How Does a Crawfish Trap Work?
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Are There Different Types of Crawfish Traps?
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There are two major types of crawfish (also sometimes referred to as "crayfish") traps that are commonly used. The first type is a large cylinder with inverted cones at each end and a small opening in each cone. The other type of crawfish trap is simply a circular wire mesh. Both types of traps require bait to operate and both are generally made of a sort of mesh wire or metal. The traps are relatively easy to make but are also readily available for purchase at nominal cost.
How Do Cylindrical Crawfish Traps Work?
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Cylindrical crawfish traps work by luring the crawfish into the trap via the inverted cones that are found on each end of the cylinder. The crawfish sense the bait and attempt to get to it. The mesh of the cylinder is too small for the crawfish to fit through, though, so they are forced to enter the cylinder by finding the openings in the cones at each end. Once they have entered, it is very difficult for the crawfish to find their way back out of the trap. Although some crawfish may accidentally find their way out of the ends of the cone, the vast majority will remain trapped until the trap is retrieved.
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How Do Circular Mesh Crawfish Traps Work?
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Circular mesh crawfish traps are generally made of a wire mesh that is large enough for crawfish to fit through, but only with sustained effort and wriggling. Such traps work on the principle that it is easier for the crawfish to get into the trap (when only one of them is trying to enter and get at the bait) than it is for them to get out of it (when they have to compete with other crawfish to escape). As the trap becomes crowded with crawfish who are attempting to feed on the bait, it becomes harder for them to escape because there is less room to maneuver and they interfere with one another's efforts to fit back out through the wire mesh.
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- Photo Credit Courtesy of Jon Sullivan and www.pdphoto.org, Public Domain
