Thread: Roach Trap?

Oldduckhunter mentioned using roaches as bream bait, and I know it was really a big deal in West TN 75+ years ago. Reading fishing stories written in the late 18 and early 1900's leave no doubt that roaches were the supreme #1 bream bait, but I've read they fell out of favor here due to laws being passed to prevent selling them commercially.

My question is, has anyone here successfully trapped roaches in enough numbers to use for bream fishing. I doubt many modern groceries would let you trap them as old used to do, and most of us do all we can to keep those suckers out of the house, but you see plenty of them if you start turning over rotten logs.

While I'm sure you could catch quite a few snatching and grabbing under the aforementioned logs, I prefer not reaching under any log in a hurry during the time of year I bream fish. Anyone have a good trick or solution?

I've never tried to make one, but I've heard of a cricket trap made from a 2 liter soda bottle. Cut the top 4" or 5" off the bottle and invert the spout end into the remainder of the bottle(with the cap off) and bait with a piece of apple. Lay the trap on the floor and crickets can crawl in, but not out. I don't know if it would work for roaches...can they crawl upside down and then out the spout? Do roach traps such as Roach Motel kill the roaches when they crawl in? I have very little roach experience...I would be too sissified to want to touch one putting on a hook

Jethro,

I imagine roaches could crawl in and out at will, but they might stay if there's food involved. I just don't know. I may be wrong, but I think most of the commercial traps also kill the roaches. I should probably just Google around a bit, but I hoped someone had actually tried it.

I don't think I'd want to mess with roaches caught around dumpsters or similar nasty places, but I wouldn't be any more concerned with roaches caught in the woods than I would with crickets or worms.

Originally Posted by Bill Cooksey

I don't think I'd want to mess with roaches caught around dumpsters or similar nasty places, but I wouldn't be any more concerned with roaches caught in the woods than I would with crickets or worms.

Interesting, I didn't know roaches were in the wild. Learn something new every day.

Originally Posted by Bill Cooksey

Jethro,

I imagine roaches could crawl in and out at will, but they might stay if there's food involved. I just don't know. I may be wrong, but I think most of the commercial traps also kill the roaches. I should probably just Google around a bit, but I hoped someone had actually tried it.

I don't think I'd want to mess with roaches caught around dumpsters or similar nasty places, but I wouldn't be any more concerned with roaches caught in the woods than I would with crickets or worms.

Bill, I saw your name and thought that I was on the Refuge When I was a kid, I spent summers at my cousin's out on Bailey Station Road. He had a dairy " I think the silos are still there, just north of Fed Ex." anyway, we caught alot of roaches there just using our hands at night. We also went to a dairy on Hwy 20 on the right just going into Mississippi. The walls would be covered floor to ceiling (millions) we scopped them into 5 gal. buckets then them into our bait box. The silos still stand there too. I think about those days when I head you way. LOL Mr. Buck sure loved to drown a roach too.

Now that's funny at the bottom of pg 1 there was an advertisement for Orkin with roaches running around.

Do roaches bite?

I put out a coffee can one night with some bread soaked in sugar. I was trying to catch crickets. There were about 8 crickets and 20 roaches in that thing.

I'm not squeamish about bait at all (after all, maggots are my bait of choice), but there's no way I'd ever use roaches. There are lots of very effective and much cleaner baits out there.

Originally Posted by deathb4disco

I'm not squeamish about bait at all (after all, maggots are my bait of choice), but there's no way I'd ever use roaches. There are lots of very effective and much cleaner baits out there.

I agree. Plenty of other bugs to go with. Crickets seem like a good choice. I'll let you know this summer LOL. I am going to make a decent trap and take some fishing.