The season for California crawfish or Signal crayfish runs from July to October. Nguyen told Chron that longtime crawfish customers who come during the offseason can immediately tell the difference.

Plastic traps are spaced across the water, baited with a commercial bait that attracts crawfish. Traps are lifted from the water, emptied and returned with fresh bait.

Recreational crawfishers in Louisiana may see a new requirement in the months ahead as the state seeks to cut down on the number of abandoned traps.