1. Scientific name:
Jasus Llandi or something like that.
2. Common names:
Crayfish, Kreef, Red Gold, Chick Magnets etc.
3. Location targeted:
From Nambia along the West Coast of South-Africa around Cape Point to about Cape Agulhas.(Might be further but I haven't been diving further up.)
4: Typical habitat:
You can find them in water that is 50cm deep and 10 m and deeper. Mostly between kelp and in rocky areas.
5. General techniques:
Much the same that Griff said above.
Especially the horns that pierce your hands. After some dive trips it looks as if I lost a fight with a bale of barbed wire.
6: Legislation
Minimum Size: 8.9 cm 89mm from the middle horn in the middle carpace to the end of the carpace measured in a straigt line.
Daily Bag limit : 4
Season: from 22 November to the Monday of Easter Weekend.
From 22 November to the end of Febuary you can dive every day. After that only on Weekends and Public Holidays.
NOT ALLOWED.
Not allowed to dive from a boat.
No soft shells.
No berries(eggs)
Must measure in the water.
You are not allowed to use fishhooks\Gaffs to hook them. Not sure about spearing one but I think that will be frowned upon.
Also not sure about the torch Idea.
Description:
A beautifull dark red\brown.
A bit more rugged looking than the East Coast Lobster. haha
Tips:
To take out crayfish you must think like one. People pay hundreds of Rands for them, Octopus eats them and some kinds of fish as well.
So they will be trying to hide in the best possible places.
The way I found that works best for me it to go down by pulling yourself down on a piece of kelp. When you are near the bottom start looking for Cracks\Holes\Overhangs etc. Lightly kick our flippers and move forward slowly by pulling on pieces of kelp. Always try to keep your hand on one. When you see a crayfish go to the surface and gather your breath. Don't worry about loosing the place because you have the kelp stem in your hand.
Don't float on to and try to see one. You will not find a lot that way.
I went diving with a buddy once and he couldn't find one and I took out our quota in 10 min.
Go down and look into each hole and crevice. Look under rocks and and everywhere. On the West Coast we don't have to worry about things like eels and scary stuff so if you can't see into a hole feel it out. This is also sometimes the only way to take out your crays because the water on the West Coast is not very clean on average.
When you locate one try and grab it over the back. this will give you the best chance of taking one out. If you can't get your hand over the back try and grab the feelers where it comes out of it's head. You will have a better chance to take it out than grabbing further up.
Sometimes when the Cray is a bit stuborn you can move it back and forth.(Remember to pull a face when the horns stab holes into your fingers.) This is usually enough to get it out.
Beware of where you stick your hand in though. You don't want to stick it under loose rocks that can fall and trap your arm. This has happened before. Also don't stick your hand in a place where you won't be able to get it out. You will always find another crayfish but finding another life isn't that easy.
They also sometimes sit in tunnels or in places that has back exits. All you have to do then is hold your one hand at the back and wave the other in the front and catch. Easy no swearing or pulling faces.
A thing that I noticed once it that they are sh*t scared of octopusses. If you can catch one and wave it in the front of a hole that has crayfish in it check the reaction.
This is why I always try to keep my fingers together when I move in for the kill. I know that this might sound like a load of bull but hell, I drove 80 Km to dive so I will try anything that wil increase my chances of taking out the ones with barnickles on their backs.
I also experimented with using red gloves and the results were encouriging(Spell check

)
Favourite way to cook them:
Boil water and chuck them in. (This may sound cruel but they die almost instantly) When the water starts boiling again time it for 15 minutes.
Lift them out of the water and hook the tail over a sink with the front hanging down. Break of the horns. This allows the water to drain. Let them cool down a bit and then break out the tail VERY carefully by twiting it to the left and then to the right. If you this right the tail will come out very nicely.
Use a pair of kitchen sicors to cut trought the bottom without damaging the flesh (I know REAL men break them open by hand but ussually at this stage my hands are moer toe(Pretty full of holes)) Take out that delicious piece of flesh and break in half. Take out the poo pipe and break into chunks. Dip this in Garlic butter and put on a few drops of lemon juice. Dip in mayonaise.
Eat. You will like it.
Other benefits:
Crayfish diving can be a very attractive thing fo women if you do it right. Take her along and dive (Don't stay in too long, She will get pissed if you leave her alone to long.) When you come out make sure you have a few biggies. Then you must tell her about the big shark you saw even if there is no shark around in a 1000 miles. Or tell her anything to let her understand that this is a huge sacrifice for you and you only do it beacuase you like her so much. Prepare they crayfish in the way described on top and take it from there.
Another use: Nothing let her parents like you more than a few crays. They will immediatley think that you are a brave\responsible young man and that you are the man for their daughter.
Sorry for the long post but I love crayfish diving and the associated benefits. This is 10 years of diving expierience compressed.Gimme some Karma for the effort.
Cheers Reinier