Oftentimes people don't think of many smaller animals as a food source. But even thinks as small as minnows, and of course crawdads, can be eaten too. My Dad lived in Guatemala for two years, and he learned many things from the indiginous people there. One such thing was to never ignore a food source, including extremely small fish.
First, to catch minnow simply use a small hand net, seine, cast net, or a minnow trap like the homemade one shown. Any fish that are small enough to cook through both sides quickly will suffice, along with infinitely small minnows. Crawdads are usually found by uncovering rocks in a creek and grabbing them. It's best to catch at least enough crawdads and minnows to cover a plate to make them worth cooking. We usually bring a bucket to the nearby creeks and catch as many as possible.
After catching the minnows and crawdads, take the minnows and sqeeze the guts out of each one. It usually is a quick process, and doesn't require extreme attention to make sure every little bit of entrail is out of the tiny fish. Anything left in the fish will be cooked through, and the biggest reason for removing the guts is for the taste. Then, fry them like you would anything else, with a little bit of oil in a pan. Start a pot on the stove, and once it is boiling fast put the live crawdads in. They die immediately in the heat and they can be removed as soon as they all turn bright red. Let cool, and enjoy a plate of crunchy minnows and crawdad tails (I like the minnows with ketchup). Spice to your preference.
On previous birthday parties, after it got dark and the minnows are asleep and the crawdads are out, my Dad has took me and my friends down the creek. We brought a bucket, some nets and a few flashlights, then had a blast trudging through the creek, catching minnows and crawdads and whatever else we came upon. Then, we went home and fried it all and had all my friends try minnows and crawdads for the first time. As far as I know, only one friend didn't like the minnows, and the rest didn't mind them at all.
