How to make a crayfish trap with your own hands at home

Step by step guide

The first step is to get rid of excess plastic material. To do this, cut out the neck in the narrowing area of the container, capturing a small rim.
We equip the base of the bottle with small diameter holes , allowing air masses to find a way out and increase the rate of sinking of the bottle to the surface of the bottom of the reservoir.
The neck should be inserted with the opposite side into the container and secured with ordinary fishing line.
We equip the bottom of the bottle with small diameter holes through which a wire should be threaded, which will serve as a latch for the bait.
Having made another hole in the bottle, we thread a rope through it to ensure convenient lifting of the device from the reservoir.

Shell made of nylon mesh

The rachevnya, made on the basis of a nylon mesh, received the second name “inkwell” among the people. To make such a trap you should stock up on:

fine nylon mesh;
wire cutters;
thick wire – 5 mm;
strong nylon thread.

The detailed step-by-step guide provided below will allow you to make a rachevnya without unnecessary difficulties:

Using ordinary wire, we construct two rings
Using ordinary wire, we construct two rings. The diameter of one of the rings should be about 40 cm, and the second should not exceed 19 cm.
The large ring is covered with a nylon mesh , maintaining an intermediate distance for the thread to pass through the hole (about 3 cm).
To prevent the trap from folding when immersed in a pond, spacers should be made. This design involves the use of three pieces of wire, each about 20 cm long.
One of the ends of each wire must be fixed to a ring of a larger diameter , and the second end is secured to a smaller ring using wire cutters.
The inkwell is covered with the edges of a nylon net , making a path around the holes and along the circumference of the rim.
To make using the trap comfortable , you should build a kind of handle from wire and fix it to the crayfish trap.

We use metal mesh

Traps made of metal mesh are easy to manufacture. Even a beginner can do this design. A metal rack will be quite durable and can last for quite a long period of time.

To build a trap you cannot do without:

strong wire;
nylon thread;
metal scissors;
metal mesh with a width of 1 m;
protective gloves.

Following the step-by-step guide will allow you to build a fishing device quickly:

You should have a cone-shaped shape with the top cut off.
Using metal scissors, we separate a piece of mesh (80x100 cm) from the roll.
Having given the mesh the shape of a cylinder, we fix the edges together using ordinary wire with a diameter of at least 25 cm.
Having outlined on the surface of the mesh the location of a semicircle with a radius of 25 cm, we cut it out. Having placed a point in the central part of the radius, measure 5 cm from it.
The formed circle , the radius of which is 5 cm, is cut out with metal scissors.
The result should be a cone-shaped shape with the top cut off.
A cone is lowered into the inner part of the cylinder, pointing its sharp end down. The extreme points of the cylinder should be connected to its body using wire.
The opposite side of the product is equipped with a cone-shaped mesh figure.
In the central part of the cylindrical shape, a rectangle (15x20 cm) is drawn from the mesh.
Using wire cutters, bite off the wire on three sides. There should be a kind of door that facilitates the passage of the bait into the trap.
The door should be secured with wire where the cuts are made.
The extreme sides of the crayfish are equipped with a rope , which will facilitate the process of removing the crayfish from the reservoir.

Classic type shell

A simple classic-type crayfish catcher, which can be purchased in a store, consists of two metal hoops, where the diameter of the lower hoop is slightly larger than the second hoop. Its usual size is 70 cm. The upper hoop is slightly smaller, which creates a cone covered with mesh. The entire structure is connected by guy wires, which converge in the center and are attached to the supporting main cable. The rim that forms between the hoops does not allow the crayfish to escape, as they could do if they got caught in a homemade flat crayfish trap made of mesh. Therefore, when using a simple classic crayfish hook made of two hoops, there is no need to frequently check the tackle.

Lures for crayfish

Experienced fishermen believe that the most effective complementary foods for crayfish are:

Canned peas are an excellent bait for crayfish.
Rye baked goods combined with garlic. After making a small indentation in fresh baked goods, rub it with garlic (at least 2 cloves are required, which will increase the speed of distribution of aromas in the water area). If the crayfish catcher is immersed in a body of water for a long period of time, there is a risk of the flour product quickly becoming soggy. In this situation, it is advisable to wrap the delicacy in nylon fabric.
Fish meat (bream, roach) or chicken. An important condition is the freshness of the delicacies cut into portions.
Alternatively, you can catch frogs for free and, after removing their skin, offer them to crayfish as lunch.
In the cold season, you can use canned peas as bait , placed in a mesh of gauze folded in the shape of a bag. You can enhance the effectiveness of the product by adding a little dried dill to the mesh.
Fishermen also actively offer crayfish a mixture of makukha with grasshoppers and mixed canned food of various types of fish.

Types of crayfish

A fish catcher is a special device that significantly speeds up and simplifies the fishing process. Using this design, you don’t have to comb the bottom of the reservoir or wander along the shore with a flashlight: the crayfish themselves will swim to the fishing spot and fall into the trap (Figure 1).

It is not at all necessary to buy a ready-made clamshell: you can easily make such a design with your own hands, even without special skills.

All ranches are divided into two groups, each with its own advantages and disadvantages:

Closed-type shells:
as a rule, they have a folding design. Such devices are very easy to make with your own hands, and the finished design is extremely easy to use and brings a good catch. In addition, such ranches are very easy to transport, which is especially important if the body of water is located far away. The structure is simply installed in the water column and checked every 5-7 hours.
Open structures: larger, so transporting them is much more difficult. In addition, they need to be checked every 30-50 minutes. Since the structure is open, crayfish can easily get out.

Figure 1. Main types of crayfish
There is also another classification, according to which crayfish are divided into plastic, devices such as screen, inkwell, top and umbrella.

