Whilst at Wuruma Dam recently there discussions about whether or not a license was needed to catch redclaw, I was looking at the requisite Qld Government website and found the following answer.
Do you need a permit to catch redclaw crayfish?
No, you only need a permit if using a fishing line or set line. You don't need a permit if you are only using traps.
There was also discussion about pensioner licenses (S I P)
Frequently asked questions about stocked impoundment permits
How much is the permit?
$7.70 for a weekly permit
$38.60 for a yearly permit
$33.55 for a yearly discount permit
A discount is given for the following entitlement cards:
Queensland Seniors Card
Pensioner Concession Card
Health Care Card
Repatriation Health Care Card (gold card)
Suggesting that pensioners do need permits to fish in S I P areas.
John
jules47 said
08:07 AM May 5, 2014
Thanks for that info John - we had some redclaw given to us last week - cooked them up - they were ok dipped in chilli sauce - but a lot of work to get a very little meat we thought.
There was a redclaw competition at Apex Park, Longreach on the weekend - one of the guys from the camp got one that was 300mm long!
Big Gorilla said
08:54 AM May 5, 2014
One of the best spots I've found for prolific red claw, is the dam at Emerald, Qld...
Oma said
11:04 AM May 5, 2014
We went dam hopping in November last year for redclaw. Started at Bjelke-Peterson,then Boondooma to Wuruma then Awonga. Various success at the dams but we live the sweet soft meat so much more than prawns. We do in cream & garlic, soy & honey or natural. Check out my blog of our trip.
-- Edited by Oma on Monday 5th of May 2014 11:06:21 AM
Cupie said
08:17 PM May 5, 2014
I'm very much a Red Claw lover .... Love catching them, Like cleaning them, Love cooking them & Love eating them.
Most of us are aware that they are native to the Gulf rivers and have a bag limit up there. But they are an introduced species in South East Queensland where they are treated as 'vermin' with no bag limit & no return to the waterways. The limit of 4 traps per person however applies along with the standard trap regulations relating to mesh size & marking.
Technique makes light of the task of preparation ..
- Cleaning .. Wear gardening gloves & twist off the head. Use a pair of long nose pliers to twist off the center of the three tails & gently pull out the black 'vein'.
- Storing .. Rinse once or twice in very salty water ....
If you wish to shell them before packaging, LIGHTLY blanch them & cool in clean salty water. Press the heel of your hand firmly on the side or back of the shell to crack it. Use thumbs & forefingers to exert outwards pressure along the sides of the body to crack it open & then extract the flesh with a table fork. Some people use kitchen scissors to cut along the inside edges of the shell to expose the flesh.
I prefer to store them 'green' ie without blanching or shelling. The flesh is very difficult to remove unless first blanched or frozen.
In any case loosely fill zip lock bags with the 'de tailed' red claw. Gently immerse the open bag to just below the top in a bucket of clean salty water allowing a little to enter the bag. This action is designed to expel air from the bag before sealing.
I freeze them for up to 3 months.
Cooking .... I often serve them as a starter/entree at our BBQs where they are always eagerly consumed.
A favorite recipe is to heat garlic & chilli jam in a cast iron frypan with olive oil and butter. Halve the 'in shell' red claw length ways. I use a cleaver. Cook for a minute on the flesh side & then turn for another minute or so until the shell turns red. Sprinkle with finely chopped parsley & ground parmeson cheese. Adding a little cream to the pan produces a fantastic sauce. I usually serve them in lettuce leaf cups or just in the pan with tongs & lots of paper towels.
edit .. Sorry forgot to include lashings of sweet chilli sauce in with the garlic & chilli
The flesh is easily extracted with a fork starting at the tail end.
Cooking shelled blanched red claw - Be careful not to over cook them or they will be tough. Do the same as above but add a fair bit of cream during the cooking.
A friend prefers using the 3 cheeses sauce mix with the cream instead of the chilli & garlic.
After freezing & thawing the flesh can be extracted from the split shell using a fork.
