Clear Underwater Crayfish Trapping: The Sequel

[caddisguy]

We did it again. It's been a few years, as last year practicing bow was a priority and the year prior I was having some stomach issues.

Our last one got over 1.5 million views... not sure if this one will get the same kind of traction, but I think it's a way better video. We had a lot of fun making it. Tough trip though. We had to relocate our traps and watch them until dark and grab them first light because there were more than a few people eyeing them throughout the day.

All the rushing around, snorkeling all day I managed to blow out my shoulders pretty good. I think I only got an hour sleep before I was back out there fetching traps. Anyway, here it is!! :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qpb-uH7zTk


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qpb-uH7zTk

[boxhitch]

Another good one. Same sound track as the 2015 vid )

[caddisguy]

Another good one. Same sound track as the 2015 vid )

lol ya we got grilled for the lack of talking on that video... at least we got some for the beginning and end this time around. Actually dropped the cheap little camcorder we brought into the crayfish bucket in the morning so the rest was on the waterproof cams... for the better though. That camera was awful. It claimed to be 1080P but was more like 640x480 digitally zoomed.

[835]

I hope that was a clunker fly rod you used to pull the traps!!!!!

[caddisguy]

I hope that was a clunker fly rod you used to pull the traps!!!!!

Yeah it was some cheap 10 year old <$100 combo deal that I bring for fly trolling sometimes. I wouldn't risk snapping off a decent one (though I did sink a $400 one once while trolling in a lake...dang expensive copper reel sunk like a brick) Glad I brought a crappy one.

We had people nosing around our traps the first day (and next morning they actually found one but bolted when they saw us coming... you know someone is guilty when you watch them trying to paddle a 14 ft aluminium at full speed) ... so rather than leaving in the same spot I just grabbed them all and tossed them off the boat without floats or anything. Some went pretty deep down (12 ft or so) that I might have had issues diving too (I suck at diving) ... fly rod helped a lot.

[limit time]

Very cool ! I go with my son also, he loves it ! I found hotdog works the best also !! We caught one of the biggest cray we’ve ever seen :0. I have a pic but can’t upload to site. If you want to see I can text it to you .

[caddisguy]

Very cool ! I go with my son also, he loves it ! I found hotdog works the best also !! We caught one of the biggest cray we’ve ever seen :0. I have a pic but can’t upload to site. If you want to see I can text it to you .

Can you email it to me? I am going to PM you mail email address.

[Brez]

Tons of fun and delicious! Good sized critters you caught. Thanks for posting

[bigredchev]

Great video. Looks like something fun to get into.


We've always had issues with our crab traps getting poached, same old tune.

[caddisguy]

Very cool ! I go with my son also, he loves it ! I found hotdog works the best also !! We caught one of the biggest cray we’ve ever seen :0. I have a pic but can’t upload to site. If you want to see I can text it to you .

Got the pics! Big cray for sure:

https://i.imgur.com/UM3j3Sq.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/ncI5hV9.jpg

[limit time]

Thanks for posting! I’ve got a couple of the traps you mentioned coming. I use a modified prawn trap but the problem I find is I catch a lot of fish in them also.

[caddisguy]

Thanks for posting! I’ve got a couple of the traps you mentioned coming. I use a modified prawn trap but the problem I find is I catch a lot of fish in them also.

If you ordered the same ones from Amazon, be sure to sew the ends of the zippers for the bait bag and the big one you can open to pull out crayfish or dump them out. There is a single piece of thread holding things together so it needs to be re-enforced or you will lose the zipper in short order, guaranteed (glad I field-tested them the week prior)

These traps are manufactured rather poorly. The original ones I ordered from the UK over a decade ago had much thicker mesh netting as a whole and the bait bag was slightly stronger.... mind you, they had the same issue with the zippers needing to be re-enforced. With these traps I felt like the crayfish might claw their way in and out of the trap. It didn't happen though but I still think it is possibility. With our old traps (which we still have) they were fairly forgiving if you tossed them from shore with a rope and snagged them on stuff on the way back in... I don't think this ones from Amazon will take much abuse. That said, they are cheap and they do the job... just not sure how long they will hold up yet. I don't think I will get too many years out of them.

I pointed out the quality difference when filming but decided not to post that part or name the site I bought them from years ago. It could be the same manufacture just cheaping out.

Anyway... once you get them, re-enforce those zippers and buy some extra bait bags from the dollar store for when the stock ones get ripped up (they sell them as little goodie bags... they are a nylon type material with draw strings... though you could improvise with a nylon stocking too as long as the wife doesn't catch you)

We catch quite a few fish as well... mostly bullheads (not sure if that is the correct name, but you get the idea) sometimes stickleback (though often those are small enough to swim in and out) ... I caught a couple rainbow trout once which was pretty cool. Luckily they weren't too stressed and had lots of gas in the tank when I released them.

[SaintSix]

cool video, I enjoyed that a lot! maybe one day ill have to give it a go.

[caddisguy]

cool video, I enjoyed that a lot! maybe one day ill have to give it a go.

Glad you enjoyed it! If you are on Vancouver Island there should be some really good places especially if you are on the southern half of the island. Let me know how you make out. I have been pretty curious about catching crayfish on the island (lakes, rivers and streams) Fall is the best time for crayfishing as they are larger and feeding more aggressively.

[ekul246]

What about in Alouette Lake? I'm going for Kokanee next week and I wanted to throw my traps in for the first time while I'm there.

[Arctic Lake]

Man that’s a biggy !
Got the pics! Big cray for sure:

https://i.imgur.com/UM3j3Sq.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/ncI5hV9.jpg

[Arctic Lake]

What about in Alouette Lake? I'm going for Kokanee next week and I wanted to throw my traps in for the first time while I'm there.
Don’t know about Alouette Lake but would be good to know . Fished for them once in the Pitt River where the Alouette River enters .
Arctic Lake

[zedex1964]

I love me some crayfish !!! When I lived down south, I used a shrimp bait net to get them. The net is designed to pull along behind a boat along rivers but hook that thing to a 4wheeler and pull it in the bayou. You could get enough for a low country boil and invite about 20 people over. Everyone leaves with big belly and spicy tongue.

Since being on the island, Ive been dropping traps as often as I could. Going to try a few small lakes this season.

That video sure is a great one. Lots of big ones you caught. Those mud bugs sure are underrated up this way, but they are some good eats