Well lately I've been craving the little buggers and would kill for a few fresh Utah 'dads. I usually go to Strawberry for them but that is during summer. Anyone know when I can hope for them or will it be too cold for a good time more? Thanks
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I've seen some crawdads already on streams down south and at strawberry this year. Strawberry should be icing the rest of the way out pretty soon. so worth a try, just don't expect summer numbers.
Here's a litlle guy from a few months ago. This stream has blue crawdads fairly commonly but didn't see any last trip
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Deer creek, Starvation both have them..
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Thanks a ton. I'll check them out too. Been a while since I've seen your name on here! good to see it. Cya around
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[cool][#0000ff]As a general rule, any lake that has lots of smallmouths will not have as many crawdads. Dads are number one menu items for smallies so the mudbugs stay undercover...unless they wanna be lunch.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Before smallies were planted in Deer Creek it was crawling with crawdads. You could look down in the water almost anywhere and see the bottom moving. Now it is rare to find them...even inside fish you keep. They are still there but not in numbers that make trapping worth while.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Starvation is a bit different. It has large weedbeds that help spawn and hide baby crawdads...so there is a bigger population. But unless you find some special spot with large numbers you will seldom get more than a few. However, some folks do well at night with chicken parts around the docks.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There are also crawdads in Willard...but the wipers, walleyes and catfish keep them hiding back in the rocks. You find remnants in all predator species but seldom see them out where they might be caught.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Strawberry and Scofield are two good crawdad ponds. But early in the year a large percentage of the bugs are small ones hatched at the end of the previous year. There are more big ones and they are more active later in the summer.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If you really want a bunch of crawdads you should check a fish market for live ones flown in from Louisiana. Sure, they cost a bit, but not as much as a busted trip to a non-productive Utah hole. And this is the time of year they start hitting the market in quantity and at the best prices.[/#0000ff]
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east canyon has a ton aswell
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haha good to know. Love the pic mate
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Wow great info as always. Thank you very much. Maybe I'll do some research into the market then ; )
Hope to get out with you again this year!
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You know I always see their shells yet never see them alive. Maybe I'll have to do more lookin when I go up there next week thanks!
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Strawberry is king of the crawdads, but if the ice is off the ponds out at Park Meadows Golf Course in Park City, try there. I used to catch lots of crawdads in the ponds and little streams there.
Okay awesome I'll have to give that a shot too. Welcome to the site as well!
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Try grantsville reservoir i havent been there this year but i know last year we couldnt even keep are fish on a stringer there was so many of them
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[cool][#0000ff]Now that you are more or less based here again we can definitely plan on some more cat whackin'. As soon as they open up the south marina we can "hook up". It can be good in the north too but I think you found a honey hole in the south channel.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Gotta get you over to Starvation this year too. But you may not want to come back home.[/#0000ff]
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