In fact you can substitute red claw for prawn in almost any recipe. Blanched peeled red claw tossed in salt & lime juice in a salad in great too.
-- Edited by Cupie on Monday 5th of May 2014 08:20:27 PM
-- Edited by Cupie on Tuesday 6th of May 2014 01:04:02 PM
Haji-Baba said
08:50 PM May 5, 2014
Good read G.C.
We spend a bit of time getting into the RedClaw at most of the dams.
Your info will no doubt be of great use to the new chasers and the cooking recipies you have outlined are spot on.
I have found that however you cook them is great and just to boil them I use as much Sugar as Salt.
We have often smoked them in a big wok.
Very simple, tailed, split, marinated in salt sugar and soy sauce, couple of hours, drained, par cooked, (baked on a rack) in the wok lid on, till the meat goes white, only a few minutes.
Then a parcel of sawdust wrapped in alfoil placed in the bottom of the wok under the rack, and when the smoke ceases crays are done. Lid on.
Two cups of S.D. is usually enough, poke holes in the foil to let the smoke out.
Worth a try, experiment with times and methods.
Have fun Haji-Baba
sandsmere said
07:19 AM May 6, 2014
The old yabbie. Great tucker.
I've been catching and eating them for over 60 years . Not quite as advanced as you are Cupie. Just boil them and shell them straight away.
Don't use gloves, pliers, scissors or any other utensils, just the old fingers.
Freeze for up to 2 months and cook them with whatever takes your fancy . Only enough to heat them as they can get a bit tough.
barrie said
07:02 PM May 6, 2014
Just left Waruma after a week of clawing and now at bonyedale bush camp doing some more clawing ,geeeeeeeeeeeeee it's a hard life being a nomad
JayDee said
03:06 PM May 7, 2014
I have found that one needs a boat to get out to the better banks, where the RC are more plentiful. We do not have a boat, so at a bit of a disadvantage here.
However we still catch a feed from the dam banks.
Love RC. We behead them and the remove the waste vein, then cook, and I then cut the body in half with a big sharp knife and remove the flesh.
Served in many of the fashions described above.
4 nets per person ( 2x4)= 8 nets so we can get a feed from the banks.
If any one has a better idea as to how to gain a bigger catch from the dam banks, please share.
Jay&Dee
Highwayman said
03:44 PM May 7, 2014
About needing a boat for rc we had a lovely elderly lady ( just ask john he was cracking on to her ) who by the name of pearl astounded me & john by putting 4 nets in by her van 2 ft water next morning 5 big rc s...I canoed half way round the bloody lake putting in my nets...nada..I gave up then pearl you were a gem......
laurieoz said
03:51 PM May 7, 2014
Can you tell me what is the preferred bait to add to the trap?
Cupie said
05:01 PM May 7, 2014
Red claw are omnivorous ...
We find rock melon the best but usually bait up with some cheap dog pellets and a mix of rock melon & water melon chunks in pouches made from gutter guard.
Some people use sunlight soap but I don't like putting soap into the waterways.
Par boiled potatoes are supposed to be OK. But then so are frozen corn cobs.
Others use any local produce that is available & cheap like over ripe avacados or mangoes.
A tin of cat food with a few holes punched in it is OK too.
As mentioned bait pouches can be made from strong gutter guard or I have seen some people using those take away containers with several holes drilled thru sides top & bottom. Panty hose seem to get ripped to bits too easily.
sheles said
03:44 PM May 11, 2014
We go to Fairbairn Dam @ Emerald twice a year, we only use good quality dog biscuits and get 100's
We freeze them in zip lock bags - no blanching, just de-head and de-vein.
Regarding using after they have been frozen, I just cut the tails in half with kitchen scissors and pull the meat out.
Onto the cooking and eating, we roll them in Salt and Pepper Seasoning ( Tandaco brand ) from Woolies / Coles, and lightly cook them in a little spray Bran oil in the wok or fry pan.
