If you don’t rinse the bottles or remove the sticker, you risk contaminating the stream or pond where you’re trapping the crawfish.
Drill the holes very carefully. Make sure that the bottles don’t slip while you’re drilling, or else the holes will not line up. Be very cautious if you use a knife or awl. It can be difficult to make a clean hole straight through a two-liter bottle, let alone through two. The surface is slick, and a knife can easily slip. If possible, use a drill.
Alternately, you can use only the first set of holes. In this case, you will simply thread the zip ties through this first set, then fasten them on the outside of the bottle rim.
You may need to experiment with the weight to make sure that the trap sinks all the way to the bottom – but 1-5 pounds should do the trick.
If you don’t have access to any fish, you can use raw meat: a piece of uncooked bacon, chicken, or hot dog can do the trick. Do not expect this bait to be as effective as fish.
In theory, the crawfish smell food and climb through the lid. When they want to get out, they can’t figure out how to climb back through the hole to freedom. If you only wait a few hours or overnight, the crawfish should survive on the bait until you check the trap. If you wait much longer than a day or two, the crawfish might starve to death by the time that you come around. Be aware that the crawfish may not be able to breathe. [4] X Research source
To empty the trap, simply unscrew the top cap of the bottle, then pour the crawfish into a bucket or net.
