02-22-2016, 07:48 PM
[#0000FF]Yes there are crawdads still in Willard. But not nearly as many as there used to be. Back in earlier times the water levels mostly stayed up well into the rock dikes and there were a lot more 'dads. That is what a lot of the catfish fed on a good part of the year, and that is why catfish used to exceed 10 pounds with regularity in Willard.
Today we have more demands from water users and more variable weather/runoff. Water levels fall below the rock dikes more years than not...and there is little natural structure or cover for the crawdads in which to spawn and for the young to find protection.
When you factor in that now there are lots of wipers...as well as catfish and walleyes...that rely on crawdads as a food source for a good part of the year, you can see why the mudbugs are relatively scarce.
Here are a couple of CSI pics, of wiper and walleye stomach contents...containing crawdads. I have caught grundles of cats with crawdads too.
[inline "DAD IN WIPER.JPG"]
[inline "CRAWDAD IN WALLEYE.jpg"]
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[signature]
Today we have more demands from water users and more variable weather/runoff. Water levels fall below the rock dikes more years than not...and there is little natural structure or cover for the crawdads in which to spawn and for the young to find protection.
When you factor in that now there are lots of wipers...as well as catfish and walleyes...that rely on crawdads as a food source for a good part of the year, you can see why the mudbugs are relatively scarce.
Here are a couple of CSI pics, of wiper and walleye stomach contents...containing crawdads. I have caught grundles of cats with crawdads too.
[inline "DAD IN WIPER.JPG"]
[inline "CRAWDAD IN WALLEYE.jpg"]
[/#0000FF]
[signature]