How to Make Homemade Fresh Water Crayfish Traps

In the Southern states, crayfish are known as crawfish, crawdads or mudbugs. They are used in many Cajun recipes. These small crustaceans are related to the lobster. Traps are needed to catch enough crayfish for eating. The crayfish trap is to lure the crustaceans into the mesh tube, trapping them. With some materials available at hardware stores, make your own set of traps and catch some crayfish for your own Cajun etoufee.

Things You'll Need

  • Sheet of 1/4-inch wire mesh, also known as hardware cloth
  • Zip ties
  • Wire cutters
  • Marker
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Instructions

    • 1

      Cut piece of 2-feet by 5-feet wire mesh from the main sheet. Curl this into a cylinder, and then twist the wire strands on the ends of each side joining the two sides together, making a connected cylinder.

    • 2

      Cut out a 2-foot by 2 1/2-foot section of the cloth and curl it into a funnel shape with a 3-inch opening at the funnel’s small end.

    • 3

      Place the funnel into the main cylinder, keeping the narrow end in the cylinder. Zip-tie the funnel into the main cylinder.

    • 4

      Set the cylinder’s open end on the remaining mesh sheet and trace the circle shape on the mesh with a marker. Cut this circle out of the mesh and zip-tie it to the cylinder’s bottom.

    • 5

      Place bait on the cylinder’s inside near the large end of the funnel. Use chopped salmon, tuna, chicken livers or cat food as bait.

    • 6

      Placing the trap on the bottom of the river or streambed attracts and traps crayfish.