Washing crawfish is about rinsing away mud and debris and sorting the catch before it reaches the pot. It does not require hours of soaking, and it should not leave live crawfish trapped in standing water.
Use cool, clean water
Place a manageable amount of crawfish in a clean basket, tub with an open drain, or dedicated wash container. Rinse gently with cool potable water, agitate by hand or paddle, and let the dirty water drain completely. Repeat until the runoff is substantially clearer. Do not leave the crawfish submerged between rinses.
Sort while you rinse
Remove sticks, grass, broken debris, and any crawfish that are dead before cooking. Live crawfish should show movement. Keep the cleaned batch cool and shaded until it goes directly into the pot.
Buy close to boil time
In Starkville, Brewski’s sells live crawfish during the season. Check its Facebook page before pickup because supply and market price change with each catch. Bring a ventilated plan for transport and cook the crawfish as soon as practical.