Homemade Crawfish Trap

Trapping crawfish, or crawdads as they're sometimes called, from a seasonal creek can be done using a homemade trap. The materials for the trap are easily obtained from any hardware or home store. Purchase a 2 by 4 foot roll of ¼-inch hardware cloth and a small spool of stainless steel wire. Plastic wire ties will also work. A pair of pliers and tin snips along with a good pair of leather gloves will help you build the trap.

Make a Round Cylinder

Cut a 28-inch long piece of the hardware cloth from the small roll. Fold over the cut edges to protect yourself from the sharp edges. Make the fold approximately 2 to 3 squares back from each cut edge. The 2-foot width will have factory edges that are not sharp. Shape the hardware cloth into a cylinder that is 2-feet long. The wire tube's diameter should be approximately 8-½ inches. Fasten the two edges together by weaving the stainless steel wire through the squares of the hardware cloth. You can use the plastic wire ties in the same manner. Trim the plastic ties to remove any excess plastic tails.

Form the Entrance

Cut a full circle from the remaining hardware cloth that has a 9-½ inch radius or a 19-inch diameter. Cut this hardware cloth circle in half for two half circles. Fold the half circle to form a funnel. Find the center of the half circle and bring the two straight edges together to form the funnel shape. Hold the funnel shape together by again weaving the wire or use the plastic ties to hold the edges in place with each other. Use the tin snips and cut a 2-inch diameter hole from the smaller funnel end. Insert the smaller end into the round cylinder. Attach the funnel to the cylinder using the wire or plastic wire ties. Be sure that all joints are closed up or else the openings may prove as an escape route for the crawfish. You should now have a cylinder with two funnels facing inward into the trap. The crawdads will enter through the small two-inch holes and be held inside the trap.

Make a Door

Cut an opening in the side of the wire cylinder that is approximately 4 by 5 inches. Remove the excess wire and fold over the sides of the opening using the wire pliers. Cut a piece of hardware cloth that is two inches larger than the opening of your trap. Center the wire door over the opening and wire the top of the door like a hinge. Hold the door in place by either a small loop of wire or a plastic wire tie. You can also fix a spring to the door to hold it in place. Bait the trap with fresh fish or you can also use chicken backs and necks. Place the trap in a creek and tie the trap to the side of the bank. Check the trap daily to retrieve the crawdads and replenish the bait.

References

• Crawdad Trap

Resources

• Crawfish Bait