There seems to have been something of an explosion of crayfish in UK waters, while they proliferate in many EU countries. They can be a real PITA and as far as I know there is not a bait that they will not try to eat. Some have said that crays won't touch tiger nuts: I have seen them cover a bed of tigers so thickly you couldn't see the bottom and the crayfish ripped them to shreds in minutes.
I have watched the crays in a French lake devour a kilo of shelf life boilies in less than ten minutes and seen them crawl all over a carpet of pellets, groundbait and other feed.
So what can we do to stop these pests from ruining our day?
Here are my basics:
1. Bait: There is nothing they won't eat but there is one trick you can use which I picked up from Bill Cottam when he fished the Commons Lake Syndicate in France that I ran in the mid-90s. I'll come to that in a minute.
2. Hooklink: Only the stiffest, toughest nylon or fluoro will do as they can cut through ordinary nylon and low diameter fluoros in seconds.
3. NEVER use a soft braided hooklink as they will tie it in a tangle of knots as they mess around with the bait.
4. The same goes for Coated braids, the exception being Hydrolink 25lb which is stiff enough and tough enough to withstand the critters!
5. Light running leads are a no-no as they will drive you crazy with the alarms bleeping like a mad thing until the hookbait is gone. While they are attacking the hookbait they will drag it all over the place and there is every chance that the hook will be blunted or the hair tangled around the shank.
6. Use a heavy inline lead. We have found that they will eventually get fed up with trying to move the bait around if they cannot actually move it too far.
7. Use very short stiff rigs as this too will stop them from moving the lead/rig around too much.
8. Always bury the bait stop in the bait. If it is left outside of the hookbait as normal they will remove it in seconds and have the hookbait away just like that! You may also consider gluing the stop in place.
And so now we come to the bait itself. This was Bill's big edge on the Commons Lake and many other guys on the syndicate would tear their hair out as he got run after run while they got plagued by the crays. The answer is of course wooden balls.
These can be bought online or in craft shops. I bought 3 dozen of three different sizes in 1997 and I have still got most of them as you simply don't loose them as you would other hookbaits. Mine have been stored in a glug of Nutrabaits Fruit Special since they were first purchased and the attraction seems as good today as it was back then.
I used a 1mm wood drill to create a hole for the hair.
As for rigs, well as outlined above I use short stiff rigs and these days the hooklink material is 30lb Mirage. This is how I create a crayfish-proof rig. First I tie a four turn overhand knot in the end of the Mirage and pull it tight.
Next I thread the hooklink material through the drilled hole and pull the knot down so it is tight to the opening.
Now I pull hard on the other end of the hooklink material so that the knot enters the bore of the hole, and then I trim away the tag end. The 'hookbait' is now held securely in place by the knot.
Using a knotless knot I attach the hook. I like the Fox SR pattern with its beaked point as this resists damage on stones and gravel better than straight pointed hooks.
As mentioned I prefer a semi fixed inline lead for this rig for the reasons given above. You can see the short length of my hooklink in this photo.
I have watched the crays in a French lake devour a kilo of shelf life boilies in less than ten minutes and seen them crawl all over a carpet of pellets, groundbait and other feed.
So what can we do to stop these pests from ruining our day?
Here are my basics:
1. Bait: There is nothing they won't eat but there is one trick you can use which I picked up from Bill Cottam when he fished the Commons Lake Syndicate in France that I ran in the mid-90s. I'll come to that in a minute.
2. Hooklink: Only the stiffest, toughest nylon or fluoro will do as they can cut through ordinary nylon and low diameter fluoros in seconds.
3. NEVER use a soft braided hooklink as they will tie it in a tangle of knots as they mess around with the bait.
4. The same goes for Coated braids, the exception being Hydrolink 25lb which is stiff enough and tough enough to withstand the critters!
5. Light running leads are a no-no as they will drive you crazy with the alarms bleeping like a mad thing until the hookbait is gone. While they are attacking the hookbait they will drag it all over the place and there is every chance that the hook will be blunted or the hair tangled around the shank.
6. Use a heavy inline lead. We have found that they will eventually get fed up with trying to move the bait around if they cannot actually move it too far.
7. Use very short stiff rigs as this too will stop them from moving the lead/rig around too much.
8. Always bury the bait stop in the bait. If it is left outside of the hookbait as normal they will remove it in seconds and have the hookbait away just like that! You may also consider gluing the stop in place.
And so now we come to the bait itself. This was Bill's big edge on the Commons Lake and many other guys on the syndicate would tear their hair out as he got run after run while they got plagued by the crays. The answer is of course wooden balls.
These can be bought online or in craft shops. I bought 3 dozen of three different sizes in 1997 and I have still got most of them as you simply don't loose them as you would other hookbaits. Mine have been stored in a glug of Nutrabaits Fruit Special since they were first purchased and the attraction seems as good today as it was back then.
