Sounds like a once in a life time to me...Off the beach is very rare.
Crayfish will take a bait on a line, no probs. In fact using a baited line with no hook, is probably the most common way of catching yabbies in Australia, which are a type of fresh water crayfish.
Google, which knows everything, knows nothing and what Google does not know I know and between the two of us know it all's we know nothing about catching crayfish on a beach....haha...Yeah, go on read it again
Yep, looks like a 'once in a life time' to me.
It will be interesting to see if anyone else has caught crayfish / lobster off a beach...
itsaboat mate...Life is just a boat and then ya marry one !