I'm going to be fishing a water with crays. Not had that much experience of them, tbh. In terms of bait what's worse from the anglers point of view for attracting the little buggers- boilies, particles or does it not really matter?
Someone l know says they're not keen on tuna oil?
Someone l know says they're not keen on tuna oil?
In reply to Post #1
i have recently also joined a lake with a cray problem, don't us any tungsten products and avoid fish meal baits, also at night they seen to be less active
i have recently also joined a lake with a cray problem, don't us any tungsten products and avoid fish meal baits, also at night they seen to be less active
In reply to Post #1
They will eat anything, especially anything fishy. Wrap your baits in tights or specific bait wrap. Less active at night but there was a thread a while back where people disagreed with this. Keep rigs simple and stiff, they will make a mess of anything supple.
They will eat anything, especially anything fishy. Wrap your baits in tights or specific bait wrap. Less active at night but there was a thread a while back where people disagreed with this. Keep rigs simple and stiff, they will make a mess of anything supple.
In reply to Post #1
Go on the bait page,there is a thread worth a read.Wooden balls and crayfish I think it's called
Go on the bait page,there is a thread worth a read.Wooden balls and crayfish I think it's called
In reply to Post #2
I find the exact opposite? Not active in the day but ruthless at night?
I find the exact opposite? Not active in the day but ruthless at night?
In reply to Post #5
I've always found them worse in the day
I've always found them worse in the day
Not the bloody day/night argument again 
In reply to Post #1
I have not yet found a bait they won't eat. They will also attack tungsten putty and tungsten tubing.
The margins at Nazeing may have the occasional crayfish in during the day, but at night they were everywhere. You could shine a torch down and see loads of the blighters. Night time was definitely the worse time for them to be hitting baits, maybe because grebes if they saw them in the day would eat them.
Quite amusing to watch a grebe eat a crayfish, they grab a claw, throw the crayfish into the air and rip the claw off, then do the same with the other claw.
Bromeswell is the same, they were definitely worse at night on the sandy or hard clay margins. The place to avoid them is by fishing on the silty areas.
I also found meshing baits with crayfish could be a waste of time, they would cut Armourmesh, stocking mesh and leave you a blob of plastic on the hair.
Ken Townleys wooden ball thread link
I have not yet found a bait they won't eat. They will also attack tungsten putty and tungsten tubing.
The margins at Nazeing may have the occasional crayfish in during the day, but at night they were everywhere. You could shine a torch down and see loads of the blighters. Night time was definitely the worse time for them to be hitting baits, maybe because grebes if they saw them in the day would eat them.
Quite amusing to watch a grebe eat a crayfish, they grab a claw, throw the crayfish into the air and rip the claw off, then do the same with the other claw.
Bromeswell is the same, they were definitely worse at night on the sandy or hard clay margins. The place to avoid them is by fishing on the silty areas.
I also found meshing baits with crayfish could be a waste of time, they would cut Armourmesh, stocking mesh and leave you a blob of plastic on the hair.
Ken Townleys wooden ball thread link
In reply to Post #1
They will eat literally everything, all these old wives tales about them not liking certain things are rubbish.
Best way I've found of fishing a cray infested water is to fish plastic baits, cast out and forget the place has even got Crays in it. Seen loads of decent anglers literally pulling their hair out as they can't handle the though of the things over the rigs.
They will eat literally everything, all these old wives tales about them not liking certain things are rubbish.
Best way I've found of fishing a cray infested water is to fish plastic baits, cast out and forget the place has even got Crays in it. Seen loads of decent anglers literally pulling their hair out as they can't handle the though of the things over the rigs.
Thanks, Guys. 
In reply to Post #10
If you use light leads they will also drag your rig down into their holes, often irretrievably.
I have found that maggots were successful on a lake infested with crays, and even baiting up with them allowed me to fish artificial maggots over the top. Artificials over particles & boilies were still attacked, but if they are well secured and hard enough they will survive to bite time.
