Trapping Crawfish on the Hooch and Tributaries. Is it legal?

[HydraYak]

Hey all!

Just a random thought i guess.... don't hear a lot about it.

Is it legal to crawfish trap on the Chattahoochee or it's tributaries?

Is there a size of cull limit?

Season?

I know there are a few different types of craw daddies in the hooch and one of them is a "threatened" species. But others are abundant all over the state.

Any info would be great!

 

[lampern]

Minnow traps are illegal but I see nothing in the regs dealing with crawfish traps

 

[JackSprat]

Maybe yes, maybe no.

The biggest problem is not the crawfish, but the trap. It is illegal to use a minnow trap in Ga. freshwater. You have to figure out how to convince the nice conservation officer that it is a crawfish trap and not a minnow trap. Others have done it apparently, but be aware of the issue.

Beyond that, you can recreationally harvest crawfish without being concerned about the endangered species. DNR addresses that somewhere about it not being practical to require recreational harvesters to differentiate the species.

You need a fishing license.

No size or catch limits, although if you have 4 or 5 bushels of crawfish, I'd have a really good story already prepared about how your are doing it "recreationally".

No season.

 

[Browniez]

How would eating crawfish that filter the mud in there be? Seems like they would be loaded with stuff around the city

The convict fish sure do like em though. Every one I keep has 7 or 8 in its belly. Haven’t found a shad in one yet.

 

[RamblinWreck]

They aren't that good to eat this time of year, are they? I used to devour 5-10 pounds a week of boiled crawfish when I lived in NOLA, but they were only available in the spring. The cajuns would say they were "fat".

Years ago a friend gathered a cooler full from Morgan Falls dam one summer, they were very dark and the shells were hard, and they had hardly any meat in the tail.

 

[1eyefishing]

Maybe yes, maybe no.

The biggest problem is not the crawfish, but the trap. It is illegal to use a minnow trap in Ga. freshwater. You have to figure out how to convince the nice conservation officer that it is a crawfish trap and not a minnow trap. Others have done it apparently, but be aware of the issue.

Beyond that, you can recreationally harvest crawfish without being concerned about the endangered species. DNR addresses that somewhere about it not being practical to require recreational harvesters to differentiate the species.

You need a fishing license.

No size or catch limits, although if you have 4 or 5 bushels of crawfish, I'd have a really good story already prepared about how your are doing it "recreationally".

No season.

Jack, I believe that minnow traps are only illegal in Georgia public water, private water okay.
Lots of the Chattahoochee River around my area is National Park Service, so public water. I'm guessing most tributaries off the Park Service property and elsewhere off the river would be considered private.
I can't think of anywhere on the Chattahoochee that would be considered private.
I do believe many down on the coast use minnow traps to catch mud minnows. Not sure how this equates with the public/private issue... Just my two cents.

 

[JackSprat]

How would eating crawfish that filter the mud in there be? Seems like they would be loaded with stuff around the city

The convict fish sure do like em though. Every one I keep has 7 or 8 in its belly. Haven’t found a shad in one yet.

Folks I know purge even the LA. crawdads by putting them in a washtub (or cooler, depending on how country you are) with salt water and they will purge themselves.

 

[JackSprat]

Jack, I believe that minnow traps are only illegal in Georgia public water, private water okay.
Lots of the Chattahoochee River around my area is National Park Service, so public water. I'm guessing most tributaries off the Park Service property and elsewhere off the river would be considered private.
I can't think of anywhere on the Chattahoochee that would be considered private.
I do believe many down on the coast use minnow traps to catch mud minnows. Not sure how this equates with the public/private issue... Just my two cents.

Any flowing water would be "waters of the state" and subject to state fishing regulations.

Mud minnows are not trapped in freshwater, to the best of my knowledge.

 

[Browniez]

Folks I know purge even the LA. crawdads by putting them in a washtub (or cooler, depending on how country you are) with salt water and they will purge themselves.

It would definitely be worth a shot.

Ain’t nothing like a hot bag of mud bugs sliced jalapeños and corn on the cob!

 

[Bowyer29]

I have called region 1 on this issue. As long as any minnows caught are released, there is no violation according to the Law Enforcement Lieutenant (I believe that was his rank) I spoke to.

I'd simply call and ask. Better to be safe than ticketed.
Also just my opinion.