A ‘Mud Bug’ feast

M ud bugs, crawfish, crawdads, or crayfish (a Yankee term) are usually associated with Louisiana, but they are popular all over the South.

Around the 1st of March, crawdad cook outs become very popular and a social event enjoyed with friends and neighbors. Some businesses use crawfish boils to entertain customers and clients.

Burton Irwin and Amy Gairhan were hosts last Saturday at the John Deere Dealership. This is an annual event enjoyed by about 40-50 folks. Serious eating begins about 2 p.m., but the cooking and works kicks off about 11 a.m. These crawfish are bought from Billy Crumbly in Southaven.

The bugs come in 30-40 pound mesh sacks and are alive and fresh. There are always “fixin’s” which is usually corn, sausage, mushrooms, taters, and almost anything that the host likes to serve with the main course and are put in cookers first.

That way when the crawdads and shrimp are cooked they are hot and ready to eat.

Usually long tables are prepared with plastic sheeting large holes in the middle that go directly into the garbage cans. Eaters just peel, eat, and throw the heads into the garbage hole. That gets rid of the unwanted and allows more room for more bugs and shrimp. It is surprising how many crawfish and shrimp that can be eaten just standing around and visiting. The ladies appear to hold their own with the men when it comes to peeling and eating. Before cooking, the crawdads have to “purged” by putting them in large tubs of fresh water and stirred to clean their systems of muddy water. After all, they are mud bugs.

While the crawfish are being purged, the “fixings” are being cooked in large propane heaters at high temperatures. The guests of honor, namely the bugs, are cooked.

All serious cooks have secret ingredients that are added to give the meal that special taste. There is always too much to eat and guests can carry home trays of food for a late night supper. These cookouts are definitely not a place to lose weight! This is truly a social event and fun time to get a full tummy and to visit with old friends and make new ones. A special thanks to Burton and Amy and all the other folks that helped put on a wonderful Saturday afternoon.

In other news: A week of warm nice weather has started to get the fish in a biting mood. Wapanocca had had several anglers and the lakes appears to be in great shape. The crappie are always the first to get hungry.

The spillway had several fishermen and the fishing was pretty good. The lake fisherman experienced spotty fishing, but a few are loading the ice box with slabs. They are using electronics and finding the fish bunched up.

Horseshoe crappie are mainly harvested by the spider riggers, but several fishermen say they have started using the cypress around Happy Jack. The weekend was dominated with high winds and rain. Horseshoe can be very dangerous with high winds.

Midway has high water and it will be a couple of weeks before the fishing gets serous. The fishing is about to “get right’, so take the family and get supper. Be sure to take pictures and send them to Papa Duck. Lakeside is working on ducks and we are preparing to mount some nice fish quickly at a reasonable rate. That trophy will sure look good on the wall.

Thanks again to Irwin and Amy for a wonderful cook out and even better company.

Papa Duck Lakeside Taxidermy 901-482-3430 jhcriner@hotmail.com

Photos courtesy of John Criner

Garrett Casey with a box full of slab crappie opening day at Wapanocca using minnows.

Flashback photo: A banded snow goose from a hunt 6 years ago in northern Canada.

Noah Brawley with the spoils from a snow goose hunt at First Flight guide service west of Wynne.

John Criner

Outdoors Columnist