softshell Crayfish??

[muckland]

Hey Folks, Just joined up, Great site. Does anybody know how to make hard shell crayfish (Softshell).I know they shed , but how often and what can i do to speed up the process. My pond is full of hardshells. I fish lake Erie alot those bronz backs like them softshells.Thanks

[m.t.hands]

hey muck, best i can remember crawfish molt several times in there lives but most of it is done in the early stages of its life, i think like 4-6 times in the first year and less the next, its shell will be soft for 3-5 days, this is best i can remeber form school, may be off on the number of times, but thats when there soft

oh yea !!!! welcome to the forums

[bigbuckOO]

Softies are a favorite of mine for summer smallmouth fishing in the deeps. Unfortunately i was unable to get them for bait at all this year. The bait store told me he wasnt planning on buying any becuase the wholesalers was asking neary 10 bucks a dozen.

I went back in the other day and he told me he did end up gettign a few shipments in July from a new wholesaler and he charged 5 bucks per, but that they were done for this year and the only ones he had left were frozen.

[Chuck7]

Welcome to the forum muckland. Wish I could help you but I can't.
My live bait here in Florida is Missouri Minnows, Wild Golden Shiners or Redworms.

[Phil from Maine]

Softshells are great to fish bass with. I am not sure but if you have
an aquarium you might be able to put some in, may help you speed it up a bit by warming up the water a little good luck.

[kevin1]

Grow your own and feed them well , they moult in response to growth , so the quicker they grow the more they moult .

[GAmagman]

I got some by catching crawdads, and putting them in a fish tank. It was a large tank witha pump that gave it a lot of current. I just threw in some bits of stuff that Crawfish like and it wasn't long before they started molting. I'm not sure, but I think that they molt as they grow, so if they get regular food you can get them a little more often.