Invasive signal crayfishcan be a real nightmare for anglers in the warmer months, often taking baits designed for more desirable target species.
That was certainly the case for Mark Erdwin during his recent sessions on his local River Loddon, where he had to find a way to avoid the crays in an attempt to catch the venue's big chub.
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"These little monsters are rapidly spreading across the nation and, until temperatures plummet, they can be a nightmare,” he told us.
"You can’t avoid the crayfish completely, but there are a few tricks you can apply to swing the odds in your favour. These revolve around the bait you use and the way it’s applied.
“I roll my own boilies, and when I do a batch for a session on a river where crays are prevalent, I leave
a few samples out to be air dried, creating hardened hookbaits that are more resistant to the attentions of the crayfish. I’ve also found that wrapping them in paste can help.
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"I believe that the crayfish aren’t as keen on paste as they are a standard boilie, as it gets stuck in their claws and is harder for them to deal with."
It's not just his hookbait that Mark makes crayfish proof either, his loosefeed also changes on waters dominated by crays.
“I feed paste too, rather than boilies, which I’ve found will last longer on the bottom. And I’m a big fan of feeding a birdseed mix," he said.
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“My mix is filled with all sorts of particles, including groats and tares, which keep the fish occupied. When introducing this, as well as paste samples, I spread the bait out, creating an area of feed.
"I like to attract all species into the swim, which creates something of a feeding chain reaction. The small roach and dace on the bait attract the interest of larger residents, that perhaps weren’t initially in a feeding mood.
“I’m also spreading the crayfish about, rather than having a tight pile of bait by my hookbait where they all congregate. I only spread the bait around when low river levels allow. If it were pushing through, I’d use a bait dropper so my feed reached the bottom.
“Quantity of feed is important. There’s no hard and fast rule, but you must take into account the crayfish density. If there are lots of them about, you must introduce more bait so something is left for the fish. A chub or barbel entering the swim can push the crays away, so I introduce just enough bait to draw the fish in."
These tactics worked a treat for Mark on his latest trip and resulted in the capture of an incredible 7lb chub.
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“On this session, I was feeding odd balls of groundbait laced with my particle feed. I’d had a bit of attention from crayfish before I connected with what was clearly a chub from its characteristic fight," Mark said.
"It dived under roots and tried to burrow itself into the bank under my feet but, thankfully, I managed to steer this beauty into the net.
“Next time you’re being pestered by crays, don’t give up. Keep a bit of bait going in and see if you can draw a fish into the swim. It could well be worth the effort!”
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