i have a post on Trapping Only that shows a float that a trapper took over 800 muskrats in a short time using Bridger coil springs.

Cutting a Y out of a tree then stapling hardware cloth in the Y part makes a good one trap float set and the Y centers the rats over the trap . Put some weeds and rat poo and a long nail if bait is used . It's a natural looking a stable float that can be made when cutting firewood or out of Blow down trees .

I like this set up for sensitive areas but I like to know everything without asking so no one will know I don't know but I give up Bob whats the sudden valley trap platform

They are technically called rat clips.They mount and slide up/down a fiberglass pole to adjust the trap to the right water depth.Typically 2" under water is about right. However when working golf course water ways they are usually working off a pump circulation system.

Therefore the water level can vary 4-6" on the golf courses we work on when the pump is off at nite.So you must set your traps at the needed water depth with this in mind to adjust to the fluxuating water level at nite.

Search for "sudden valley supply" Carlis has a little web site with a photo of the "rat clips" as they are referred too.

I think there made of music wire the rat clips . I have some of his 110 conibear supports that work just like the rat clips they adjust up and down the pole just by squeezing them . They work good only thing wish they fit on my reg T bars

. float I made the other day thinking ill use more wood when I build the next one

mouse,

taking large numbers of rats on floats is nothing more than hard work during the right time of year. I took 1,723 rats in less than 7 full days all off floats cold rolling in an area ive never set foot before. it would take a serious number of rats off floats to truly be impressive. my best days were back to back 304 then 302

. Some more trap builds

thats very impressive michael. what state was that in? rich kasper claims to have taken some 4,500 with a partner.

SD,

not to take anything away from Rich, but by myself, if conditions were the same as they were in 2011 I would be able to average, that's average over 450-500 rats per day by myself. I know I could do a 600 rat day as well. the conditions may never be the same, and now 100 rats per day there would be great.

michael, how is it you trap SD when you live in MN ? what loophole do you have that allows that when no other person in MN is allowed? that is at least my understanding to people i ve talk with.

I am getting such an inferiority complex that I can't stand it. I can't catch one single muskrat in a float and now I have to read about guys that catch 304, 302, 450, 500, 600, 1,723 and 4500 muskrats per day in float sets. Excuse me for asking but if you caught one muskrat a day on every float, wouldn't you still need the Queen Mary to carry that many floats?

Put your floats out Ahead of time then getting them use to them by feeding or could be lured in come spring with a rat gland lure even . If the rats are really diving into bait this would help as well which is not always the case . You would surely have a very poor season around here trapping with floats only you would spend two weeks catching what you could have caught in three days just setting the runs and feed beds .

As I recall, Mr. O'Brien lived in SD for a time.

One more question for Mike. What traps do you use in or on the floats? Conibears, stoploss, longsprings, or a combination?

BS!!!!!!!!!!!
just a poacher............ and probably a fibber too,,,,........

AS I recall, "he" deleted his old tman account because SD was after him........

i caught over forty muskrats this summer on floats using cage traps and thought i was doing pretty good. lol
guess i m still a rookie.

why would I lie about how many rats I caught vinke? I have the pictures to prove it but I don't need to show them to a looser like you.

Duke 1.5 coils, conis are a waste

I can fit 250 float in the back of my pickup truck with traps already set on them. Thats 500 traps.
in two days I could have 1000 traps out.

I did live in South Dakota and up until 2 years ago Minnesota resident could trap in South Dakota

Mike Matney (sp) did very well with the float he introduced this summer baiting the same way as you (mousie) and LT....
40 rats of floating cage in the summer seems pretty good to me,,,