After trying baited single spring 160s for rats this year, I had a lot of misses. Never figured out why.

Has anyone had better luck with baited #1s?

I was looking at the hagz brackets for baited sets (on the 3/8 rod), looks pretty quick and easy especially if I can use a power auger instead of a spud bar.
Don't want to go through the trouble of making boards or buying hagz brackets if my success rate wouldn't change.

I like coil springs on Hagz baited set on rods for open water and conibears under the ice.

No comment on the hagz. But a pocket set has served me well.

you have to watch the size of your bait on the triggers....a big carrot on the triggers is heavy , so the water movement from a rat swimming up (or anything else) can result in misses

That might be it since a lot of my muskrat spots are beaver ponds.

Use two springs. Fire your notches deeper maybe. Make your triggers less sensitive, so the animal has to be inside the jaws for it to spring. I like Dukes for this reason, they are not the most sensitive coni triggers. Same thing for beaver baited 330's, you don't want a touchy trap, in my opinion.

How are you stabilizing these traps?
Good point about bait size. Orange peels and grapefruit rinds work well since they are light and keep their color.

I am using lathe. It is just wide enough that when the you turn it in the spring eye it stays.

I was using little potatoes for bait. A little bigger than a golf ball.


PAskinner I think some of them could be a little stiffer. I will file them some.

I have had good success on 110's set about 3 inches under the ice with orange or pink flagging tape tied to the triggers. I set these on the lightest setting. I've also had good luck with small pieces of carrot but I think the flagging tape works just as well and it is lighter than the carrots resulting in less setoffs. If you can find the runs set them instead they are pretty much guaranteed. The only time I make these sets is when I am unable to find a good run usually due to very cloudy or snow covered ice.

For open water, I like either one really for baited sets. I use more footholds but that's mainly because I don't set just baited sets. I'll swap between baited sets, hut sets, soft feed beds, etc... but I really could go either way...

Under ice, I like footholds, I think it's mainly because that's the type of set I started out with, I think... I used to use 110's and and years ago I switched to single spring 160's and will not turn back... I guess as I am typing this, I have no idea what I like better. Both can work very well in the given circumstance.

With an 8" auger, this baby drops in without spudding

Why is the trap angled down ?

The trap is angled down to open the approach, making it more inviting. The concept is not new, it is the same as the under ice board/pole set where the board/pole is placed on an angle with the trap/bait just a few inches under the ice. By doing this, it opens the front of the set and helps prevent the rat from working it from the back. ... ... ... If you were to keep the bracket right side up and the trap level, it will still work, but I believe you will 'discourage' some rats from working the set, at least from the front, over the trap. <-- this is "assuming" you are setting it just under the ice. I, and I know of others that have made plenty of catches under the ice with the trap level with the set a bit lower under the ice, but angled and just under the ice has a drastically higher catch % - In my opinion of course

That's a goodnuff chain for muskrat on that trap LOL.

It's the same size as the stock chain, just twist link as I like it better. I also prefer a longer chain for 25"-30" ... My 1.5's are used for rats, mink, coon and an occasional incidental fox or coyote... To each their own I suppose.

How about the trap angled down like that in open water? More or less refusals? Or is there other issues with the angle trap in open water?

Hey there Harold, how are you doing sir?! ... I cannot answer your question with any experience as I set them level in open water. I would 'suspect' that you're going to make catches (i.e. board sets in open water do) but I think your going to have more robbed sets. If the bait is low, I would assume 'some' will steal the bait from the back side, if the bait was high, some will stand on the top jaw vs the pan. ... Just a guess... again I always set level in open water baited sets, I know some use the high pan method which the theory of that has me thinking of what may happen with high bait. ... Sorry I cannot help. Oh wait, yes I can, set 'em level