Night hunting for river arthropods is not just a way to get a delicacy, but a whole art that requires specific skills and training from a boater. Catching crayfish from a boat It's very different from a shore-based trap installation, because it gives you access to deep pits and deep, offshore areas where the largest and most valuable prey lives, and unlike stationary fishing, you're mobile, but your effectiveness depends on your ability to operate the boat in complete darkness and your knowledge of the habits of the underwater world.
Many beginners mistakenly believe that it is enough to just throw the sheep into the water and wait, but the successful result brings only competent choice of place and understanding of biorhythms of cancers. Astronomical factorsThe most important thing is that from a boat, the most effective way to track these changes is to quickly change the location, from rocky ridges to muddy grooves.
Special attention should be paid to safety, because night navigation on a small vessel requires maximum concentration and proper equipment. The peak of cancer activity falls on the period from 23:00 to 03:00 at nightWhen the water cools and predators go out hunting, making the use of a reliable light source and navigator critical, the right tactics will allow you not only to fill the cage, but also to enjoy the process of watching the life of the river in its nocturnal manifestation.
Selection of watercraft and navigation equipment
Small, low-landing vessels such as inflatable vessels are ideal for effective crayfishing. PVC boats Low-side makes it easier to get out gear and work with long bags without losing balance, but it is important to consider its stability when choosing a vessel, since working with heavy sheds and sudden movements can lead to dangerous rolling, especially if you are on the water alone.
The key element of equipment is high-quality lighting. Standard running lights will not be enough to find crayfish parking places and maintain gear. It is recommended to use powerful light-adjusted LED spotlights mounted on the nose or board. The light should be bright enough to see the bottom at a depth of 2-3 meters, but not so blinding as to deter prey or interfere with the adaptation of vision in the dark.
⚠️ Attention: It is strictly forbidden to use open flames (kerosene lamps, torches) on inflatable PVC boats. A spark or a fallen corner can instantly burn through the cylinder, which will lead to the sinking of the vessel far from the shore.
Navigation in the dark is impossible without modern electronic assistants. GPS-navigator Or a sonar with mapping function allows you to go back to the verified "cancer" points that were marked by the day. The sonar also helps determine the structure of the bottom - crayfish prefer hard areas with sand-pebble or rocky coating, avoiding deep silt and thickets of soft aquatic vegetation.
Main gear for catching from the board
Rakolov's arsenal includes several types of tackle, each of which has its own advantages depending on the conditions of the reservoir. lamb (or shed) is a metal hoop structure with a stretched net and a long pole, and for fishing from a boat, the best models with a diameter of 50-80 cm with a capron thread net that quickly dries and does not rot.
The second option is multi-entry traps (umbrellas or cylinders) that sink to the bottom on a rope with a buoy marker, which allows you to make a large supply of gear, placing them in the water area, and check them at intervals, unlike sheepsacks, traps do not require a constant presence of a fisherman at each point, which is convenient for fishing in windy weather or on the current.
- 🦀 Classic sheephouse: It requires constant monitoring, but allows you to react instantly to a bite and prevents the cancer from going away.
- 🕸️ Umbrella trap: It has multiple entrances, crayfish go inside for bait and can't get out again thanks to the valve design.
- ⚓ Bottom load tackle: It is used on a strong current, where light structures are demolished; it requires a heavy loader and a strong cord.
Regardless of the type of equipment, a critical element is cordIt must be floating (not sinking), bright (lettuce, orange) and of sufficient length to match the depths of the reservoir. At the end of the cord, a buoy marker is required, which not only indicates the location of the installation, but also allows you to quickly find the gear in the dark by the light of the flashlight.
Search for promising places and tactics of night hunting
Night fishing success depends 90 percent on choosing the right place, which may seem unattractive during the day: Cancers are conservative, they rarely change habitats unless they're disturbed, and you should look for them in areas with clean, running water, where the bottom is solid: rocky placers, sandy braids with shells, clay cliffs under the water.
The boat search tactic is fan or path, and you slowly move along the coastline or across the current, probing the bottom of the sheep or lowering traps 5 to 10 meters apart. (finding) where the individuals are coming in, you need to fix the coordinates in the navigator and catch this patch more carefully, because crayfish are often kept in colonies.
Particular attention should be paid to the time of day. The Twilight Clock And the first half of the night is the feeding time, and at this time, they can even occur in relatively shallow areas, and closer to dawn, activity drops, and arthropods hide in burrows or under rocks at depth, so the main prey is between 22:00 and 02:00.
Use polarizing glasses with yellow lenses when fishing with a flashlight – they remove glare from the surface of the water, allowing you to better see the bottom and the crayfish themselves in shallow water.
Techniques of installation of tackles and pulling
The process of catching sheep requires skill and coordination. Swimming to the chosen place, you silently (to avoid creating vibrations with oars or motor) lower the gear to the bottom. Six should be in an upright position, and the net should fit tightly to the ground. Trap or under the net is pre-placed. baitThe smell of which attracts crayfish.
