Crayfish pose an escalating challenge in carp angling. Once they get into a lake, given their rapid reproduction, if you do not use certain tactics including crayfish resistant terminal tackle, they can make fishing incredibly challenging.
If you are fishing a crayfish infested lake, your choices related to tackle, rigs, swim selection, and bait strategy will play a massive part in how successful your campaign will be.
It is well worth researching whether a lake has crayfish present before you start fishing so that you are adequately prepared. This is particular important when on a French carp fishing holiday given you are likely to only have a week so going with the right rigs and baiting strategy in mind can be crucial to your success.
credit to Duncan Soar
What hooklink should I use to prevent crayfish tangling it?
To counter the likelihood of crayfish interference, using a stiff hook link material is crucial for rig resetting. Subtle hooklink material is prone to tangling and if crayfish are present, there is a high chance that if your rig is picked up it will become tangled. Use a coated braid of at least 20lbs so that it has enough rigidity to reset if it is picked up. A fluorocarbon monofilament which prove to be equally good due to its excellent anti tangle properties.
Use a rigid coated braid or a monofilament which will easily reset
Avoid using rig putty
Crayfish love rig putting and almost seem to be hone in on it at times. Instead use either split shot or line sinkers to keep the rig pinned to the lake bed.
Use split shot or sinkers instead of rig putty
Don’t use conventional hair stops
Utilising extender stops becomes imperative, as conventional hair stops are susceptible to crayfish removal.
Hair stop extenders are more crayfish proof than conventional hair stops
Are there certain rigs which are more crayfish proof?
There are certain rigs which are more crayfish proof. Pop up rigs are a good choice as baits raised off the lake bed generally receive less attention from crayfish.
Chod rigs or spinner rigs, are a good choice due to their fantastic anti tangle properties. In terms of baits if you are using boilies you should cover them in a mesh or a shink wrap. Even if the hookbait does receive attention from crayfish it is less likely to come off the hair.
Use a rig with strong anti tangle properties such as the spinner rig
A sharp, durable hook complements the strategy, ensuring resilience when picked up and dropped. When employing bottom rigs, extender stops surpass regular hair stops in crayfish resistance, seamlessly integrating with the bait.
The end tackle’s final crucial element is a substantial lead, countering crayfish’s ability to manipulate smaller leads. Employing a 3oz or larger lead not only fortifies hooking potential but also anchors the rig in place.
Bait selection to avoid crayfish pick ups
Bait selection proves pivotal in addressing crayfish challenges. If you are struggling to keep your hookbaits on and don’t want to recast every hour or 2 then consider using plastic hookbaits. Plastic baits are pretty crayfish proof as they are picked up less and even if they are it is rare that the crayfish will manage to remove the bait from the hair.
Plastic baits are less likely to get pulled off the hair
Tiger nuts are also another good option and worth trying as they will generally stay on the hair for longer than a boilie will.
Some anglers say to avoid oily or fishy baits such as pellets but underwater footage shows that crayfish will eat just about anything so avoiding such baits may not help to deter the attention of the crayfish.
Fish to catch carp not to avoid avoid crayfish
One of the best deterrents of crayfish is in fact carp. Carp love to eat crayfish as they are high in protein. This is one of the reasons that carp in crayfish infested lakes often grow so big.
So rather than avoiding baiting heavily or avoiding certain baits, fish as you normally would with the intention of attracting carp. When the carp come in to feed the crayfish will scatter. If you use stiff hooklinks and anti tangle rigs with a bait that can withstand a crayfish pick up you can fish very effectively and the crayfish will cause minimal interference to your fishing.