Has anyone used a crawfish trap?

[Ohioguy25]

What is the best bait to use? I ordered this one from Amazon made by Frabill, got tons of good reviews, as well as this little bait cage made for carp/catfish to suspend in the middle allowing fish to feed but containing bait:

 

https://www.amazon.com/Frabill-Crawfish-Trap/dp/B08DPQBKRD

 

https://www.amazon.com/BESPORTBLE-Stainless-Fishing-Basket-Feeder/dp/B07ZRYS3FC

 

Will this combination work, or am I better off putting bait in a stocking?

 

What kind of bait should I use? Thanks!

 

 

 

 

[camman]

Yup used that trap plenty of times and worked great.  I would just throw a raw chicken leg in there and soak it overnight. My buddy would also use a can of cat food and just crack the lid a bit.

[Ohioguy25]

13 minutes ago, camman said:

Yup used that trap plenty of times and worked great.  I would just throw a raw chicken leg in there and soak it overnight. My buddy would also use a can of cat food and just crack the lid a bit.

Cool, thanks! What do you think of the second device I liked, the bait cage? Will that help, should I put a raw chicken drumstick in there?

[J._Bricker]

A piece of store bought Tilapia or a bluegill from your local waters secured inside by a piece of wire @Ohioguy25

[Ohioguy25]

13 minutes ago, J._Bricker said:

A piece of store bought Tilapia or a bluegill from your local waters secured inside by a piece of wire @Ohioguy25

Does it have to be from local waters? Do you mean like from the same city or just state that I live in?

[camman]

3 hours ago, Ohioguy25 said:

Cool, thanks! What do you think of the second device I liked, the bait cage? Will that help, should I put a raw chicken drumstick in there?

No need chicken is tough enough.  People also use bacon which will need to go in the cage

[Ohioguy25]

51 minutes ago, camman said:

No need chicken is tough enough.  People also use bacon which will need to go in the cage

Oops already ordered lol.  Should I put chicken in there or is it better exposed? Is chicken a lot more effective than bacon? What about fish, better than chicken?

[WRB]

Any oily meat works. Fish heads are common bait, bacon works good just Rolo it up and used a quick tie. Tie a cord on the trap so you can retreive it.

1 trap is unusual, you may need several traps.

Tom

 

[Ohioguy25]

54 minutes ago, WRB said:

Any oily meat works. Fish heads are common bait, bacon works good just Rolo it up and used a quick tie. Tie a cord on the trap so you can retreive it.

1 trap is unusual, you may need several traps.

Tom

 

Raw bacon or cooked? You think it’s better in or out of a bait cage like the one I linked?

[camman]

2 hours ago, Ohioguy25 said:

Oops already ordered lol.  Should I put chicken in there or is it better exposed? Is chicken a lot more effective than bacon? What about fish, better than chicken?

I would just toss a chicken leg in there, I never used a cage so I can’t compare with/with out.  As for the best bait (chicken/bacon/fish) you really need to experiment  and see which one they prefer.  If you use bacon it’s raw and should go in the cage to make it easy

[Ohioguy25]

Just now, camman said:

I would just toss a chicken leg in there, I never used a cage so I can’t compare with/with out.  As for the best bait (chicken/bacon/fish) you really need to experiment  and see which one they prefer.

Just toss it in there loose or string it so it is suspended in the middle? In the past I threw a hot dog in there loose and they were simply nibbling on it through the outside of the cage.

[Jonas Staggs]

8 hours ago, Ohioguy25 said:

What is the best bait to use? I ordered this one from Amazon made by Frabill, got tons of good reviews, as well as this little bait cage made for carp/catfish to suspend in the middle allowing fish to feed but containing bait:

 

https://www.amazon.com/Frabill-Crawfish-Trap/dp/B08DPQBKRD

 

https://www.amazon.com/BESPORTBLE-Stainless-Fishing-Basket-Feeder/dp/B07ZRYS3FC

 

Will this combination work, or am I better off putting bait in a stocking?

 

What kind of bait should I use? Thanks!

 

 

 

 

 

Hey, i catch crawfish, I havent in a long time, but I have several DIY traps I made. One just like the pic you posted as well. Just grab 2 wire mesh trash bins from the dollar store, cut a hole and zip tie them together. Setting multiple traps is always better. I would also grab canned dog food from the dollar store as well, if they have a liver flavor thats best. I would just toss it into a zip lock bag, poke some holes in it, and toss that in the trap. Sometimes the crawfish would end up getting at it from outside the trap but this way did good for the most part. You can always suspend it in the trap. Use the stocking like you mentioned, and just tie it across the trap so it stays horizontal. They eat pretty much anything. You can catch them with a line and hotdog or sausage too. Once they clip onto something, they dont let go, and you can just pull them out the water.