I used a 1mm wood drill to create a hole for the hair.
As for rigs, well as outlined above I use short stiff rigs and these days the hooklink material is 30lb Mirage. This is how I create a crayfish-proof rig. First I tie a four turn overhand knot in the end of the Mirage and pull it tight.
Next I thread the hooklink material through the drilled hole and pull the knot down so it is tight to the opening.
Now I pull hard on the other end of the hooklink material so that the knot enters the bore of the hole, and then I trim away the tag end. The 'hookbait' is now held securely in place by the knot.
Using a knotless knot I attach the hook. I like the Fox SR pattern with its beaked point as this resists damage on stones and gravel better than straight pointed hooks.
As mentioned I prefer a semi fixed inline lead for this rig for the reasons given above. You can see the short length of my hooklink in this photo.
In reply to Post #1
An alternative rig has recently found favour with me and my mates thanks to the arrival of the Rig Marole Bore Ring. These are a blessing for the Wood Ball Rig as all you need do is simply screw a Bore Ring into the wood ball.
The ball can then be mounted on a Multi Rig or any other hook/rig arrangement you favour.
When you land a carp you can either change the ball and pop the one just removed back into the glug pot or simply touch up the hook point and chuck the same rig it out again! The balls retain their smell/attraction more or less indefinitely.
These wooden balls have been a God send for me an my mates so if you are faced with the prospect of being driven mad by the activities of crayfish, why not give them a try.
I hope this helps some of you put a few lumps on the bank this summer.
An alternative rig has recently found favour with me and my mates thanks to the arrival of the Rig Marole Bore Ring. These are a blessing for the Wood Ball Rig as all you need do is simply screw a Bore Ring into the wood ball.
The ball can then be mounted on a Multi Rig or any other hook/rig arrangement you favour.
When you land a carp you can either change the ball and pop the one just removed back into the glug pot or simply touch up the hook point and chuck the same rig it out again! The balls retain their smell/attraction more or less indefinitely.
These wooden balls have been a God send for me an my mates so if you are faced with the prospect of being driven mad by the activities of crayfish, why not give them a try.
I hope this helps some of you put a few lumps on the bank this summer.
In reply to Post #2
In reply to Post #2
Excellent tip
Excellent tip
In reply to Post #2
You can buy the un-varnished wooden balls in Hobby Craft pre drilled for £4.29 a packet, they come in varios sizes.
You can buy the un-varnished wooden balls in Hobby Craft pre drilled for £4.29 a packet, they come in varios sizes.
In reply to Post #1
Doesn't wood float? How do you make it a bottom bait?
Doesn't wood float? How do you make it a bottom bait?
In reply to Post #6
Doesn't wood float? How do you make it a bottom bait?
Yes, to start with, but after a few weeks in soak they become glug-logged and turn into nailed on bottom baits.
Doesn't wood float? How do you make it a bottom bait?
Yes, to start with, but after a few weeks in soak they become glug-logged and turn into nailed on bottom baits.
In reply to Post #7
Ahh i see, excellent idea!!
do you find certain gluggs work better than others depending on their composition?
Ahh i see, excellent idea!!
do you find certain gluggs work better than others depending on their composition?
In reply to Post #8
do you find certain gluggs work better than others depending on their composition?
I don't really know. When I 'started' mine all those years back I used a very effective flavour Nutrabaits Fruit Special, and all I have done over the years is renewed the old FS after a year with new stuff!
I am guessing that the balls will take up any flavour or liquid, but perhaps some of the thicker liquids may need thinning with something like fish sauce or oyster extract.
do you find certain gluggs work better than others depending on their composition?
I don't really know. When I 'started' mine all those years back I used a very effective flavour Nutrabaits Fruit Special, and all I have done over the years is renewed the old FS after a year with new stuff!
I am guessing that the balls will take up any flavour or liquid, but perhaps some of the thicker liquids may need thinning with something like fish sauce or oyster extract.
In reply to Post #2
In reply to Post #2
Top info again Ken, thanks.
Top info again Ken, thanks.
In reply to Post #2
Great Info, Many Thanks
Great Info, Many Thanks
In reply to Post #9
Great info as ever Ken. One question...are you saying you were using the Fruit Special flavour neat as your long term soak.....or as the main flavour in a complex?
Cheers, Dave.
Great info as ever Ken. One question...are you saying you were using the Fruit Special flavour neat as your long term soak.....or as the main flavour in a complex?
Cheers, Dave.
this is a great tip i will give this a go at some point thanks ken
In reply to Post #14
Ken
Are these hardwood
Andy
Ken
Are these hardwood
Andy