What are the best streams/bait to go crawdading in coastal Oregon?

Crayfishy · Feb 14, 2023

I live in Lincoln County, and I've posted earlier about them in the Salmon River, but I was wondering if anyone knows any good streams with a high crawfish output in the summer. I know most streams have them in coastal Oregon, but what are the best? Hoping from experience but every little bit of knowledge helps. And also, what bait is good, I heard herring is great, but in terms of bait in general, I know fish does the best, but does anyone know what kind of fish? I know sardines are nice and oily and would probably do good, but I wan't some knowledge before I spend my money on a tin of sardines, which are pretty expensive nowadays.

jamisonace · Feb 14, 2023

Flip rocks and grab with your hands. Not sure what you're asking here that is different from the last time you posted. Go to a coastal stream. Find public access. Flip over a rock. Pick up a crawdad. Repeat about 100 times and you'll have hundreds of them. I used to take them 6 at a time to my bucket.

brandon4455 · Feb 15, 2023

I don’t think I’ve been to a single coastal river in Lincoln or tillamook county in the summer that doesn’t have an abundance of crawfish. My friends family camps yearly and they use a floatation device of some sort like a tiny cheap raft with a bucket and snorkel for them while they have the raft around by a rope. I have always done much better number and quality wise just catching them by hand this way.

However If you’re dead set on using traps.. I very highly doubt it matters much what kind of fish you’re using as bait. They are scavengers and aren’t all that picky.

O. mykiss · Feb 15, 2023

As stated above, any and all coastal streams have an abundance of the cantankerous crustaceans. Just look at a map, find a park or public access and go grab some dinner! They are literally everywhere, my weapon of choice is an aquarium net. No bait required

Flyfisheress · Feb 21, 2023

Some funny stories about crawdads-

10 or 12years ago I was in Texas HEB and over by the meat dept. They had an open plastic table covered with live crawdads for sale. The Dads were wet and trying to lie low and shuffling around. But there on a corner of the table was this this crawdad rising up, waving his pinchers and threatening people. People going by with their carts, he would track them, rotating his body as they passed then turning to threaten the next person. This must not be boiled! I thought so I bought him. By the pound I think he cost 18 cents. On the way out I noticed another threatener so I bought that one too. I kept them in my wading pool where they continued to threaten. Afer a time they both disappeared. I found their shells, eaten by raccoons.

Another time when I was a little kid I caught one on bacon in Golden Gate park, kept it in a aquarium in my room. The water turned totally green. I kind of forgot about it.

So, we saw a horrible horror movie call The Tingler. The Tingler was a lobster-looking creature from outer space. It would crawl into peoples beds at night, tunnel into their spinal cords and take over their behavior making them zombies. I kept having horrors and nightmares about this.

Then one night lying in bed I heard a sound in the dark - click scritch - click scritch. It would stop then start up again, getting closer and closer. Finally I couldn't take anymore. I screamed and my mother rushed in and turned on the light. Gathering courage, I leaned down and looked under the bed and screamed again. I saw it, The Tingler! Mom came back with a broom and swept it out. It was that crawdad all covered with dust bunnies.

(Check out the place this movie was played- Greelley Bar and Grill in Portland Oregon- "Beer, Burgers and a free movie" )

What are the best streams/bait to go crawdading in coastal Oregon?

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