I tried meshing, but as the bait softened they squeezed it out of the mesh.
If you use light leads they will also drag your rig down into their holes, often irretrievably.
I have found that maggots were successful on a lake infested with crays, and even baiting up with them allowed me to fish artificial maggots over the top. Artificials over particles & boilies were still attacked, but if they are well secured and hard enough they will survive to bite time.
I tried meshing, but as the bait softened they squeezed it out of the mesh.
Crays...Use them to your advantage
A experience in France, the owner told me there were Cray's, particularly in the walls/edges of the lake (they burrow into them), he told me to fish as tight as I could to the wall as the Carp patrol it looking for Crays.
Obviously I was hesitant and put a rod in open water...it got mullered every time...the wall rod was mainly fish though the odd Cray did get it's revenge
He also said use a Cray tail as bait, I did, it worked too, though I couldn't advocate that in the U.K without a license...naturally!
My advice, the cork ball thread or risk natural very hard baits, but sit on your hands until you've sussed the place out, active Crayfish might just bring Carp into the swim. Only use braid hook links and up the lb age bs as they will weaken it. Coated braid just gives them something to grip, nylon will come out looking like a afro and nipped to the point of being very weak.
A collection bucket and good supply of fresh water, put them in clean water and replace it a few times over the day, a few days is better, then boil and enjoy
Baden Hall middle pool, that would be good to test your nerves, some Lobsters making out as Crays in there
A experience in France, the owner told me there were Cray's, particularly in the walls/edges of the lake (they burrow into them), he told me to fish as tight as I could to the wall as the Carp patrol it looking for Crays.
Obviously I was hesitant and put a rod in open water...it got mullered every time...the wall rod was mainly fish though the odd Cray did get it's revenge
He also said use a Cray tail as bait, I did, it worked too, though I couldn't advocate that in the U.K without a license...naturally!My advice, the cork ball thread or risk natural very hard baits, but sit on your hands until you've sussed the place out, active Crayfish might just bring Carp into the swim. Only use braid hook links and up the lb age bs as they will weaken it. Coated braid just gives them something to grip, nylon will come out looking like a afro and nipped to the point of being very weak.
A collection bucket and good supply of fresh water, put them in clean water and replace it a few times over the day, a few days is better, then boil and enjoy
Baden Hall middle pool, that would be good to test your nerves, some Lobsters making out as Crays in there
In reply to Post #1
If its infested wooden balls (a la Ken T's original post) and a stiff rig is the only way to fish with confidence . . .saying that they can still mess with your hooklink /rubber sleeves but if its set up right etc. . .
I've gall got several pots of wooden balls that have been soaking in PP60 for about 10yrs . . .all different sizes, some barrel shaped and some glued together to make doubles . . .even got a few snowman rigs with a coloured tip ball . . .all have bore rings / swivels superglued in to make attaching to rigs easy . . .
One trick that worked for me was to use a bait pump initially to get them to take on liquid quicker - this required regular checking / pumping out the air but it did speed it up a little as wooden balls are dense and will float in their natural state even when glugged for a long time . . .if your impatient you could mess around with drilling a hole and gluing in split shot etc . . .
If its infested wooden balls (a la Ken T's original post) and a stiff rig is the only way to fish with confidence . . .saying that they can still mess with your hooklink /rubber sleeves but if its set up right etc. . .
I've gall got several pots of wooden balls that have been soaking in PP60 for about 10yrs . . .all different sizes, some barrel shaped and some glued together to make doubles . . .even got a few snowman rigs with a coloured tip ball . . .all have bore rings / swivels superglued in to make attaching to rigs easy . . .
One trick that worked for me was to use a bait pump initially to get them to take on liquid quicker - this required regular checking / pumping out the air but it did speed it up a little as wooden balls are dense and will float in their natural state even when glugged for a long time . . .if your impatient you could mess around with drilling a hole and gluing in split shot etc . . .