Fort Collins Over the years, many kinds of critters have squirmed in the bottom of Colorado Division of Wildlife research nets. Download Hindi Font Chanakya 902. But never crayfish. Cajun popcorn. The obvious question is why, after all these years, the wildlife agency needs to launch a formal study into the life and times of such an obscure creature. We already appreciate that they go great with cocktail sauce and a cold beer.

I mean, what else do you need to know? Yet here they were, biologist Ken Kehmeier and his crew of three technicians, busily pulling crayfish nets in a back cove of Horsetooth Reservoir. These crustaceans – angry at being rousted from their lairs and flashing serious pincers – were meticulously counted and measured, then placed in a holding tank to cool their claws.

Actually, these mud bugs were lucky. They later were deposited unharmed at the far end of the lake, with not a single Cajun in sight. The crew then baited the nets again with ripe chicken wings, placed them in the same location and returned next morning to perform the same ritual. This first official Colorado crayfish study is aimed at finding what happens to a population when large numbers are removed – which is precisely what certain entrepreneurs desire to do.

“We get periodic requests from people who want to start commercial operations,” said Greg Gerlich, DOW’s acting aquatic manager. “We felt we needed scientific data to respond to this.” What biologists already know is that crayfish are important to several fish species. “The diet of smallmouth bass is 75 percent crayfish,” said Kehmeier, who noted that this popular gamefish has been thriving at Horsetooth since the impoundment refilled two seasons ago.

“We’ve netted fish up to 4 1/2 pounds. They have heavy bodies because of the crayfish population.” Walleye, too, are prospering at the crayfish buffet. “Those eating crayfish are in better conditions than the ones chasing minnows,” Kehmeier said. “I don’t have a lake that contains a crayfish population that isn’t being used heavily by fish.” Wiper enthusiasts long ago learned that a hook baited with a peeled crayfish tail attracts far more attention than anything else, including live minnows. Every angler who is serious about bass or walleye carries a large assortment of lures designed to suggest crayfish. These range from precise replicas, both hard and soft, to that all-time favorite, the tube jig.

Printing paid for with hunting and fishing license fees. Colorado Parks and Wildlife Director: Robert Broscheid The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission members are. World's Leader in Crawfish Trap / Crayfish Trap Design. Did you know that in most States you do not need a license to. Even here in Colorado with 12,000 foot. Colorado Crawdads Badger2410. License Standard YouTube. Crawdad, crayfish) in Colorado.

Marabou jigs in brown or olive also rank as effective crayfish imitations. Crayfish are favored by brown trout and, to a lesser extent, rainbows. While larger predators will take on a mature crayfish, claws and all, gamefish prefer their crustaceans in smaller sizes. Crayfish lay their eggs in May and these hatchlings typically grow to about an inch long by the following spring – just when most gamefish are beginning to feed actively. Wise anglers choose smaller lures at this time. Fly-fishermen are learning to play the crayfish game, particularly on reservoirs where they are abundant. These include just about anywhere you find a soft bottom, even some of the coldest places in the state, such as the reservoirs of North Park and South Park.

“I spent the winter tying crayfish patterns,” technician Ryan Fitzpatrick said. “I’ve looked into the stomachs of too many fish.” Over a period of a week and a half, the DOW crew performed a variety of tests to gauge the effects of capture, whether an area would repopulate after removal. The net result: Catch rate declined steadily. Containers that nabbed an average of 10 the previous day now held just two or three. “We’re finding they’re not very migratory,” Kehmeier said. Considering this preliminary finding and the importance as fish food, it’s safe to conclude that Colorado won’t have a commercial crayfish operation on public water anytime soon.

Meanwhile, Colorado regulations allow sport fishermen to possess 250 crawdads per day with a regular license – enough to make a swell feast for you and two of your best buddies. So get a big pot, toss in a packet of Zatarain’s crab boil with some potatoes and onions, along with your catch of mud bugs. Break out some saltines, pop the cap on a cold one and laissez le bon temps roule. Charlie Meyers can be reached at 303-820-1609.