>>2351643Louisiananon here. We never use traps, opting instead for square crawfish nets. If you have a boat and more than just a single day then traps will be better. The nets are placed in shallow water, usually only a foot or two deep. Beef melt (spleen) works really well as bait, but I’ve had good luck with turkey necks. A 10’ length of pvc with a 90° elbow helps with placing them if the water is a little in accessible. I’ve had days where we filled an ice chest in a few hours and other where we’ve come up empty handed. Seasons matter, along with other factors that we’re just not hip to.
>>2351677Cooking them is simple, but requires some specialized equipment if you’re doing a lot. Generally we cook them 30lb at a time in a large pot on a propane burner.
There are two basic ways of cooking them. Either in plain water then adding a dry seasoning after they’re cooked, or boiling them in water that’s been heavily seasoned. The former is more common in SW Louisiana, while the latter is more common in the SE (and is objectively better).
Zatarain’s seasoning is absolutely the way to go. Also, no matter which method or recipe you follow, you should absolutely purge them. That is, you place them in a large container (like an ice chest), then cover the crawfish in water and a large amount of salt. This forces them to empty their digestive systems then be cleaned off. If you don’t do this, they’ll shit/vomit into the water they’re being cooked in. It’s mostly mud, but it’s a noticeable amount; you see the brine turn brown. Purge, then rinse, then purge and rinse again, then boil.