Beautiful
-- Edited by sheles on Sunday 11th of May 2014 03:47:26 PM
Cupie said
08:32 PM May 11, 2014
sheles wrote:
We go to Fairbairn Dam @ Emerald twice a year, we only use good quality dog biscuits and get 100's
We freeze them in zip lock bags - no blanching, just de-head and de-vein.
Regarding using after they have been frozen, I just cut the tails in half with kitchen scissors and pull the meat out.
Onto the cooking and eating, we roll them in Salt and Pepper Seasoning ( Tandaco brand ) from Woolies / Coles, and lightly cook them in a little spray Bran oil in the wok or fry pan.
Beautiful
-- Edited by sheles on Sunday 11th of May 2014 03:47:26 PM
Do you ever have problems with lost or robbed pots at Fairbairn?
A friend of mine used to spend 3 or 4 months at Karumba & then come home to empty out his freezers of fish & then go up to Fairbairn for 4 to 6 weeks to fill up with red claw. He used to talk about people either loosing their pots or having them opened & the catch stolen.
Doesn't go up to Fairbairn these days choosing the tranquility of Southport instead.
sheles said
06:58 AM May 12, 2014
No we don't have that problem as we go to private property to access the Dam, but have heard pot raiding is pretty bad on the public areas.
Whilst at Wuruma Dam recently there discussions about whether or not a license was needed to catch redclaw, I was looking at the requisite Qld Government website and found the following answer.
Do you need a permit to catch redclaw crayfish?
No, you only need a permit if using a fishing line or set line. You don't need a permit if you are only using traps.
There was also discussion about pensioner licenses (S I P)
Frequently asked questions about stocked impoundment permits
How much is the permit?
A discount is given for the following entitlement cards:
Suggesting that pensioners do need permits to fish in S I P areas.
John
There was a redclaw competition at Apex Park, Longreach on the weekend - one of the guys from the camp got one that was 300mm long!
One of the best spots I've found for prolific red claw, is the dam at Emerald, Qld...
We went dam hopping in November last year for redclaw. Started at Bjelke-Peterson,then Boondooma to Wuruma then Awonga. Various success at the dams but we live the sweet soft meat so much more than prawns. We do in cream & garlic, soy & honey or natural. Check out my blog of our trip.
http://bkmcl.wordpress.com/2013/11/
-- Edited by Oma on Monday 5th of May 2014 11:06:21 AM
I'm very much a Red Claw lover .... Love catching them, Like cleaning them, Love cooking them & Love eating them.
Most of us are aware that they are native to the Gulf rivers and have a bag limit up there. But they are an introduced species in South East Queensland where they are treated as 'vermin' with no bag limit & no return to the waterways. The limit of 4 traps per person however applies along with the standard trap regulations relating to mesh size & marking.
Technique makes light of the task of preparation ..
- Cleaning .. Wear gardening gloves & twist off the head. Use a pair of long nose pliers to twist off the center of the three tails & gently pull out the black 'vein'.
- Storing .. Rinse once or twice in very salty water ....
If you wish to shell them before packaging, LIGHTLY blanch them & cool in clean salty water. Press the heel of your hand firmly on the side or back of the shell to crack it. Use thumbs & forefingers to exert outwards pressure along the sides of the body to crack it open & then extract the flesh with a table fork. Some people use kitchen scissors to cut along the inside edges of the shell to expose the flesh.
I prefer to store them 'green' ie without blanching or shelling. The flesh is very difficult to remove unless first blanched or frozen.
In any case loosely fill zip lock bags with the 'de tailed' red claw. Gently immerse the open bag to just below the top in a bucket of clean salty water allowing a little to enter the bag. This action is designed to expel air from the bag before sealing.
I freeze them for up to 3 months.
Cooking .... I often serve them as a starter/entree at our BBQs where they are always eagerly consumed.
A favorite recipe is to heat garlic & chilli jam in a cast iron frypan with olive oil and butter. Halve the 'in shell' red claw length ways. I use a cleaver. Cook for a minute on the flesh side & then turn for another minute or so until the shell turns red. Sprinkle with finely chopped parsley & ground parmeson cheese. Adding a little cream to the pan produces a fantastic sauce. I usually serve them in lettuce leaf cups or just in the pan with tongs & lots of paper towels.
edit .. Sorry forgot to include lashings of sweet chilli sauce in with the garlic & chilli
The flesh is easily extracted with a fork starting at the tail end.
