Crayfish Drift on The Navarro, Anyone? (no dates set)

  One thing I've always wanted to do is a group crayfish drift on the Navarro River, the more the merrier.  The Navarro is famous for it's big tasty Signal Crayfish. The idea would be to Camp at Dimmick Park, and park a shuttle vehicle down by the bridge at Highway 1.

I have ten good crayfish traps.  These would be set in the morning, near the launch (at Dimmick?).  Then we would drift downriver, and just enjoy the scenery, or catch and release steelhead. We could also do some snorkel diving in the river, just for fun.  Have a picnic lunch on the riverbank somewhere, then drift down to the shuttle by the bridge, load up, head back up to camp at Dimmick, pick up the crays, and have a crayfish feed around the campfire.

I could also bring lots of fresh picked California Mussels, in case we don't catch enough crays for dinner.  Garlic bread, salad, white wine or other favorite beverage.

Anyone interested?  Unfortunately I work on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, so my schedule might be tricky, but if we get a big enough group together, even if it turns out that I can't make the drift personally, I'd be glad to loan my traps to a responsible party and enjoy the trip vicariously.  Post here for anyone interested.  This probably won't happen until May, when the water is nice and clear yet full after the April rains.

Mmm...Crayfish!  Mmm...Mussels!  I'll bring the garlic butter.  Yum!

Cheers, -Matt

That is different and sounds super fun!

Sean, we haven't met yet, and I would be honored if you/White Family joined a fun day like that.  I hope our schedules can co-inside.  Maybe Dan and or Juan might also be interested?  I'm hoping for a large family group.

I'm pretty sure all the coastals close to steelhead end of this month...

So no steelhead.  That's okay, as it's all catch and release there anyway.  My main interest is the crayfish, with mussels or coastal catches for backup, and just having a bunch of fun on the water.  Great scenery on the Navarro too, I hear. 

Anyone with experience on the Navarro/ launch sites and best stretches to drift and haul out, please pitch in here with any info.  Does sometime in May sound good? How about Sunday-Monday the 25-26 of May, Memorial Day?  Open to suggestions for dates, just that I can't go Thursdays-Saturdays, and some Sundays also when I cater weddings.  An unfortunate schedule for me when I'm trying to meet more NCKAers. -Matt

Hi Matt:

        Try the "Hole" which is just west of PD or 10 miles East of the
Albion Mkt. Look for the Drain Pipe and Naked Locals.
                                                                  Ernie

Hi Ernie, Are you talking about the Navarro River (not The Albion).  What is "PD"?
And I assume those naked locals are all catch and release?    -Matt

Hi Matt:

  PD= Paul Dimmick State Park. I try to be cool and not look!
                                                                     
                                                                       

Yep.  I figure Dimmick Park would be the campground/launch site.  Not sure what the river is like there in Spring.  Anyone with experience there please chime in.  -Matt

Sounds like fun but
Not much water in that river in May it would be more like a drag instead of a drift, the tide water section is nice and doable but I don't know if Dads like Salt?

Crayfish can live fine in brackish water.  So maybe we'd need to launch further downstream from Dimick.  Anyone know of a launch site were the water will be high enough in late May to kayak?  Another idea is to forego Dimick as a camp, and camp at the big sunny fun campground at Albion.  We can dive and kayak fish in the beautiful Albion Bay, and kayak the river also.  I don't know if there are crayfish in the Albion.  Anyone have intel on that?  Ernie?  But is anyone interested in hooking up to do this?  I just don't know if anyone else is interested in crayfishing. Maybe not. They sure are good eatin' though, and the Signal crays are much bigger than the Louisiana Red crays.  -Matt

I'm down for Albion after rockies opens you can paddle for a few miles up river with the tide, don't know if is legal anymore but awesome perch fishing in the River.

I asked a few months ago about perch on the Albion River and I think it's legal, but I'll phone and double check tomorrow.  So maybe no one is interested in crayfishing The Navarro, but I sure am.  -Matt