Bait Preference and Trapability of Two Common Crayfishes in Northern Minnesota

Abstract

Abstract Reliable supplies of crayfish are one of the constraints in developing a soft-shell bait industry in the upper midwestern USA. Effective trapping baits for Minnesota species have not been fully examined, so we assessed dog food, two types of fish, and a pelleted bait for trapping Orconectes propinquus in a river and O. virilis in a lake. Effects of sampling date, temperature, and habitat on the catch of O. propinquus were also examined. Dry dog food was the least attractive bait for both species, and fish baits were the most attractive for O. virilis; O. propinquus showed no clear preference between the fish and pellets. Significant differences in catch of O. propinquus were found between sampling dates. Temperature did not appear to fully explain these differences and seemed also to have little effect on bait preference. Males and larger size-classes dominated the catch of both species, though the catch of O. propinquus included 23% females overall and 25% age-0 crayfish in October. Crayfish beh...