Normally I would agree, but these crayfish are native, and they are not "domesticated" they can survive in the wild easily. I also have a grass carp that I asked a nearby lake offical, and they said they would happily take both the crayfish and the grass carp.
If worse comes to worse, I will have plenty of bait for bass fishing :thm:
You still shouldn't do that. Crayfish can pick up parasites, diseases, etc in captivity that you would be introducing into a system that didn't have them before.
For example, if you've fed or allowed your crayfish to consume any shrimp or snails, they could have a variety of worm-like parasites, such as flukes, that use snails as vectors. Or could have contracted WSSV, which is carried by shrimp (FW & SW, and even in prepared form), which is lethal to crayfish. (Note, these are examples, not end alls. There's still many other things that can be contracted in captivity.)
Also, unless you are releasing them into the same area in which you obtained them you are potentially upsetting an existing habitat. Certain species of crayfish are more herbivorous/carnivorous and aggressive/passive. They could overtake a particular food source or existing species in a new environment. (as evident by the numerous invasive species in most states, and in other countries)
So, please think more in depth before considering releasing them into the wild. Also, if you choose to use them as bait, you should freeze them first because the same issues mentioned above have the potential of occurring.
Rehoming, handing over to proper authorities or organizations, etc should be preferred over releasing captive animals into the wild. It's not always a matter of whether they can survive or not, sometimes other things come into play.
