Dear Spug

Last winter I fished a lake on a common, and it has some nice carp but also has a lot of crayfish, and they drove me mad. They were tangling my braided rig and having the hookbait off in 15 minutes, but I’m not going to give up and I am going back again this winter for another go. I am thinking of giving plastic corn a go but I have little confidence in it. What else could I try? Any tips on areas to look for that crays don't like would be appreciated.

Thanks - Garry Legge.

Hi Gary

Thanks for the question

There are a few ways you can combat the dreaded crayfish. The first, and the easiest, is to net the boilies. We do this all the time out in France, and although at first we were unsure as to whether or not the fish would still pick up the bait, those fears were soon dispelled as the runs started to come in.

The type of mesh you can use is the awesome Fox Arma Mesh, some tights (ask the missus first though!), or just some standard plastic mesh which is available in most tackle shops. All you have to remember is to keep the mesh very tight to the boilie.

However, if you don’t like meshing the hookbaits, then you can try flavouring bits of wood. Just get your favourite flavourings, stick them in a tub and leave the bits of wood to soak for a few weeks. Don’t worry that the wood is not perfectly round like a boilie; it won’t stop the carp picking it up.

Finally, plastic corn. Don’t be afraid to use it, it catches an enormous amount of fish – simple as that!

I hope this helps, and be lucky.

Spug