I don't understand why the fish aren't disposing of them - are they simply too numerous?
Yes....and too big and too aggressive. Forget the native crayfish which are quite dinky little blokes compared to a signal. Think small lobster with serious anger management issues and you'll be nearer the mark.There is no way on earth that trapping will solve the problem. Firstly I think you'd need traps every 20 yards [both banks] of every inch of an affected river to have the slightest impact.....and you'd have to do it 24/7 for 25 years. Not even PJ could eat that many !
And don't forget your tractor, winch or team of horses to lift the traps.
Even if you did that I think they'd be back as numerous as ever inside 18 months. Not only do I not believe there is a solution I don't believe there is a viable way of controlling them. You cant poison them without killing everything else and the damned thinks are built like Chieftan tanks. Nothing short of an armour piercing shell at point blank range will stop them.
However...the biggest issue about crayfish control is that nobody is interested as there's no money in it. The commercial trappers make a few bob but the likelihood of the EA getting involved ? Not a chance, mate.
I once stomped one into a gooey mess...kicked it into the grass and 10 minutes later the damned thing dragged itself back into the lake. They are nigh on indestructible and we don't have rivers full of catfish to eat the damned things.
Pray they don't reach your waters. If they do....they're finished.
---------- Post added at 11:47 ---------- Previous post was at 11:39 ----------
My idea Mark was for those of us interested to have , say two or three, appropriate sized nets like the DIY job I mentioned, and to put them in your swim at the start of your session. One would do to start with. Their presence hopefully would attract the crays and leave your bait for the fish!
At the end of the session as you pack up you retrieve the traps( nets) and take the catch home and do some broiling y'all!
I' ve got the Cajun spices........!
Might as well spit in the wind. You'd have a very nice tea but for every signal you kill 100 turn up for the funeral. Trapping just makes space for the others.