Rusties and Weeds

[caseymcq]

I have been out on Vermillion a couple of times this year. It seems like some of the places I remember seeing weeds last year I am not seeing them in this year. Are the rusty crayfish putting a dent in the amount of weeds out there? Or am I just off my rocker?

[Cliff Wagenbach]

The rustys have almost wiped out most of the good cabbage beds that were on the East end of Vermilion!

Nasty creatures!!

Cliff

[vermilionwally]

Does the dnr do anything to control the rusty crayfish like trapping them or anything? I read that the perch and muskies on the east end eat them.

[Tundra]

Casey, Lets get some crayfish and attatch them to Maurer this weekend.

[stick]

When I'm at my buddies place, we make a habit of filling the trap as many times as possible in order to remove as many as possible from the lake. They are tasty buggers. Multiple trap fills per day.

[Cliff Wagenbach]

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Does the dnr do anything to control the rusty crayfish like trapping them or anything? I read that the perch and muskies on the east end eat them.

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The DNR has not done anything to control the rustys. Mainly because effective control would mean using poison. Poison would certainly wipe out any remaining local species of crayfish,if there are any left, and also an end to Vermilion's mayflys. Which would be a disaster to our walleye population.

Most of the fish in Vermilion have adapted to eating rustys but there are just to many of them to control now!

Cliff

[caseymcq]

I am willing to bet Maurer will probably put a few on himself.

[Capt. Quicksteel]

This is the ONLY good thing about Eurasian milfoil coming to Vermilion. It will be interesting to see if the rusties can dent that stuff!

[Finns]

Stick; What do you use for bait?

Finns.

[stick]

I held that information out purposefully because I could picture the posts from others stating that it is illegal...but here it goes...a filleted walleye carcass.

I figure the illegal carcass in the lake is for the greater good. Also, the carcass eventually comes out of the trap once the crayfish have cleaned all flesh off it so I don't know if it's truly illegal.

[Captain Ken]

Stick

You meant that you use a walleye carcass that you bought at the store in town, right?

I have put just about anything in the trap and they go in - lunch meat, salami, bread....

Capt

[stick]

I either find them in town or chase down seagulls and take them away from them.

[Finns]

Thanks for the info.

Finns.

[Cliff Wagenbach]

Stick,

I think that you are right. The use of any game fish as bait is illegal. Probably even as crayfish bait.

Cliff

[fishin_fer_howgs]

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I am willing to bet Maurer will probably put a few on himself.

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Lets bring a trap and have a boil. Any good recipes for those bad boys?

BTW, Casey, you have always been off your rocker for a number of reasons that do not include your rusty observation.

[LundExplorer]

From Stick and my experience the purging process is an important one.

Our first try, we tried purging in lake water, and not long enough. We boiled em and then pulled off the tails. Out poured some really rude greenish/yellow brown pus from the body. And, the brown p00p gland was still visible. Ish.

The following year's try was a little better, Stick gets the credit for it, I was busy chasing grouse on the island. I'll let him fill you in on the recipe.

[stick]

The main ingredient is Windsor. Kidding of course. I forget the salt to water ratio, but it was heavy on the salt, and it was overnight. Also, our first time as LundExplorer said we purged them too short (after offering them essentially Thanksgiving dinner to gorge on in the trap) and without enough concentration of salt (2 shakes of a salt shaker isn't enough) so their digestive tract was pretty packed. So, let 'em sit in the brackish water for overnight to purge them (changing the water with salt solution as much as you care to). Then just boil them in clean water after rinsing a few times. The purging should be enough to (mostly) clear up the digestive system. The yellowish and greenish stuff will still exist (the Windsor helps the overall care-factor here) but as I have learned that it essentially the fat deposits internally that "loosen up" when they are boiled. I then crack into the claws and tail and work your tail off for little morsels of sweet meat that gets dipped in butter.

One could save the meat and freeze it for a recipe (seafood pasta, etc.).