Cleared out all my old bait and looking to buy £100 worth of readymade boilies and a few pellets to fish a new gravel pit with silt and lots of crayfish. Any type of boilie I should avoid please anyone and I'm also going to get plenty of tigers and maybe some chopped peanuts.
In reply to Post #1
Baits to avoid: real baits, pellets, particles, absolutely everything.
Crayfish will eat the lot.
Fishing on the silt may reduce problems as I've found crayfish don't like going on it, and will try to stick to harder bottom areas.
Meshing baits may help, but if crayfish are that bad, they will leave a ball of plastic on the hair.
You might need to go the wooden ball route
Baits to avoid: real baits, pellets, particles, absolutely everything.
Crayfish will eat the lot.
Fishing on the silt may reduce problems as I've found crayfish don't like going on it, and will try to stick to harder bottom areas.
Meshing baits may help, but if crayfish are that bad, they will leave a ball of plastic on the hair.
You might need to go the wooden ball route
In reply to Post #2
when life gives you crayfish,,, fish with crayfish.
when life gives you crayfish,,, fish with crayfish.
In reply to Post #3
So fishmeal nuts or fruity boilie make very little difference nick in your opinion?
So fishmeal nuts or fruity boilie make very little difference nick in your opinion?
In reply to Post #2
I'm not sure what Crays you've got in the UK.
But on the mainland, hard baits are working fine. So, hard boilies and tigers doing their job. Hard baits keeps them busy. Of course rebaiting every x hours helps to keep the spot baited up.
When hookbaits are wrapped in those super wraps from korda you can fish a night without being affraid everything is gone in the morning.
I'm not sure what Crays you've got in the UK.
But on the mainland, hard baits are working fine. So, hard boilies and tigers doing their job. Hard baits keeps them busy. Of course rebaiting every x hours helps to keep the spot baited up.
When hookbaits are wrapped in those super wraps from korda you can fish a night without being affraid everything is gone in the morning.
In reply to Post #5
American signal crayfish mostly! they are bigger than our native species, and some UK venues are plagued with them.
it's not impossible to overcome but it can be problematic with most baits as they eat just about anything, they even eat tungsten putty, and I have heard of them damaging lines too.
on the upside, larger fish like to eat them, accounting for good weights, and not just carp, barbel, chub, catfish, and of course pike and perch too, I'v eaten them myself, quite tasty.
American signal crayfish mostly! they are bigger than our native species, and some UK venues are plagued with them.
it's not impossible to overcome but it can be problematic with most baits as they eat just about anything, they even eat tungsten putty, and I have heard of them damaging lines too.
on the upside, larger fish like to eat them, accounting for good weights, and not just carp, barbel, chub, catfish, and of course pike and perch too, I'v eaten them myself, quite tasty.
In reply to Post #6
Sound a bit like those chinese minten crabs we have over here.
Sound a bit like those chinese minten crabs we have over here.
In reply to Post #6
I live in the lea valley,every pit has them we just learn to live with em🤣
Always fish plastic at night otherwise you'll be winding in a bare hook in the morning😖😖
I live in the lea valley,every pit has them we just learn to live with em🤣
Always fish plastic at night otherwise you'll be winding in a bare hook in the morning😖😖
In reply to Post #7
we have those too, but not generally a problem on enclosed waters. been present in the thames since 1935. and a few more rivers too.
supposedly good eating too.
we have those too, but not generally a problem on enclosed waters. been present in the thames since 1935. and a few more rivers too.
supposedly good eating too.
In reply to Post #1
Fish on the silt, don't fish in the margins as Crays love it around the edge of the lake. Fish with a Ronnie or similar rig with no hair as the hair will get snipped or the bait stop removed. Will be a bit trial and error on your particular lake, Tigers would be a good shout, flavoured fake corn/baits or wooden craft balls soaked in flavours. Turn the sensitivity on your alarms down 😄
Good luck 👍
Fish on the silt, don't fish in the margins as Crays love it around the edge of the lake. Fish with a Ronnie or similar rig with no hair as the hair will get snipped or the bait stop removed. Will be a bit trial and error on your particular lake, Tigers would be a good shout, flavoured fake corn/baits or wooden craft balls soaked in flavours. Turn the sensitivity on your alarms down 😄
Good luck 👍
In reply to Post #6
The fish only eat them when they shed their shells so it has been said, they are like jellies until their new shells harden after a few days. Until they have their shells back the carp gorge themselves on them.
The fish only eat them when they shed their shells so it has been said, they are like jellies until their new shells harden after a few days. Until they have their shells back the carp gorge themselves on them.
In reply to Post #11
largely true, but many larger fish, especially catfish will crush them in hardshell no problem, I have witnessed this myself first hand.
largely true, but many larger fish, especially catfish will crush them in hardshell no problem, I have witnessed this myself first hand.
In reply to Post #1
I faced a similar problem a few years ago, so I rang around a few bait makers and got them to send free samples so that I could see which baits were the firmest, not only out of the packet, but also after being left underwater for 24hrs. From memory, DT baits had some fairly firm baits. Some makers offered to do a custom roll with a MOQ with extra Egg Albumen, longer drying and longer boiling.
So, a few general tips:
Use hard hookers as hookbaits. If they're nibbling through them, coat with Fox Armamesh. And if they're getting through them, wrap tights over the Fox Armamesh.
Try to avoid rig tubing, they love plastic stuff, including fake baits. Use leaders instead of tubing if allowed.
