catching signal crayfish

[JonathanD]

i am planning to ask the correct authorities about using yoyo reels to fish for crays... if you had say 15 of them all along the bank or in a tree you could just sit back and relax and wait for them to come flying in and just net them once they reach you. you could also modify them to have a net attached so when they reel in the crays are netted too...
now i just need to find somewhere local with an infestation... anyone know of anywhere in the kent/east sussex area?

Yoyo reels are are a big no no as they don't discrimminate with species. Although it's quite funny to think of a line of these along the bank triggering at intervals with ginormous crayfish winging their way through the air.

It is also illegal to return any American signal crayfish caught, so the smaller ones have to be dispatched if no good for eating.

 

[m.durston]

Hi sorry to ask again but i have now been told by the enviroment agency that i do need a licence to take a group of children cray fishing. Am getting a little confused. what is the penalty for cray fishing without a licence? i have run out of time now so will not be able to get a licence.

i believe the penalty for catching crayfish without a licence can be pretty steep. there was a link somewhere on here to a news article about a fella who got caught up in cumbria trapping native crayfish whilst on holiday. i believe the bloke got a £4000 fine for what he saw as a harmless fishing outing.

i've just looked at the form i had to fill out for my licence http://www.efishbusiness.co.uk/formsandguides/cr1.pdf and it does ask you to state what method you will be using to catch the non native crayfish ie trap, hand net etc.
you also have to fill out a form when the licence runs out detailing exactly what species you have caught, numbers, days trapping etc so the EA can keep tabs on population levels.
i know this has put a bit of a downer on your plans but it really isnt worth getting caught and being made an example of.

if you are serious about getting legit then the following points outlined below will ensure your success for the future.

1) find the landowner for the stretch of water/river you are planning to catch in and inquire whether they have fishing rights for the water and whether they would mind you fishing there.

2) phone up the EA and find out whether the crayfish infestation in that area is considered bad enough for them to grant a licence. i did this and they confirmed i would be granted a licence as long as i had landowner permission.
they will also know whether any native crayfish are in situ, bear in mind if there are native crayfish then a licence will not be granted.

3) if both above points are approved then you go out and find some crayfish traps that are within the legal dimensions as stated on the cr1 form (dont buy them yet!!!!). they have to be a certain size so any curious otters wont get their heads caught in the entrances and drown.

4) fill out the form and send it away to the EA along with your landowners permission letter. mine only took a week to come back with the tags that you attach to the traps.

5) buy your traps and start reaping the rewards

also as a footnote there are quite a few collapsible traps being flogged on ebay that have oversized entrances, this is easy to rectify just by cutting the wire frame down to size and securing with cable ties.

 

[TomBartlett]

How does one tell the difference between the white-clawed and signals?

 

[Ruvio]

Signals are huge, white clawed are tidgy
Also a good indicator in my experience, Signal are muddier in colour than white clawed.

If you've got andy worries as to what it is though, you're best of asking a professional..or maybe post a pic here.

It's illegal to put a signal back, and I'm pretty sure it's now illegal to eat a white clawed as they're protected. Or in the process of becoming protected. not sure

happy huntin!

 

[m.durston]

Signals are huge, white clawed are tidgy
Also a good indicator in my experience, Signal are muddier in colour than white clawed.

If you've got andy worries as to what it is though, you're best of asking a professional..or maybe post a pic here.

It's illegal to put a signal back, and I'm pretty sure it's now illegal to eat a white clawed as they're protected. Or in the process of becoming protected. not sure

happy huntin!

the guy who was prosecuted and fined was catching the native white claw, so yes i would definitely say they are protected lol
here is a handy guide for identifying crayfish from the EA http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/static/documents/Leisure/Crayfish_Identify.pdf

 

[Bushwhacker]

I know some people who have confused a signal for a white-claw because the signals have a little white patch on the top of the claws where the joint is.

 

[_scorpio_]

so white claws dont have white claws but red claws like signals?

 

[Bushwhacker]

so white claws dont have white claws but red claws like signals?

No, I'm just saying that the signals have a little white flash on the topside of the claw at the base of the pincer joint.
It's another defining feature for them and shouldn't confuse you into thinking it's a white-claw just because it has a bit of white on it.

The white claw is creamy coloured underneath and is in much lighter contrast to the topside.

*Edit* I should also add that a lot of crays can lose their whole claws in battle, so you also need to identify them in ways other than the claws.

 

[m.durston]

also its worth noting on the american signal crayfish that little white flash on the topside of the claw at the joint is sometimes a turquiose colour on the larger specimens. and before i forget, the signals act like they have sunk 10 pints of stella and are extremely aggressive! its almost like they are permanently wanting to have a barney with anything that comes within reach. the last catch i had (around 30) i stuck in a storage box with a built in lid, and everytime my two year old went over and lifted the lid it was like a mini mexican claw wave lol

 

[_scorpio_]

white flash like this?

by the join in the pincer you mean?

 

[andy_e]

Edit: oops - misread date/time of post

 

[Bushwhacker]

white flash like this?

by the join in the pincer you mean?

Yeah, like that.

 

[_scorpio_]

much easier to look under the claws...

not my best photo but it was getting out of the net fast and i wasn't too tempted to pick it up!

 

[m.durston]

you can pick them up by the body, they cant quite reach your hand but they give it a good go! also some crayfish will freak out and flap their tails really fast when you pick them up, scares the bejesus out of you when they do it and you will drop it the first time lol

 

[Bushwhacker]

you can pick them up by the body, they cant quite reach your hand but they give it a good go! also some crayfish will freak out and flap their tails really fast when you pick them up, scares the bejesus out of you when they do it and you will drop it the first time lol

Yep, the part of the body you want to hold is where the claw arms go into the body.
Bridge it by using your index finger and thumb and pick them up from behind otherwise they will retreat back with claws waving if you try to approach them with your hand from the front.

 

[Cooper90]

http://www.ukcamo.com/Items/large-l...U=large-lobster-pot&caTitle=Large Lobster Pot

£4.99

 

[mike1727]

Are you still fishing for crayfish in the Ver? I live in St Albans and like he idea, would be good to have a chat about who to get n touch with and possibly see how it's done?

 

[mikeeb123]

Hi mike1727, did you have any luck looking in to getting your licence/contacting any landowners for permission? Would be interested to hear as I am also looking to do this?

 

[shootfive]

Just to butt into this thread - I've sent off my application this morning. The local river (R. Witham) was a significant ground for our native species however there was talk from the E.A. that the signal crays had taken over several tributaries to the main river. Obviously some sort of spread is inevitable so I may be granted permission to trap them there.

We will see; I'll update this thread when I hear anything.

 

[shootfive]

http://www.ukcamo.com/Items/large-l...U=large-lobster-pot&caTitle=Large Lobster Pot

£4.99

It may be worth checking the opening diameter (not listed on that site) and whether this is 'otter-friendly' - when applying you have to specify the dimensions of your trap and there are (rightly) quite strict guidelines to protect other species.