Crawfish for Walleye?

[Crappie Kid]

Anyone ever use them for Walleyes with success? Me and my son caught some on the Mississippi river today and I thought about using them out there for Walleyes. Or do you think Redtails are the better live bait right now?

[river_runner]

I have caught walleye off crankbaits immitaiting crawfish so maybe it would work.

[Borch]

I've caught a few eyes on them over the years. They are a much better smallie bait in my opinion. Also you can only use crawfish as bait in the same waters you catch them in. You can not transport them to other lakes or rivers.

[musky hunter]

Last year was a great year for smallies on a crayfish imitation for me. I also caught several nice northerns, one about 14#. But not one walleye over the course of the year ever hit that thing. In the St. Louis River, smallmouth and walleye generally compete for the same forage food, particularly in the spring and I have caught both specie out of the same spot. But the line seems to be drawn at crayfish. This year the crayfish population seems to have crashed, I have seen very few either alive or dead and can't get a bass to touch the crayfish imitation. But they devour jigs and minnows. Give it a shot and let us know what happens, maybe you can get a Mississippi River walleye.

[BobT]

I have never tried it but I have heard that crawfish can be a great walleye bait. I don't remember for sure where I heard this. It could have been in an old In-Fishermen magazine article I read.

Bob

[Rost]

Yes, walleyes eat crawfish. However, if you ever find crawfish in the stomach of a walleye, that usually means bait fish is scarce in that particular body of water. They contain very little nutritional value, therefore walleyes only eat them when absolutely nessessary.

Just a little tid bit I read awhile back..

[Northlander]

When Crawfish molt everything eats them.

[sachem longrifle]

One of the most unusual contents i found in a walleyes stomach was on Lake kabetogama. after a morn of fishing, we came into shore to cook up some walleyes for breakfast. I proceeded to fillet the 2nd one and in its gut was a partially digested mouse. I suppose you could use a plastic crayfish or mouse for walleye

[Northlander]

I saw a walleye the other day that was half dead and starting to float. I checked it out and it had a 8" gill in its mouth. The gill was dead and the eye was near death as well. I netted it and pulled the gill out of its mouth. I then put the fish in my livewell and pumped water to it for over a hour. Put it back in the lake and thought it would make it. A hour later I saw a gull pecking at it.

Walleyes are like any other fish. If a easy meal presents itself they will eat it. Weardest thing I saw in a eyes stomach was what I assume was a small bird. Couldnt tel what it was but Im assuming it was a Robin. Nature always seems to surprise me.

[Team Otter]

Frogs too.