quite a bit south of where I was. I have never fished there. When I first drove around there I assumed those lakes were saltwater since they were so close to the coast! I assume Tenmile holds crayfish. Hmm... Maybe my next roadtrip! Thanks for checking in!

[@artemblinov8859]

Nice catch! If it's not a secret, where I can buy traps like yours?

[@WesternEclectic]

Thanks! You can find a link to where I bought my traps in the video description.

[@wayneclarke1727]

100 Crayfish would fill my belly just fine!

[@MrCaptainNObeard]

Got 60 invasive ones, nice

[@suey916]

Do more fishing video while trapping crayfish!

[@Winterryan76]

Woah i really want crayfish

[@ZiggityPow]

How deep is the water where you are dropping your traps? How much distance between them?

[@WesternEclectic]

I didn't wade out there to check 😊 but I estimate the traps were maybe 3'-4' deep. It was a big pond with few other people out that day, so I spaced the traps quite a ways apart (the closest two were probably 10 yards or so apart). It'd be interesting to see how close you could space them and still have them be productive...

[@misterjim4458]

The red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii), are invasive here in WA also and must be killed before leaving the site. So get ’em on ice or cooked as soon as possible.

[@WesternEclectic]

To my knowledge (I may be wrong) there isn't the same requirement here in Oregon, but given that they're invasive I agree it's still a good idea. We make sure they're sealed in the cooler with ice and that their next visit is to the cooking pot!

[@misterjim4458]

@@WesternEclectic Yeah... I would do the same... I'd keep them all but like you dispatch them in the hot tub. On site seems like overkill, pun definitely intended! Oh... And while I have your attention... What is your favorite flavor of catfood? For the crayfish, not you w/ saltines. 🦞 🐈

[@WesternEclectic]

@@misterjim4458 I like to use the salmon or ocean whitefish flavors of cat food. I think they have a little higher fat content. I've heard arguments that using oily fish works a lot better as bait than cat food, and while that's probably true, for me cat food does well enough and it's worth the convenience. And no, I haven't ever been quite desperate enough to eat it on saltines, haha!

[@misterjim4458]

@@WesternEclectic I'm gonna try cat food this week up here in WA. I'll letcha know.

[@WesternEclectic]

@@misterjim4458 Good luck, and keep me posted! In case you haven't seen it yet, I was out earlier this week with cat food and did pretty well: kzbin.info/www/bejne/innFqqOho7l8edU

[@1mikegene]

Where in Oregon did you go trap crawfish?

[@WesternEclectic]

Thanks for checking in. This was at a pond a couple hours south of Portland. I don't like to post the exact locations of my spots publicly, but if you're in the area and interested in going I'd be happy to tell you the location, just send me an email at [e-mail] and I'll get back to you.

[@duanewhite3184]

They're all just starting to crawl toward the Trap When You Yank it out of the water leave it in longer trust me

[@WesternEclectic]

Now that the weather is getting nice and the water is warming up, I'm hoping to go back to this pond soon and try it again. I think you're right--I'll try to leave my traps in longer this time.

[@TexasRanchu]

and i though crawfish only found in Louisiana..who knew.

[@WesternEclectic]

I didn't realize there were edible crayfish species in Oregon until we moved here. It was definitely a nice surprise!

[@earlwheelock7844]

Ive lived all over the U.S. and crawdads live EVERYWHERE . I was raised in Vermont and they even had them there (small ones) good 4 bait 4 bass

[@gr4y145]

I got nervous when you kept the females but then I heard they where invasive species so enjoy 😋

[@WesternEclectic]

Right! I am always much less apt to keep females when I'm trapping our native signal crayfish, but the red swamp crayfish are a different story. In fact, when I went back to this spot a couple weeks ago, there was a US Fish & Wildlife employee there. When she found out I was there to trap red swamp crayfish, she said "Good! Catch as many as you want!"

[@gr4y145]

Western Eclectic Nice! 👍

[@rickforrest6675]

Where can I get those traps?

[@WesternEclectic]

Hi Rick thanks for checking in and happy 4th! There is a link in the video description to where I ordered my traps. As far as I know they still sell them. Crayster also makes great traps; you could check into those too. Good luck!

[@nickolasaugust]

Wow i want one of those traps 🦞

[@WesternEclectic]

Hi Nickolas, you can check the video description for where I ordered them. Crayster also makes some great traps for crayfish. Good luck!

