Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-08-11
THE CURIOUS CRAwFIsu
Deiicacy Among the Germans-Tb.,-
Habits and Enemies

Inc craWfiSh, which Is considered
great oellcacy among the German and
fieiich residents or this country, is in MANY
respects curious creature" remarked :.
hsh dealer to a Star representative. at
Is so tardy In reaching maturity that
IL require from twelve to fifteen Years
TO attain Its growth. which is between
.hree anu hVe inches. The male crawfish
n'e IN colonies in holes in the river or creek
panks' ana the female. especially while
waiting for her eggs to hatch. prefers +o
h'c by herself The crawfish hunts its prev
at night and begins the quest as soon as
dusk sets in. Crawfish are never found In
any numbers and never of mature size IN
water inhabited by cells or pickerel The
eel is Its greatest enemy and DESTROYER
Inc crawfish sheds its shell every wear Tho
male in June and the female in July. They
are t trien Inc most tender and delicate OF
creatures and especially priced as bait for
bass. as that fish will seldom, IL ever. take
any other bait than the soft crawfsh IT,
other hSh the tail of the hard craw. with
the shell peeled off the hard. white sweet
flesh. Is very tempting bait if the snpIer
can get II within reach of the fish he is
hoping to catch before it is seized by some
living crawfish. ~
The most prolific water for crau,6sb e.
said to be the Miami river in Ohio. When
ne fisherman Is after crawfish for bait in
IN, mar or any other stream. he has only to
other Kind of flesh, or even piece of potato
or turniD, tied to a string. In a moment
every craw that can get hold of the bait
WI, with rs claws VIII quickly do so. Then, if
the string Is pulled up slowly and steadily
not craw will let loose of the halt mil 4
IS landed on the bank or in the boat The
nsherman Wrenches the tail from the body
ana casts the latter away. So tenacious ~
lie are crawfish that it Is a common sipbt
10 see scores of these mutilated hodies
crawling about the river banks and ret,,rn.
ing 10 the water where they will live for
hours. The craws that are captured IN this
way are al hard Shells ~
Inc SOFT shells are so delicate that II
would not be possible for them tn cline
WI Kun liner, .ne.r claws to line They are caught
by turning over stones on the bottom of fbe
river; where they hide during the season in
which they are shedders Anglers VII
want them for bait or food. are not the oniv
sott-Shell crawfish. Bass constantly, b,,nt
tnem' turning over the stones to uncovar
them with as much skill as the fishernan
IAN. nat sucn enormous quantities of
craWhsh survive the shedding season in tho
torial life. "a pisca-
Although the crawfish will SURVIVE for
hours and sometimes a day or moro ~
mGt1lation to which fishermen subject ~
1t Will soon die If laid on its back and t.nt
there II placed in that position n worts
vioiehtiy with It's rows of feet and it's claws.
which seems to soon exhaust It and cause
It's death. The crawfish will live for n Well
or more out of water If kept in a cool moist
place. Most people and especially foreign
ers, VINO CONSIDER TINS crustacean a delicacy,
have superstition that they are NOT good
to eat In the months containing the letter
X, unlike the belief of the ma torjtv NJ
Americans that oysters are only good in
growers and shippers of crawfish that if n
thunder storm arises while thew are In
transit they will die instantly.