You guys that trap out of a Jon boat have you made any modifications to your boat that have helped on the line??

I drilled a hole in the front and put a large eye bolt in. I then made a long T-bar so when I pull up to the bank I slide it through the eye bolt and in to the bottom to hold the boat in place. I also put a piece of treated plywood between the two front seats to have a working platform when making sets.

I use a flat bottom. There seems to be more room than a v-hull. We made almost what you'd call a trap door from the front bench seat to the front of the boat to keep some things dry and have extra storage. Then you can throw all the catches on the top. Extra traps, wire, bait and everything else you need can be stored under the door and out of the way.

I run my water line out of a 17.5 ft canoe, with a great trapping partner and mentor (who doesn't post here but can be seen on the Bass Pro Shops next generation Trapping episode).

A standard metal 'float trip' canoe and, Yep we paddle it.
Its a ton of work, but it lets us get real good coverage on tight shallow Ozarks streams, where a johnboat and a motor wont go. so we can trap the same streams as our competition, without following them around. We can easilly get out a 50 set, 7-8 mile line in one day and then run it in a matter of 3-4 hours. Usually set on friday, run sat am, and run/pull on sun am.

Two nights is sufficient coverage for coons, and beaver...if we see that a set misses on first night, we double or triple up on that loc for second night, and usually grab them. Only being out for two nights also leaves really good seed for following years. It is hard to effectively hammer the otter, (although we took 17 last year, best in MO according to the dammage controll agent) because they travel so far and only two nights we often are in the right place but at the wrong time. And we don't often bother with mink, unless there is massive sign, because they travle about 7-9 day circuits here.

But here's the great part; We trap 8-10 different lines on totally different rivers/creeks...one each weekend from 11/15-1/15 (then we go dry for predators). This does two things for us. 1 we get great coverage in a broad area only taking the easy catches, and makes for some pretty good fur/hours numbers. 2 we get a constant change of scenery on twisty little ozark streams without the rattle of a motor or the smell of petrol. If you think hitting the dog-cat-fox line at dawn is beautiful (and it is) try the absolutely devestating peace and tranquility of slipping down an ice fringed creek just before dawn with nothing but a pocket knife and a paddle. Completely worth all of the load/unload hassles, and the "dont touch the metal canoe with wet hands cause they WILL stick" lessons.

We tried running a trolling motor, and it saved us about an hour, but it cost us most of the pleasure too. So for us, first half season of trapping will be done by paddled canoe untill one of us gets too old to handle it.

Where in the Ozarks are you located baldknobber? You trap just like we do for the most part.

Im in Springfield Mo.
Trap the general watersheds of Stockton, Tablerock (north half), Fellows and McDaniels Lakes. Doin one trip to the bootheel and one trip a missouri river tributary near Jeff City this year as well. As for land trappin, we have an exclusive permit for three good sized Local Conservation Areas. Got teh permit because we took the time to do regular 'wildlife surveys' for the area managers over the last six years, and we never say no when the Damage Controll Biologist calls and asks us to do some busy work for him...ie bats in a tree, snakes in a basement...etc. Those Agent contacts are CRITICAL. We are even taking the female Greene County agent on a water line this winter. I taught a Hunter's Education course with her in april, and when I mentioned to the class that my first love is trapping and most of the hunting I do is to support my trapping hobby, by providing Baits (squirell and rabit parts) and attractors (wings, bones, feathers etc) She approached me and asked If I would be willing to teach her the ropes. I told her of course...what a great advocate she will be for my continued recieving future permits Conservation area managers who answer to her. She seems pretty capable from what Ive seen. She claims she will be able to supply her own canoe and partner (probably one of the state biologists, bug guy, fish lady etc) to paddle right along with us to learn.

ive used 2 different canoes, and a 10' jon boat, my canoe is more like an overgrown kayak and is hard to use, i borrowed my cousins canoe that we modified for bank poleing by removing the front seat, and that was at least as good if not better than the jon boat, i paddled all 3 cause my creeks are way too shallow for motors, the jon boat offered a better platform, but the canoe was easier to get around in, both the canoes are poly, i never have had an aluminum canoe that i liked

I much prefer the poly canoes for a couple reasons. They're quieter, and they glide over rocks a lot easier than an aluminum one will. And with all the rock in the rivers in the Ozarks it sure helps, especially in the upper sections of river.

