Equipment & Harvesting

Click on the smaller image for faster loading (400x300) or click on the larger image for greater detail (800x600)

(Use the BACK button on your browser to return to this page)

  
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.