First time trapping otters and I'm looking ideas on baited sets or wondering if they're even effective.

In my experience baited sets are a poor choice for otter trapping. The most effective IMO are blind sets.
With regard to the type of area to set, I would suggest key locations would be:
- Beaver dam spillways, above and below.
- Stream pinch points.
- Diving sets in narrow stream channels.
- Old beaver (abandoned) lodge entrances.

I've he NO luck with bait, I know that it does work just not for me blind has always been the way for me on otter. But I know a man who uses a float that is very effective and another man who uses dug bank 220 cubbies baited with shad. He's only about 30 miles down river from me and I can tell you when I started trying to learn how too catch otter the exact same set did zip for me blind sets on the same sign caught my waterwolves! And still do.
Colt

10-4 on what bctomcat said. Little interest in bait because they are an apex predator in their habitat.
They are interested in the scent of other otter, however, so an otter gland based lure is good,
especially in the early spring rut. Learn to locate and set otter toilets, using a little fencing to narrow
the approach when needed. Many trappers prefer footholds attached to a drowning rig for otter, but
280's and snares with a kill pole work best for me. Mite be because I'm old & lazy! Those may not
be a legal option for you. Crossovers at beaver or man made dams are what I look for first. I do ADC
work on several managed lakes but try to do my otter work Dec. thru March when possible, so the otter
pelts will have some value. Upsets me when I think of how many I've sold thru the years for $50 to some
times better than $100. Now southern otter bring $15 to maybe $35. To me, they are one of the most
plush and durable furs the Good Lord created. They are not trap shy, you've just got to learn how to
make 2 or 3 good sets, find some otter, set good locations, hope you are ahead instead of behind them,
and be PATIENT. When you catch the first one, you'll be hooked. Good luck!
P.S If you have to trap in the water, any place where there's a narrow channel, pinch point, etc, use a 280
and a dive pole. I've used Jeff Dunnier's panel system or beaver sticks etc. to narrow places down. If you
have to trap under ice, you have my sympathy, but I don't have a clue!

A buddy of mine catchs several incidentals on fish stick sets on big water every year! make sure you use a long stake they can turn 6" of water into several feet overnite

For under ice otter the very effective "Pressure Set" is used. At iced over beaver dams with a constant water flow over the dam place a trap or two back under the ice. Enlarge the hole if necessary to accommodate the traps. Then block off the sides to the dam with sticks thus forcing the otter through the trap(s).

Otter will sometimes respond to a castor mound set.

Trappers around my area catch LOTS of Otter by accident using the Fish Stick Set. And if using this set make sure you are using Long stakes as Tony F. has mentioned. But I myself go by exactly what bctomcat says!!!

Regardless I will will setting Lots of Fish Stick Sets this year for the 1st time in some heavily Otter populated rivers. And we Are allowed only 2 per season. So hopefully the Mink and Coon will beat the Otters to my sets. Good Luck!!!

I don't rely on bait with otters a well blended pinch point has always out performed bait! Etxwoods your missing out by not having ice in my opinion it narrows down their travel areas! But don't think for a minute they are locked in! I have more trobles catching the ones above the ice! Randy half a carp in a rock cubby works on otts to! If I targeted otts hard id have fish waiting but never tried for big numbers. They are rather slow populating a big catch will cripple next seasons catch drastically!

I have trouble keeping fish fresh, starts to stink by 3rd day this far south unless we have a prolonged cold spell,
plus you got to get the coons thinned out. I know some folks do well with bait, have tried it some, maybe
just not ever figured it out. Thanks, Tony but think I'll pass on the ice. But I know you
are right on tightening their travel lanes down, and they really move good on strong cold fronts. Also right on
the population not bouncing back if you hit them hard, esp on the smaller drainages.

I have caught quite a few otter in baited or lured sets. Most on lure because I don't use much bait. Some of them have been on purpose but most as incidentals in sets for cats, fox, or coyotes.

With that being said I much prefer a good blind set. My bread and butter is blocking down small streams that you can hop across or easily
wade to set the natural funnels and pinch points or block down. Also on the bread and butter list are toilets and crossovers.

On larger water I concentrate on the toilets and crossovers as well as edge sets.

etxwoods and bctomcat pretty much nailed my way of thinking. The coons really get in the way of baited sets for otter here. Once the coons are thinned out they will produce some otter. The baited sets come in handy on the wider and deeper streams that I would still classify as small streams but that can't be blocked down and access is limited for some reason. So basically I use lured and/or baited sets when the more productive options are limited.

Folks have posted a lot of good knowledge in this thread.

ShaneT, you are so rite on snagging some otter in dirt sets away from the water. Otter,especially the big males during the rut, may cut cross country from the upper end of one drainage to the next. I have caught a few were in blind trail canine/cat sets a mile or more from the nearest water, so you can't ever say what mite happen.

my best scent to date for otters is torpedo on a mock castor mound set. On the tips of sand bars but that's a natural point of interest for otts anyhow! The thing I love most about otter trapping I've never had a incidental grinner in a set![knock on wood]. How many have collected otter scat for other locations? eye appeal and territorial responses, and it works well! Better than bait in my opinion

Yes I've made false otter toilets and moved crap from other water ways too existing toilets, works well!
I've got a lot of chain ponds connected by trickles were I find these close to the bigger water ( with in a couple miles) I always find good otter trails pond to pond, I set the trails and cross overs and they pick up otter at a steady reaight, but when we get a lot of rain and the creeks and rivers start to rise,these traps are full. Also on my bigger rivers, it's a dangerous time but man them otter are on the move.on smaller creeks my sets usually blowout before they connect!
I don't gang set we've got a limit here so I try to avoid females. I set light at good location and I set dry alot ( unless floods cover it) and if I catch a female or pup there I usually don't catch many if any more, I thank it spooks them from useing that location any more, but I still catch the bucks cause they travel single a lot of times. My best run was 2 traps opposite locations across river from one another 6 bucks in 10 days not a single female!
Colt

I caught 8 in 12 days on a single crossover with a 280 set on both sides. 7 males, 1 female. I don't think I have ever had a hotter location than that. That was in early to mid February. Love was in the air lol.

Mine was in Feb too forgot that part.
Colt

Thanks for all the information it's greatly appreciated. Probly going to scrap the baited set idea. Plus water wolves is one of the coolest terms I've ever heard. If you have any thing to add please do as knowledge is power. Thanks again everybody for all the help.

Don't scrap the bait but don't make it your sole primary set either! Alot of different techniques have been discussed here. Gather up all these techniques and hit the water! Wish a conversation like this happened when I started trapping otts

A durt hole in or about a toilet.Will take them.

Don't forget abandoned bank dens. Those produce a lot of otter.