Really small seed particles are OK to use, like pigeon conditioner, they won't get through all of the seeds.
As mentioned in another post, turn your sensitivity down on your alarms, and don't have a drop on your indicators.
I used to fear the crays, but you learn to live with them. Just try to gauge how veracious they are and adopt your tactics accordingly.
EDIT - forgot to mention, always check the sharpness of your hooks because they get very blunt with crayfish messing around with them.
I faced a similar problem a few years ago, so I rang around a few bait makers and got them to send free samples so that I could see which baits were the firmest, not only out of the packet, but also after being left underwater for 24hrs. From memory, DT baits had some fairly firm baits. Some makers offered to do a custom roll with a MOQ with extra Egg Albumen, longer drying and longer boiling.
So, a few general tips:
Use hard hookers as hookbaits. If they're nibbling through them, coat with Fox Armamesh. And if they're getting through them, wrap tights over the Fox Armamesh.
Try to avoid rig tubing, they love plastic stuff, including fake baits. Use leaders instead of tubing if allowed.
Really small seed particles are OK to use, like pigeon conditioner, they won't get through all of the seeds.
As mentioned in another post, turn your sensitivity down on your alarms, and don't have a drop on your indicators.
I used to fear the crays, but you learn to live with them. Just try to gauge how veracious they are and adopt your tactics accordingly.
EDIT - forgot to mention, always check the sharpness of your hooks because they get very blunt with crayfish messing around with them.
In reply to Post #1
I'm currently fishing the North Met ((crayfish city) personally I don't think it matters what boilie you use Crayfish will eat them
I've found large beds boilies alot crumbled up with tigers mixed in with the crumbed boiles hook bait I use is the Esp artificial boilies another thing I've picked up over the met is not to tie baits using floss If you can use a braid
I'm currently fishing the North Met ((crayfish city) personally I don't think it matters what boilie you use Crayfish will eat them
I've found large beds boilies alot crumbled up with tigers mixed in with the crumbed boiles hook bait I use is the Esp artificial boilies another thing I've picked up over the met is not to tie baits using floss If you can use a braid
In reply to Post #4
Like others on this thread I fished in the Lea Valley at Nazeing. Crayfish hammered everything. If it was food for carp, it was food for crays.
If I wanted to fish a Snowman bait, I had to mesh the pop-up and tie it to the braided hair. Don't bother using mono hairs, it will get cut off, and they can damage mono mainline.
Hooklinks had to be braid or coated braid.
If you want to fish real baits, fish the silt, where crays are less active, otherwise for boilies, go to wooden balls soaked in glug and flavour. (Bill Cottam does a nice chapter on soaking wooden balls in Behind the Rods, and Ken T has a sticky at the top of the Bait section)
Like others on this thread I fished in the Lea Valley at Nazeing. Crayfish hammered everything. If it was food for carp, it was food for crays.
If I wanted to fish a Snowman bait, I had to mesh the pop-up and tie it to the braided hair. Don't bother using mono hairs, it will get cut off, and they can damage mono mainline.
Hooklinks had to be braid or coated braid.
If you want to fish real baits, fish the silt, where crays are less active, otherwise for boilies, go to wooden balls soaked in glug and flavour. (Bill Cottam does a nice chapter on soaking wooden balls in Behind the Rods, and Ken T has a sticky at the top of the Bait section)
In reply to Post #15
Some good posts there guys thanks so much, all taken on board.
Some good posts there guys thanks so much, all taken on board.
In reply to Post #15
One lake I fish is full of them and hard hookers/tigers only last a few hours.
I've used the ESP plastic boilies on a hinged stiff rig and they seem to do the trick for me. Bait up with anything (boilies/pellets etc but just do it regularly and leave the hookbaits out)
I guess it depends how many there are on the lake you are fishing
One lake I fish is full of them and hard hookers/tigers only last a few hours.
I've used the ESP plastic boilies on a hinged stiff rig and they seem to do the trick for me. Bait up with anything (boilies/pellets etc but just do it regularly and leave the hookbaits out)
I guess it depends how many there are on the lake you are fishing
In reply to Post #10
To tackle the chinese mitten crabs, I use rock hard baits and the hookbaits are dubbele wrapped in super wrap from korda. The hooklink material is adjusted too. I'm using 50lb + braided hooklink material.
Another trick to distract those crabs/Crays is: you may bait up spot with fishmeal pellets 50m further. This might distract them from the fishing spot...
To tackle the chinese mitten crabs, I use rock hard baits and the hookbaits are dubbele wrapped in super wrap from korda. The hooklink material is adjusted too. I'm using 50lb + braided hooklink material.
Another trick to distract those crabs/Crays is: you may bait up spot with fishmeal pellets 50m further. This might distract them from the fishing spot...
In reply to Post #14
I used super high intense flavoured baits that where air dried for weeks the intention get the grays on them realise the flavour. Rod Hutchinson's lug worm and crab and shellfish sense appeal and amino blend supreme did the job.
I used super high intense flavoured baits that where air dried for weeks the intention get the grays on them realise the flavour. Rod Hutchinson's lug worm and crab and shellfish sense appeal and amino blend supreme did the job.
In reply to Post #18
An old trick I heard was to pierce some tins of dog food and cat food and tie some rope round them and drop it in the edge further down from your swim and it draws them away
An old trick I heard was to pierce some tins of dog food and cat food and tie some rope round them and drop it in the edge further down from your swim and it draws them away
Reading ALL pages