Worrying.

Chris Hammond ( RSPB ACA PAC}

Chris Hammond ( RSPB ACA PAC}

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 13, 2007
Messages
956
Reaction score
3
Location
Newmarket, Suffolk
I spent just a couple of hours with a mate yesterday trapping crays from a little local river. In that time we bagged over fifty of these critturs. It was reported last year that over 120,000 of these were removed from the same small beat in a single operation.

God only knows how much fry and spawn they are accounting for. I can only imagine that they are quite capable of nabbing the odd free swimming fish or amphibian too, as I managed to let one of the smaller specimens nab my finger. It left two puncture wounds which bled profusely. I had no idea they were so feisty.

I find it difficult to accept that the perch and chub are growing bigger because of the presence of this species in our river systems. Even if they manage to pick off a few whilst they are in moult, I just cant see them dealing with them generally. They're blinking huge! /forum/smilies/disappointed_smiley.gif
crays2.jpg
 
F

Fred Bonney

Guest
I hope they tasted good, Chris?

I don't think we will ever beat them,they were introduced by people trying to make money(as usual). Mostly in farm ponds,where water quality wasn't good enough for the blighters,so they emigrated to our river systems.
 
B

brendan the dictionary man999

New member
Joined
Aug 29, 2006
Messages
3
Reaction score
0
We are lucky up north not to have any
Last year when i was fishing down south i saw a guy catching theese he had only bean there a few hour and had 100s if not 1000s
On the otherside I wonder wot they would be like as bait ?
 
F

Fred Bonney

Guest
Brendan, they are on their way. They've been seen in the Trent!!
 
B

Brute1981

New member
Joined
Oct 29, 2007
Messages
0
Reaction score
0
My locallake which I've fished for years has Crayfish and they used to beregarded asanannoyance to anglers (you used to catch a few every trip) but years ago the clubtrapped a load and about four years ago a few Catfish were stocked. These days it's rare to catch a Crayfish, I caught one the other day which is the first I've seen in years, the Catfish on the other hand are thriving, they went in at 5lb and are already nearing the 20lb mark /forum/smilies/surprised_smiley.gif

Slightly worrying is I don't know which type of Crayfish are in this lake, every Crayfish I've ever caught from this water has been tiny, dark brown with small claws and looks nothing like the lobster-esque signal Crayfish photos I've seen with their huge bright red claws. I'd hate to think the clubs actionhashurt and endangered our native species but they haven't trapped them for years now.
 
Specihunter

Specihunter

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 15, 2006
Messages
2,649
Reaction score
64
Location
Hamphire
It's amazing how many there are in our rivers as i saw 2 roaming around my feet yet when i saw a pot in my swim it was full .
 
Morespiders

Morespiders

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 15, 2004
Messages
5,892
Reaction score
57
Location
Cheshire
<blockquote class=quoteheader>brendan the dictionary man wrote (see)</blockquote><blockquote class=quote>We are lucky up north not to have any Last year when i was fishing down south i saw a guy catching theese he had only bean there a few hour and had 100s if not 1000s On the otherside I wonder wot they would be like as bait ?</blockquote>
Brendan, they are already here mate ,Fished the Bollin today with Mr Elwin, saw one in there, loads in Macclesfield canal, wont be long before they get in to Ribble, as for using them for bait, you only need a few fools to catch some , take them to another venue and hey presto, also in the Dane.
 
F

Fred Bonney

Guest
The best signal crayfish is a dead one, especially if it's in a nice homemade pink sauce!

ID
 
Chris Hammond ( RSPB ACA PAC}

Chris Hammond ( RSPB ACA PAC}

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 13, 2007
Messages
956
Reaction score
3
Location
Newmarket, Suffolk
"How did you trap them Chris?"

Just sink a wire basket or box with some bait tied in the middle and yank it up to the surface quickly every five minutes or so. You can use purpose designed traps, but they are so obliging there's really no need.

In fact the speed with which they find the bait, and the numbers of them in seemingly close proximity, is quite incredible, and leads me to think they are in major imbalance at the moment. They seem to be ravenous. Christ knows what long term impact they will have on river fishstock levels. I believe they are incorrigible spawn noshers. /forum/smilies/crying_smiley.gif
 
A

Andy M

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 23, 2007
Messages
220
Reaction score
8
Location
Nijmegen, Netherlands
Do we know exactly what it is they thrive on in terms of food, when not eating spawn, which would no doubt be a free and easy meal when available - but so it is for most other carnivours and omnivours in UK rivers including most of our beloved fish. Do they compete with fish for food?
 
F

Fred Bonney

Guest
Almost certainly Andy, their sheer numbers dictate that they eat everything edible to them,includeing fry and vegetation. They are not fussy.

Crayfish are known to be very effective scavengers. They feed on the remains of fish that are dead. If they see a chance for an easy meal or a threat, especially at night when they become less energetic and settle down at the bottom of the fish, they injure it or kill it with their claws.

They are also said to carry a plague that is killing off the inigenous white clawed crayfish
 
J

John Adair

Guest
As I understand it, other crayfish can form quite a substantial part of their diet, which is why it can be counter-productive to remove the big uns, whether it's to take home to eat or just to destroy. Apparently, rather like trying to control pike by removing fish usually leads to an explosion in the number of jacks, if you remove mature crayfish, it can lead to a population boom as the little ones lose their most significant predator.

They're American, aren't they? I wonder what controls their populations in places where they're native?
 
R

Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA)

Guest
Both Largemouth and Smallmouth bass eat vast numbers of crayfish. In South Africa where both basses had been introduced, they ate freshwater crabs as well as other fish species. In Australia, the local bass eats yabbies (like a small lobster) and fish.

Bass have rudimentary throat teeth and are able to tackle small crayfish.

Chub have enormous throat teeth and a 5 pounder should have no problem with amature signal crayfish. Never stick your finger down the throat of a big chub.

You will lose it!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top