How to catch

Despite the fact that even a beginner can master such coveted prey, there are a number of recommendations that will increase the degree of efficiency and productivity of fishing:

To speed up the process of attracting arthropods to the trap, you should take care in advance of a high-quality aroma that will quickly spread in the reservoir. Pre-frying it over a fire will give the meat bait maximum efficiency.
An equally important condition is the successful location of the delicacy in the trap. It should be fixed with wire directly in the central part of the bed. Don't skimp and put too small pieces. Large representatives of arthropods are attracted to large portions. Crayfish are very gluttonous, so they happily gobble up their dinner to the end without worrying about leaving the ranch. Only after finishing the meal does the prey go in search of a way out, but only a select few manage to leave the crayfish trap.
When going into a pond to cast a homemade device, you should choose a place with a suitable depth. It is advisable not to abandon structures in areas with a depth of more than 1.7 meters. Experts advise leaving the crayfish trap in the water for 5-8 hours. However, a trap placed for such a long period of time must be filled with a large volume of bait. Otherwise, its use is inappropriate.
Very often, beginners are faced with the question “how to install traps correctly?” Considering the presence of reeds along the entire shallow water, it is quite reasonable to use a floating device in this situation. To ensure that the ravine does not disappear from view, you can tie a foam float to the top of the rope. If there is no boat, the structure can be thrown from the shoreline. To do this, you will need a long stick with a kind of slingshot on one side. Before casting, you should take the stick in your right hand, and the cord in your left and, securing the trap with a slingshot, lower it into the water surface. One of the ends of the rope is fixed to a tree branch or reed.
When choosing a fishing location, it is worth considering that arthropods live in clean reservoirs with a large supply of oxygen. Based on these considerations, it is worth giving preference to fishing in river waters. Also an important factor in the possible habitat of crayfish is the presence of a large number of stones on the surface of the bottom of the reservoir.

Taking into account the above recommendations, you can provide yourself with a hefty catch.

When going into a body of water to cast a homemade device, you should choose a place with a suitable depth.

Do-it-yourself clamshell: drawings, dimensions, photos

How to make a crayfish with your own hands: drawings, dimensions, photos and videos of making a crayfish at home, also several videos on how to catch crayfish and what bait to use.

In this article we will look at making the simplest and most practical trap for catching crayfish; anyone can make it using available materials.

The figure shows a diagram of the shell.

Varieties and designs of crayfish traps.

This is the kind of crayfish trap we will make.

To make it you will need simple materials:

Wire 3 – 4 mm thick.
Rope mesh (mesh diameter 10 - 15 mm).
Nylon rope or fishing line.

You can make a simple crayfish catcher at home; let’s take a closer look at the manufacturing process of this device.

You need to bend a ring with a diameter of 40–45 cm from the wire; this will be the bottom of the basket. Then we bend a smaller ring, 25–30 cm in diameter, this will be the top of the basket and the entrance hole through which the crayfish will fall into the trap.

We stretch the mesh over the lower large ring, pull one end of the ring through the mesh cells, and tie the mesh to the ring with ropes.

Now you need to bend two V-shaped handles from the wire, which we attach to the bottom ring; these handles allow you to fold and unfold the crayfish trap.

We fasten the upper ring, tie the mesh to it, so that the distance between the upper and lower ring is 12 - 18 cm.

That's it, our crayfish trap is ready for use.

To catch crayfish, it is advisable to make several of these traps at once.

If you have never caught crayfish with such a device, then of course you are interested in the question of what bait to use and how to set up crayfish traps.

As bait for crayfish, you can take both fresh and spoiled fish, small frozen capelin or sprat, and fish offal. The bait must be tied to the bottom of the crayfish trap.

The most convenient way to set traps from a boat is to tie a fishing line or rope with one end to the trap and the other to a piece of foam plastic, so that you can see where the crayfish trap is and you can get it out of the water.

If there is no boat, then you can set crayfish traps from the shore using a long stick, and tie the rope to bushes or to a peg on the shore.

Interesting video about making a clamshell and using it correctly

Another video: how to fish with a crayfish from a boat.

The video shows the principle of operation of a device for catching crayfish, underwater photography.

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Blitz tips

It is best to store caught crayfish in cages made of wooden planks
It is most effective to hunt for arthropods at night , namely between 10:30 p.m. and 4:00 a.m.
It has been noticed that the prey caught at the end of summer has truly tasty meat. This is explained by the fact that during this period of time arthropods are very active and quite often trophy specimens, the meat of which can truly be considered a delicacy, fall into the trap.
It is best to store caught crayfish in cages made of wooden planks. In the absence of such a design, storage in a metal mesh is possible.
Considering the possible consumption of their relatives by arthropods, they should be kept in cages for a minimum period of time. If fishing continues for more than a day and the catch is forced to remain in cages, then feeding should be done periodically. Nettles, potatoes and pea stalks are ideal for these purposes.
The catch should be transported without water. It is recommended to place arthropods in plastic boxes in one row, not forgetting to lay some fresh grass or nettles on the bottom. Under no circumstances should transportation be carried out on hot days. It is better to postpone the trip and hit the road at night.

Benefits of crayfish

Harvesting is a fast and highly effective method of catching arthropods. The fishing process using this device is simple:

a special bait is placed;
sinks to the bottom of the reservoir;
installed on the bottom and secured;
left for a certain time;
is taken out every 2-3 hours in order to control the catch.

To ensure that the catch does not disappoint, two main factors should be taken into account:

direction of the current (subject to catching crayfish in the river);
quality of complementary foods.

For complementary feeding, choose exclusively fresh fish, as well as some varieties of fruits and vegetables. You can make bran balls with pepper.

Never use rotten fish. Contrary to popular belief, it does not attract crayfish at all.