Equipment & Harvesting

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These are minnow traps. I bait them with cat food or cooked chicken scraps.
  
This is my favorite net. It is 4' x 4'. I call it a quick-check. I can summarize the population of a pond very quickly with it.
  
This water filter saves a lot of time and energy. I simply put a garden hose adapter on my sink and rigged what you see here. Be sure to get the carbon filter.
  
My two nets. The one in the foreground I have had for 25 years; I just added on a section. I just got the one I am holding. It works well in deeper ponds. It has a pocket 10' deep.
  
Trays like these make crayfish easy to transport and are used in the pond to hold captives until it is time to leave.
  
A prime view of the mother pond. It is the shallowest and most productive pond I have. This is where I discovered the blue crayfish. I am currently weening out the brown crayfish and moving blue crayfish back in.
  
The quick check in action.
  
Setting up for a pull. Today I brought my little helper, Elizabeth, my daughter.
  
The net mysteriously gliding by itself through the pond. Just kidding. We were attempting to get a picture of the crayfish swimming ahead of the net.
  
A good catch. Probably 1500 crayfish.
  
Same pull, just a different angle.
  
After the work the fun began. My daughter absolutely loved that giant mud puddle.
     
This is my containment system I made up from rain gutters (pictured above and to the left). Shown without lids. This keeps the crayfish separated. It has water flowing through it and into a large tub for a good supply of water.
  
Back to work! I simply shove one end in the mud and make a sweep.
  
A little better this time.
  
With most of the blues released along with the little ones, this is what I am taking home.
  
The above tray has a large mesh to let the smaller crayfish pass through. The one in the water keeps them alive while working the pond.