[Catt]

Y'all complicating a simple process ?

 

All ya need is a couple nets, ya can get 4 of from Academy for $8!

 

100% Cajun so yes I've caught a couple crawfish!

 

[roadwarrior]

[Ohioguy25]

2 hours ago, Catt said:

Y'all complicating a simple process ?

 

All ya need is a couple nets, ya can get 4 of from Academy for $8!

 

100% Cajun so yes I've caught a couple crawfish!

 

I think you’ve left a critical part out of this method.....

6 hours ago, Jonas Staggs said:

 

Hey, i catch crawfish, I havent in a long time, but I have several DIY traps I made. One just like the pic you posted as well. Just grab 2 wire mesh trash bins from the dollar store, cut a hole and zip tie them together. Setting multiple traps is always better. I would also grab canned dog food from the dollar store as well, if they have a liver flavor thats best. I would just toss it into a zip lock bag, poke some holes in it, and toss that in the trap. Sometimes the crawfish would end up getting at it from outside the trap but this way did good for the most part. You can always suspend it in the trap. Use the stocking like you mentioned, and just tie it across the trap so it stays horizontal. They eat pretty much anything. You can catch them with a line and hotdog or sausage too. Once they clip onto something, they dont let go, and you can just pull them out the water.

So you wouldn’t do a raw chicken wing?

[Spankey]

Chunk up a bluegill or if you have a catfish nugget or two throw it it there. 
 

I've been following your posts. I’m pretty impressed with your desire/work you put into live bait fishing. 
 

I bass fish 100% with lures, have for a real long time. You’ve raised question to fishing with lures in the past. I’m not gonna try to sway you one way or another. Stick to your comfort zone. Have fun. 

[snake95]

In my experience, as a kid, I used to catch craws by the boatload in a cool clear stream with a gravel bed in Ontario.  

 

I used a simple wire minnow trap.

 

I had never seen a craw before and didn't realize they lived there.  

 

I put a minnow trap in the water to catch minnows.  I might have got one or two chubs or shiners, but tons of craws.

 

I didn't use bait.  They just piled right into the minnow trap.  I can't be the only one that caught them in a minnow trap? 

[WRB]

10 hours ago, Ohioguy25 said:

Raw bacon or cooked? You think it’s better in or out of a bait cage like the one I linked?

Raw meats

[Spankey]

I would think in. As a kid we would put it inside. 

[J Francho]

Any raw meat will do. We always used sunfish and perch carcasses left from the fillets. Bait goes inside a trap. 

[Ohioguy25]

1 hour ago, Spankey said:

Chunk up a bluegill or if you have a catfish nugget or two throw it it there. 
 

I've been following your posts. I’m pretty impressed with your desire/work you put into live bait fishing. 
 

I bass fish 100% with lures, have for a real long time. You’ve raised question to fishing with lures in the past. I’m not gonna try to sway you one way or another. Stick to your comfort zone. Have fun. 

Thanks! Yeah man I will eventually transition into lures for practical reasons and for the challenge and variety, but yes I am quite enjoying the live bait right now. Something very primally satisfying about catching your bait and having a fish eat a live crawdad. Nightcrawlers not so much, but of course I bring them because they’re easy to get and cheap. Where do you fish, and what are your go to lures?

[Spankey]

46 minutes ago, Ohioguy25 said:

Thanks! Yeah man I will eventually transition into lures for practical reasons and for the challenge and variety, but yes I am quite enjoying the live bait right now. Something very primally satisfying about catching your bait and having a fish eat a live crawdad. Nightcrawlers not so much, but of course I bring them because they’re easy to get and cheap. Where do you fish, and what are your go to lures?

It’s all good. You know where you are comfortable. I like when you come on and post about the live bait side of things. Something different. You know by now your post are welcome. I’m sure your biggest obstacle is fish swallowing your bait. And for the most part if you are using a bronzed type hook that hook will rust away. Try to make a decent cut on the hook. But if you are eating them what’s the difference. 

[Catt]

4 hours ago, Ohioguy25 said:

I think you’ve left a critical part out of this method.....

 

What's the matter, too simple?

 

Tie your food source in the middle, water depth doesn't need to be any deeper that the net. Works in any water type.

[Jonas Staggs]

4 hours ago, Ohioguy25 said:

I think you’ve left a critical part out of this method.....

So you wouldn’t do a raw chicken wing?

 

Never tried that, the wet dog food works pretty good. They'll eat pretty much anything. Hotdog was good too. Just get out there and give it a shot. Its more important about finding where they are than the bait....chicken, liver, hot dog, sausage, bacon, any kind of meat will do the trick. 

[J Francho]

Who in their right mind would waste perfectly good bacon on a crawfish trap?