Baldknobber it's funny we've never crossed paths before. We trap the James and Finley Rivers. Maybe you're the one that caught all those coon East of Springfield on the James, lol.

We piddle on the James(NE of springfield) and the Finley. We concentrate on the Stockton tribs. Never trapped the Lower James.
So, that was not me... but I know who it was.

I do a lot of volunteer work at the Springfield Conservation Nature Center. One of the Full time Naturalists that used to work there is married to a fella who just became a protection agent. They moved somewhere in far far north Missouri. But,.... last season, (or was 05-06?), while he was a full time farmer here locally, her husband and his outdoor pard ran a LONG LONG james river line(~40 miler; from the wilson's creek confluence all the way down past Galena) in mid season for two nights, and took over 300 bandits. His wife(my friend) had to meet the boat twice each day, once at hootentown and once at delaware access, so the guys could unload the boat of fur weight. I saw pictures of the dispatched coons stacked like cordwood in their driveway.

He is gone now though, posted as a protection agent to some obscure N missouri county, Soooooo its all yours as far as I know. My partner and I have no plans this year to trap the lower james. We dont have a big enough boat or enough steel to do it right. But, be forewarned, I have totally redesigned my coon-drowner setup this summer(pic thread comming soon) and if it is as effecient and simple as I think it will be, we'll be ALL OVER Lower James on opening day 08-09.

Also, be aware, their is a pair of brothers in the game there...long time trappers who live in Highlandville and trap the finley extensively. I know they are good trappers, cause i have been down the finley about a week after they trapped it, which made mine a completely wasted trip. Judgin by the sign they left, they didnt miss a lick. I bet good grade goose grease that they arent ingoring that James river long line. And.... Ill hedge that bet by sayin you've probably got a brother........ and he traps?...........

with all you guys crossin paths do you run into eachothers sets often? i ask because i have family in strafford, and i was plannin on doing some trapping down there on winter break, i wouldnt be trappin from a boat, but im kinda thinkin you guys will have both my spots traped out before i ever head south, might not be worth my non resident fees for 2weeks of empty traps

Baldknobber I don't know what to say about 300 coons in 2 nights on the James. I'd make sure he wasn't a fooling you on that one, lol. I don't have a brother, but my dad is my partner. We do live in Highlandville. We trap the James and the Finley on 2 year cycle sections. Maybe when you come trapping down south we can copy your drowning rig setup. I sure get tired of filling bags of rocks for drowners. It makes for a long 2 days of setting traps. I'm surprised we haven't crossed paths yet.

Wcrose we run across someones sets a couple times a year. Usually people who aren't setting whole lines though, just a few traps here and there. If you don't set out a line you're more than welcome to come with us for a canoe trip.

thanks PW, im not planning on running a huge line just 2or 3 dozen at most, some out right behind the house, and one friend of my uncles has a farm with a small crick i have permission to trap. but i would like to know what it would cost me for a non-res license, and if i have to sell my fur in mo, or if a can bring it back and sell it here at home, in not really in it for the money, im just lookin for a change of scenery

Trapping a 40 mile stretch of the James river aint possible, and neither is catching 300 coons in 2 nights. Someone is trying to pull someone elses leg on that, you can bet. 300 coons in 2 nights means at least 150 sets. It is a physical impossiblity to set that many traps for coon on these rivers in 1 day.To make it from Wilsons Creek to Galena is a very very long float in 2 days. You caint check traps, and float it in 1 day. As for the 17 Otter being best in Mo., last year the local Agent told me we checked 17 more than anyone in our area. Theres guys in Mo.(Not Me), that catch 50 to 100 Im pretty sure.

Bill, you ready for this season? I've been trying to get my stuff ready early this year, but hasn't worked out. Hopefully all the rain we got this spring will clean out all the debree from the ice storm.

SR

i use a 16 ft extra wide jon boat with no mods to it here on the river i trap.