trizzy Posted March 20, 2008 Share Posted March 20, 2008 Hi, Can anyone please tell me how to make a crayfish net trap thing. I've seen one that my neighbours have which looks about the size of a pillow and has a flat bottom and an arched top, but they're in Paris now so i can't investigate further. My oh has made some sort of bendy garden fencing contraption which is nothing like the neighbours, and is trying to entice them in with some fish flavoured catfood wrapped in my popsock!!!!!!...........after two days he has caught only the one! but i think this is partially to do with the hole opening which is only about the size of a top of a mug...........Also i've seen my neighbours go out at night with torches, now i'm not sure if this is to help them see in the dark but having investigated on the net i'm now thinking this is something to do with catching the crayfish but it didn't explain why. One last question before i drive you all mad, what do they like eating, as they don't seem very keen on Whiskers. Any pics of nets etc would be fab. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Higgy Posted March 20, 2008 Share Posted March 20, 2008 Saw this and thought of you.http://www.trap-man.com/the-trap-man-crayfish-trap.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panda Posted March 20, 2008 Share Posted March 20, 2008 HelloWe have a trap which was left here when we bought the house, we tried it and it didn't work with a chicken carcass in it. We caught some by hand though but I have to say they really weren't that great to eat! I'm a bit of a softy and couldn't really bring my self to eat them after seeing them swimming about, I managed to taste one and didn't like it but that could be just in my head!!Where are you trying to catch them, river, stream, lake?? I think the trap has to suit the situation, you need a lobster pot set up, ours is huge and that was the problem I think.Panda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Posted March 20, 2008 Share Posted March 20, 2008 Apparently there are two types of crayfish or écrevisse in France. Mr Cat tells me that the écrevisse à pieds blancs used to be very common in France, and well worth eating, but then the American crayfish was introduced, and did the same thing to the native crayfish population that grey squirrels did for red in the UK.You don't say whereabouts you are in France, but in some departments it is forbidden to fish for crayfish outside of the "season", so that might account for the nocturnal visits. In the Rhone that season is three days in July! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemonimo Posted March 20, 2008 Share Posted March 20, 2008 I remember catching crayfish with my OH years ago and if I remember correctly he used a line with a chunk of liver on it. HE pulled out the line and there were dozens of the little blighters hanging on for dear life. He bought buckets home for supper but they escaped from the buckets and went walkabout in the back of the van. I believe it is illegal to transport them live as they are such a pest so you'll have to cook them on the spot so get out your camping gaz! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Punch Posted March 20, 2008 Share Posted March 20, 2008 Trizzy - One of my French employees fishes for them a lot and uses what is called a "balance" a picture of which is (hopefully) below. You need to put a sardine in the balance to catch them - he swears by this bait. Bring it up ( the balance not the sardine!) every 30 mins and you should have a few each time in the net. Some species are regarded as nusibles but he assures me they are absolutely delicious - better tha homard , and free!You will need a carte de peche and you can have up to 6 balances on the go. The best time to catcg them is just after daybreak and early evening. Hope this helps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trizzy Posted March 20, 2008 Author Share Posted March 20, 2008 I have seen these nets in leclerc so i think I will purchase one when i'm in there next, but the lake isn't very deep so do you think I should suspend the net from a stick on the ground or something similar?........Also is it necessary to have the fishing licence because my house sits at the edge of lake, as do a few other houses but it is a private lake only for the use of the people living here. However our little lake is fed from a much larger lake 'lac hourtin carcans' in the Blue Medoc so i'm not sure if this rule applies, and could possibly be why my neighbours are out there at night with torches!!!!!As you can all probably tell this fishing business is completely new for both of us, and as I don't even eat seafood or any type of fish i've quite surprised myself by getting involved with OH's efforts. I will try liver and the sardine, but can i put a sardine from a tin in the net or would i need to buy from the fish shop?All of this is so helpful, thank you all so much............T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panda Posted March 20, 2008 Share Posted March 20, 2008 Cat is right about the types, we have both, the larger redder american imports and the white/grey europeans which are becoming rare, we always let the europeans go, and eat the americans!On the licence front, as your lake is fed from another it may well be considered 'open water' which means I think you may need a licence. An annual licence is about 55 euros. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Chase Posted April 8, 2008 Share Posted April 8, 2008 If my memory serves me right, arn`t you meant to purge the crayfish in fresh water for a least a week before eating?If anyone knows if this is true I would be keen to find out as I love eating them but never around long enough on holidays to go through the process. Thanks, Dan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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