Cooking shelled blanched red claw - Be careful not to over cook them or they will be tough. Do the same as above but add a fair bit of cream during the cooking.
A friend prefers using the 3 cheeses sauce mix with the cream instead of the chilli & garlic.
After freezing & thawing the flesh can be extracted from the split shell using a fork.
In fact you can substitute red claw for prawn in almost any recipe. Blanched peeled red claw tossed in salt & lime juice in a salad in great too.
-- Edited by Cupie on Monday 5th of May 2014 08:20:27 PM
-- Edited by Cupie on Tuesday 6th of May 2014 01:04:02 PM
Good read G.C.
We spend a bit of time getting into the RedClaw at most of the dams.
Your info will no doubt be of great use to the new chasers and the cooking recipies you have outlined are spot on.
I have found that however you cook them is great and just to boil them I use as much Sugar as Salt.
We have often smoked them in a big wok.
Very simple, tailed, split, marinated in salt sugar and soy sauce, couple of hours, drained, par cooked, (baked on a rack) in the wok lid on, till the meat goes white, only a few minutes.
Then a parcel of sawdust wrapped in alfoil placed in the bottom of the wok under the rack, and when the smoke ceases crays are done. Lid on.
Two cups of S.D. is usually enough, poke holes in the foil to let the smoke out.
Worth a try, experiment with times and methods.
Have fun Haji-Baba
The old yabbie. Great tucker.
I've been catching and eating them for over 60 years . Not quite as advanced as you are Cupie. Just boil them and shell them straight away.
Don't use gloves, pliers, scissors or any other utensils, just the old fingers.
Freeze for up to 2 months and cook them with whatever takes your fancy . Only enough to heat them as they can get a bit tough.
However we still catch a feed from the dam banks.
Love RC. We behead them and the remove the waste vein, then cook, and I then cut the body in half with a big sharp knife and remove the flesh.
Served in many of the fashions described above.
4 nets per person ( 2x4)= 8 nets so we can get a feed from the banks.
If any one has a better idea as to how to gain a bigger catch from the dam banks, please share.
Jay&Dee
Red claw are omnivorous ...
We find rock melon the best but usually bait up with some cheap dog pellets and a mix of rock melon & water melon chunks in pouches made from gutter guard.
Some people use sunlight soap but I don't like putting soap into the waterways.
Par boiled potatoes are supposed to be OK. But then so are frozen corn cobs.
Others use any local produce that is available & cheap like over ripe avacados or mangoes.
A tin of cat food with a few holes punched in it is OK too.
As mentioned bait pouches can be made from strong gutter guard or I have seen some people using those take away containers with several holes drilled thru sides top & bottom. Panty hose seem to get ripped to bits too easily.
We go to Fairbairn Dam @ Emerald twice a year, we only use good quality dog biscuits and get 100's
We freeze them in zip lock bags - no blanching, just de-head and de-vein.
Regarding using after they have been frozen, I just cut the tails in half with kitchen scissors and pull the meat out.
Onto the cooking and eating, we roll them in Salt and Pepper Seasoning ( Tandaco brand ) from Woolies / Coles, and lightly cook them in a little spray Bran oil in the wok or fry pan.
Beautiful
-- Edited by sheles on Sunday 11th of May 2014 03:47:26 PM
Do you ever have problems with lost or robbed pots at Fairbairn?
A friend of mine used to spend 3 or 4 months at Karumba & then come home to empty out his freezers of fish & then go up to Fairbairn for 4 to 6 weeks to fill up with red claw. He used to talk about people either loosing their pots or having them opened & the catch stolen.
Doesn't go up to Fairbairn these days choosing the tranquility of Southport instead.
No we don't have that problem as we go to private property to access the Dam, but have heard pot raiding is pretty bad on the public areas.