[@roberthodge2771]

What brand of traps?

[@WesternEclectic]

Hi Robert, these are "Trappy" traps that are made in Sweden. I included a link to where I purchased them in the video description.

[@littlemiamijeff]

Cool keep up the good work

[@WesternEclectic]

Thanks! Glad you liked it.

[@KalebLewis]

Hi im currently in Newport, OR right now, me and my dad are crabbing and on our way home to bend we want to stop in corvallis (on the Willamette river) do you know if the "red swamp crayfish" are in the Willamette river going threw corvallis? Or any ponds or rivers 15-30 minutes away from corvallis? We want to try the difference between The invasive ones and the signal crayfish. Thx

[@WesternEclectic]

I am not too familiar with the Willamette itself, although it wouldn't surprise me if it holds crayfish. Otherwise, there are some fishing ponds near Adair that you could try. With this cold weather and recent rains I'm not sure how good it will be but... Only one way to find out! I hope you had some good crabbing today. Good luck!

[@nathanramos8961]

What part of the pnw are you in? I am interested in crawfishing in wa. I live in Olympia wa. Where are some good areas, (Not your personal spots obviously) just some good areas to go. I was thinking the Deschutes

[@WesternEclectic]

Hi Nathan, I am in western Oregon. Unfortunately I don't have a lot of information for you about crayfish in Washington or the Deschutes region, but I would be surprised if they didn't have good crayfish populations. You might check in with fishermen from the areas you're interested in; they tend to know if there are crayfish in the area they and might have some good information on where to go. For example, in my area we basically have two habitats: 1) Warm water ponds (like in this video) that have invasive red swamp crayfish, and 2) cold water streams that have native signal crayfish. Both species are great eating. Good luck, and keep me posted!

[@SurelyIjest206]

Weird they have a limit in your State. In Washington State there is a limit (10lbs?) on the Native species but no limit on the invasive ones.

[@WesternEclectic]

I agree! I even checked in online with the ODFW (Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife) specifically about this, and was told that the 100/day limit applies to red swamp crayfish too. My only thought is that maybe they're concerned that people won't be able to tell the difference, but that seems odd. When I was at this pond, however, I chatted briefly with a lady from the ODFW (although she wasn't enforcement as far as I could tell), and when she found out what I was doing she basically said good, catch as many as you can since they prey on our small gamefish, etc. So, I get the impression they're not overly concerned about strict adherence to the 100/day limit when it comes to invasive species...

[@Echo-jf6cm]

I never seen that type and I’m a owner to 2 rust invasive crayfish

[@WesternEclectic]

Cool. Just be sure to keep them out of the wild! I checked into this and apparently the only known area of invasive rusty crayfish in Oregon (so far) is in the John Day River.

[@_charleskie_6938]

how can i have one

[@WesternEclectic]

Have one... crayfish?

[@_charleskie_6938]

@@WesternEclectic yes plss :'(

[@72geneo]

what lake was this shot at

[@WesternEclectic]

This was at a pond not too far from where I live in Oregon (Willamette Valley area). If you're in the area and would like to know exactly where this is, I'd be happy to share the location with you (the more people to remove invasive crayfish, the better!). I prefer not to post locations publicly in the comments, but you are welcome to email me at: [e-mail]

[@72geneo]

@@WesternEclectic i am new to Oregon and live in Beaverton i would love to take my grandson to do a catch and cook with him. so yes please let me know where you catch them please and thank you

[@WesternEclectic]

@@72geneo Welcome to Oregon! Please feel free to email me as I mentioned in my initial reply and I can let you know exactly where this is. I'd say about 1.5 hours from Beaverton. And note that you'll need to wait until later in the summer; spring and early summer aren't good for catching crayfish since they're not active yet.

[@noahmatsukihalbur]

Is this the right channel I’m looking for?

[@WesternEclectic]

Hi Noah! Yep, it's me. 😉 I'll have to check out your videos soon. Take care! -Michael

[@wildhorseoutdoors7659]

What brand of traps are those you use?

[@WesternEclectic]

I'm not sure what the actual brand name is. The traps are made in Sweden. You can find a link to where I bought mine (as far as I know they still sell them) in the video description.

[@KalebLewis]

so i just read online From ODFW this: You can harvest 100 crayfish per person per day. The reason there is a limit on non-native crawdads is to protect native signal crawdads from over harvest.