Waiting for the prey approach takes 3 to 10 minutes, depending on the activity of the crayfish in the body of water, and the bite feels like a slight push or a pole in the hand. At this point, you can't make sudden movements, because the crayfish are very shy and at the slightest danger they move back. The lifting of the tackle should be smooth, but fast enough so that the cancer does not have time to jump off the edge of the network.
If you use traps, the technique is simpler: you place them around the perimeter, tie them to a boat or leave them anchored with buoys, and periodically check them. When you lift the trap out of the water, it is important to immediately shake it off the algae and debris so that you do not damage the net and weight the structure.
- 🔦 Light masking: Try not to shine a flashlight directly into the water next to the installed gear, the light can scare off suitable crayfish.
- 🤫 Silence: Avoid loud conversations and knocking objects on the side of the boat, sound waves in the water spread far.
- ⚓ Fixing: During the course, be sure to use two anchors (in the nose and stern) or stretching so that the boat does not turn across the current.
☑️ Checklist for night fishing preparations
Lures: What cancer likes
Choosing the right bait is a science that is learned through experimentation, but there are time-tested crustaceans' preferences. Cancers are omnivores, but they prefer food with a strong, specific smell that spreads well in water. Fresh fish often loses its effectiveness to slightly rotten ones, because the process of rotting enhances the aroma.
The classic version is considered fresh-fish (Basket, roach, carp) It can be used whole or cut into pieces, and meat (beef, chicken) works well, especially if it is slightly fried at the stake before the crust and smoke smell. Some anglers add garlic or dill to the bait, believing that these smells additionally attract crayfish.
It's important to properly attach the bait to the gear so that it doesn't get dragged away by fish or washed away by the current, using special feeder cages that attach to the center of the shed, or sewing pieces of meat/fish into a gauze bag, which allows the smell to spread, but keeps the bait in place for a long time.
The secret ingredient
Some experienced rakolovas add to the bait a little blood (fresh or clotted) or the inside of the fish, which is believed to be a smell that crayfish can smell hundreds of meters away and even go against the current.
Seasonal restrictions and legal aspects
Crawfishing is strictly regulated by fishing regulations, which vary by region and river basin. There are periods when crayfishing is completely prohibited, usually molting and breeding times (May-June). Violating these rules entails severe fines and confiscation of gear, so be sure to check the current laws for your region before traveling.
In addition to seasonal prohibitions, there are limits on the size of the prey to be caught; small, under puberty crayfish must be released back into the water. The minimum size is usually 9-10 cm in length (from the sharp end of the tail needle to the middle of the eye), and it is often forbidden to catch females with caviar, regardless of their size.
The table below shows the approximate timing of the ban in different pools (data may change, check with local fish protection):
| River basin / Region | Prohibition period (example) | Minimum size (cm) | Daily allowance (DVD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dnieper Pool | October 1st to June 30th | 9.0 | unlimited |
| Don's pool | year-round (banned) | - | 0 (catching prohibited) |
| Volga-Kama basin | June 1 to July 31 | 9.0 | unlimited |
| Kuban Basin | January 1st to August 14th | 9.0 | unlimited |
*Catch rates may be regulated by local amateur fishing regulations.
Fishing is not only about avoiding fines, it's also about ensuring that the cancer population is preserved for future generations.
Frequent Beginner Raccoon Questions (FAQ)
Can I catch crayfish from a boat during the day?
During the day, fishing is possible, but it's extremely inefficient. Cancers are nocturnal animals, and during the day they hide in burrows or under rocks. The activity during the day can only be observed in muddy waters after rains or in very cloudy weather, but you should not count on a good catch.
Which motor is better to use: electric or gasoline?
For catching cancers preferable motorIt works silently, does not create vibrations on the water, and does not smell exhaust gases, which can deter sensitive arthropods. Gasoline motor is better used only for the transition to the fishing site, and directly hunt on oars or electric traction.
Why don't crayfish go into the shed even though they're definitely at the bottom?
There may be several reasons: improper bait (too fresh or odorless), too bright lighting directly above the tackle, strong noise or vibration from the boat, and crayfish may not peck at a sharp change in atmospheric pressure or wind direction.
How to keep the fish caught in the boat until the end of the fishing trip?
The best way to do this is to use a small-mesh cage that sinks overboard into the water, and it's important that the cage is protected from direct sunlight (if you catch it in the morning) and has enough volume so that the crayfish don't strangle each other, and you can put water vegetation at the bottom of the cage.
⚠️ Attention: Never leave a crawfish caught in a bucket of water at the bottom of a boat, and without oxygen, they will quickly die, and the decay products will make the meat unfit for consumption.
Catching crayfish from a boat is a fun activity that combines elements of a night's adventure and a quiet hunt. By following safety, respecting the laws of nature and using the right gear, you're guaranteed to return with a rich catch. Remember, the main thing in this case is not the quantity, but the quality of the process and respect for the reservoir.