In Australia, we call these guys yabbies, or yabbys depending on how you prefer to spell them. Their scientific name is Cherax Destructor, a name that suits them quite well as a nip on the finger from a decent sized yabby would be quite destructive!
These are a warm water species of shellfish which are most active during the warmer months, unlike their cousins the freshwater crayfish which is more of a cold water species, being more active in the winter months.
In Australia we call them yabbies, but in the United States they call their version of yabbies, crawfish or crawdads. So for any American person reading this, and watching this video wondering what a yabby is, it is a similar shellfish to your crawdad, or crawfish.
I know they also have crayfish in America as well but I am not sure where they fit into the equation!
Anyhow, using string with meat attached is easily my favourite way to catch yabbies. The old 'meat and string' technique.
This is where so many of us started our love of not only yabbying, but also of fishing in general. Catching yabbies with meat and string is where I cut my teeth in the humble world of yabbying.