Crayfish, Fish, and Eel Trap

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Completed Trap

How to make a trap for catching Fish, Crayfish and/or Eels

Crayfish traps come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, but all operate on the same principle. Prey enters the trap through a large opening, attracted to bait, but is then unable to find its way out since the exit hole is very small. This article shows how to construct a trap completely from local, natural materials and so is especially well suited for use in survival situations.

Materials and Tools

Uprights and weaving - A good supply of willow or another supple, pliant plant. Any flexible plant slightly thinner than a finger and available in four-foot lengths will work. In the photos below, brambles are being used.
Cordage - If the material you've chosen for the body is supple enough, it can be used as cordage. Otherwise, you will need to make cordage, or use manufactured cord such as Paracord or boot laces.
Knife - Any tool which can be used to cut your materials will do. The trap made in the photos shown was constructed with a flint blade.

Construction

1) Select nine, three to six foot lengths of moderately thick willow, brambles, or your local plant of choice for the uprights. Bundle them together, and lash them at one end with your cordage. Place this over a post, log, or tree stump with the lashed side up, and splay the uprights evenly into a circle.

2) As shown in the photo above, weave a length of willow or vine between the uprights one to two feet down from from the lashing. Pass your vine or branch over one upright, underneath the next, over the next, and so on. There is no need to tie this to the uprights since friction will hold it in place. This loop will form and hold the shape of your trap. The trap shown is approximately one foot in diameter.

3) Begin weaving from just below the uprights' lashing using the technique in step two. Coil downwards until the trap has reached your desired length. The one shown is approximately three feet long. Be sure not to leave any gaps larger than your intended prey.

4) Cut six of the uprights about eight inches beyond the last woven loop. Bend these back into the weaving to secure the system.

Just a trick of the camera! Jack is holding the trap, not standing inside of it.

5) Cut three of the uprights slightly longer than the rest and bend them back similarly but with a small loop left at the end, resembling a handle. Two of these will be used to hold the funnel in place, while the third will be used to anchor the trap to the water body's floor. Alternatively, these three loops can be made from cordage, as shown in the photo below.

6) Construct a funnel using the same techniques as were used for the body. The large end should be just larger than the trap's opening, and the small end should be the same size or only slightly larger than your intended prey. This enables the prey to easily enter, but be unable to find their way out.