[@WesternEclectic]

Interesting! Thanks for sharing that, and it appears to confirm the theory I've had as to why there is a limit on invasive crayfish: They don't rely on people to know the difference! Too bad, because the species are actually quite easy to tell apart.

[@WesternEclectic]

And for what it's worth, one time when I was out catching red swamp crayfish at this spot I ran across a lady who worked for US Fish & Wildlife and she said, "Catch all you want." So, she seems to have been OK with people taking more than 100 (invasive) red swamp crayfish, but of course the law is the law, so...

[@KalebLewis]

@@WesternEclectic indeed Hopefully i can convince my dad to take me to the pond next weekend because the road to sweet home/corvallis has been snowy and its a really windy long road so its sketch when its icy lol

[@WesternEclectic]

@@KalebLewis Safe travels if you go! And just FYI we have had a lot of rain here, and that combined with the cold might make it tough to catch crayfish this time of year. If not, there's always next summer! The pond will still be there!

[@KalebLewis]

@@WesternEclectic thanks! Im just worried about them draining that pond and removing all them by next summer lol

[@KalebLewis]

hi, could you possibly give me the location this pond is? Because i live in redmond oregon and we dont want to drive 4 hours and not catch any haha if not thats fine thx

[@WesternEclectic]

I typically don't give out my exact locations, but this is a pond near Adair (you can probably figure it our from there!). I believe that area has had some rain since summer, and it is now much colder, so the crayfish may not be very active. And why drive so far? I think there are some areas closer to Redmond (reservoirs and rivers) that hold signal crayfish, which I like even better than red swamp crayfish. With some research I'm sure you could find some good spots closer to your area.

[@KalebLewis]

@@WesternEclectic we have signal crayfish everywhere around here but we just want to try the red swamp crayfish

[@KalebLewis]

@@WesternEclectic are you talking about adair village oregon?

[@WesternEclectic]

@@KalebLewis I see! Yes, Adair Village. And there may be other spots for red swamp closer to you, but I'm not sure about that. Fern Ridge Reservoir near Eugene has red swamp crayfish, I believe (although it is mostly drained in winter). Regardless, anyone who is willing to drive four hours one way to catch a new species of crayfish sounds cool to me! Good luck!

[@KalebLewis]

@@WesternEclectic thanks bro!

[@Billbobaker]

where was this at?

[@WesternEclectic]

Hi Bill, this was filmed at my top secret crayfish spot, of course! 😊 Seriously though, I'm in Oregon but would rather not give out the details regarding the exact location of this spot. The good news is that most waters in the Pacific Northwest have crayfish (in cold water streams we usually have native signal crayfish, and many warm water ponds like the one in this video have invasive red swamp crayfish).

[@Billbobaker]

@@WesternEclectic Hmm.. I share mine.. For invasive crayfish like you caught the Long Tom water shed is best.. aka Amozon creek in Eugene, lane county Oregon.. For Signals.. Smith river falls up or down stream and the Alsea , and Siuslaw river tributaries.. Amazing activity of cray fish in those areas.. Reason is because when you harvest the big ones the little ones bloom to full size much faster and you get better harvests.. That why they farm so well .. Cheers... sorry you don't share.

[@theoptimusdime]

Do you purge your crayfish before eating? Would love to see more catch and cook videos.

[@WesternEclectic]

​@@Billbobaker Hi Bill, thanks for all the information! For some reason when I read your initial comment, I was thinking this was a comment on my signal crayfish video (and I'd still prefer not to give out that location publicly; it's a fairly small area and doesn't seem to have too much pressure... yet!). I just realized your comment was actually on the red swamp crayfish video, and I'm less hesitant to discuss that location. It is a well-known fishing pond outside of Adair Village, OR. Cheers!

[@WesternEclectic]

@@theoptimusdime Hi James, thanks for checking in and I'm glad to hear you'd be interested in more videos. Please stay tuned! I don't bother to purge my crayfish; I just give them a good rinse in fresh water before cooking. I remove the digestive tract when I clean them, so purging isn't necessary. For details see this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iKuYg6homZuDb8k.

[@ryandennis9778]

What stream is that ?

[@WesternEclectic]

Hi Ryan, this is actually a pond in the Willamette Valley region in Oregon. I don't like to post the exact location of my spots publicly, but if you're in the area and want to try it I'll share the location with you (the more people removing invasive crayfish, the better!). Just email me at: [e-mail]