Signal Crayfish

Just a couple of questions about the Signal Crayfish?

In the USA what are the main predators of the Signal Crayfish and how are their numbers naturally controlled?

People say the Signal loves to eat fish eggs and this poses a big threat to the fish in the UK in the long term, how do American species of fish cope with them?

Replies:

1. "... In the USA what are the main predators of the Signal Crayfish ...

Pike, musky, perch, black bass (all species), carp, catfish, cajuns, rednecks, ......

They are so highly sought after as food that in areas where rice is a popular crop, many rice growers also raise crays in the same flooded fields. Cuts into the rice production a little but the overall yield of both is worth it.

Surely crays do eat fish eggs so waters that hold a good population of them tend to select for fish that guard a nest (black bass, sunfish, others) or fish that are such prolific egg layers that it's hard to make a dent in the population (carp, buffalo, others).

I have to say that in nearly 60 years of fishing in areas that hold crays, I have yet to see a water where they were a major problem.

If I know I'm fishing a place that holds them, I'll tend to favor lures with clicking features (mimics a cray clashing claws) and will even put a clicker on a static bait rig to make a little noise when I move it. It seems to help draw fish to the lure/bait.

Note: you only asked about signals but over here they are somewhat localized and we have some other major crayfish species that don't seem to have made the trip across the pond. All of them seem to be able to out-compete other crays when conditions favor them. You will find mixed cray species but usually a single one is predominant.

Signal crayfish are large and enjoy cooler water than most of our other species but they are not Super Crayfish by any means."