Migrating Crayfish

[djmyers]

Does anyone know if crayfish migrate? My dad was on the river the other day and in about 1 minute he caught about 75 crayfish. He had a cup with him and as they past him he could scoop them up. Is this something normal with crayfish or is this another sign that there is something weird happening with the Susquehanna River? :-?

 

[pete41]

They spawn-whence cometh little crayfish.
Saw the same thing on the White Clay creek in Chester county.
Did you ever see water snakes in mating ritual.
Saw that on the Green Springs.Didn't know there were that many snakes in the whole world.Sorry I didn't have a stick of dynamite.

 

[Clarmy]

I'm not a biologist but I know on Oil Creek late in the summer early fall the crayfish pile up near the dam and the smallies go crazy.

 

[stonefly]

someone posted something about this on the flyfishersparadise forum before it was shutdown but i think they said that the crayfish were bad because they ate aquatic insects but im not really sure about that

 

[pete41]

actually they are very good ,boiled.
We have crawfish festivals done heah.Not sure why they haven't caught on up there.

 

[2bonthewater]

Many Many Many years ago I was fishing the Susquahanna River near Sunbury....the dam at poors man farm?

Anyway......sitting on the side of the dam wall when all of a sudden there were literally thousands of crayfish around me.....my friend and I dodged them all night......actually nipping us.....we had to move........they were everywhere

anyway....as morning approached I scooped up my 50.....my friend scooped up his 50.....took them home......cleaned them up and boiled the tails......it was a tasty treat, but way too much work for so little meat

 

[Chaz]

Yes they do though I can't say what times of the year they migrate. I know one spring several years ago i was fishing on Big Pine at Cooney's Flat and there were millions of crayfish sheels along the banks and in up to about a foot of water. I didn't see any live crayfish, but it was the time of the year that they shed their shells and go through a soft shell phase and grow a new shell. They probably do this several times a year as they grow.