REPLACEMENT FUNNELS

Both the Trappy and the Trappy XL traps have funnels that separate from the trap. (The Jumbo and the Jackpot traps don't.) Once in a while it happens that a funnel gets lost. It doesn't happen often thanks to the fact that the plastic funnels are buoyant and float in water. Sometimes, though, if a funnel gets lost in a swift stream, it may take off down the river before the user knows it.

It is hard to believe you can lose a funnel in a lake, but then, of course, there are also thieves we have to consider...
So, if you lose a funnel, here are replacement funnels that will put your traps back in business again.

MAKE YOUR OWN CRAYFISH TRAP

But here is another good reason for using some extra Trappy funnels. You can use them to make your own home made crayfish trap.
Left in picture above, a JUMBO trap made from two XL funnels. The funnel in front is hinged to open and close. If you fasten the funnel permanently, you need to make a side opening with a lid and a bungee cord. To the right, a Trappy sized trap made from two Trappy funnels. Both traps using vinyl covered hardware cloth with 1/2" mesh.

A. Make a Trappy home made trap

To make your own crayfish trap using a Trappy replacement funnel is really easy. Visit your local ACE or Home Depot store and get a roll of 1/2" square mesh hardware cloth. I prefer the vinyl clad mesh, but it also comes in plain hardware cloth for a little less money. The vinyl covered cloth provides better protection from moisture and is kinder on your hands when you work with it.

A standard roll of hardware cloth can be cut into four pieces that will make four traps. Each piece can then be shaped into a cylinder, about 17" long and 9 1/2" wide.
To fasten the sides of the cylinderical hardware cloth you may need some J-clips and a pair of pliers to attach the J-clips. You may find J-clips and pliers in your local hardware store or a place that sells material for fence making like a local feed store. For finding J-clips and pliers you may also try the Quality Cage Company on the Web which has been my source for materials for a while.

The Trappy funnel fits nicely into the 1/2" mesh around the cylinder with no modifications, and you can arrange it so that the funnel is firmly attached.
For inserting bait and to empty the trap, you have to make a side opening (10 x 10 meshes) on one side of the cylinder. With a short bungee cord (10 inches) you can open and close the side opening and, Voila, you have your home made crayfish trap ready.

B. Make a Trappy XL Jumbo home made trap

With the XL funnel replacement you can even make a most productive trap with a size that is legal in most states. I am talking about what I call the JUMBO trap.

The XL trap has only one movable funnel which is 11 1/2" across (see picture). With a hardware cloth cylinder of the same diameter, you can produce a crayfish trap like the Jumbo trap I used to manufacture and sell and which is almost identical in size to the Bullard Commercial trap. This size trap has the surprising ability to lure large amounts of crayfish to enter it. Last summer I surprised myself by pulling up 80 large crayfish (8-10 to the pound) after an all night soaking in a very well populated lake.
However, the XL funnel is different from the Trappy funnel. While the Trappy funnel can be made to fit perfectly into a 1/2" mesh cylinder, the XL funnel has to be slightly modified. This funnel has a small hinge on one side of its diameter and a plastic hoop on the opposite side. The hoop must be removed and the hinge has to be slightly changed. (A metal file or a Dremel drill can be used.)
With a hardware cloth cylinder of the same diameter as the funnel, I have successfully used a rubber bungee as a hinge on one side of the funnel, and a similar bungee to close the cylinder with the funnel. The other funnel in the other end can be secured permanently using e.g. hog rings or similar metal fasterners.
This type of trap, a JUMBO trap, has become my preferred crayfish trap when going catching my annual catch each summer. I have had fantastic rersults, and I still remember vividly how one time a JUMBO trap came up with 80 large crayfish in it to fill my cooler.

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