I am looking to expand my conibear arsenal. I am just getting into water trapping and I picked up 2 Duke 330's last fall. They worked fine for me this year, caught 2 rats and an otter in them, I'd like to step up to a nicer trap. I am looking at the Belisle 330's and possibly also the MB1216. I have a few spots where the extra width of the 1216 would come in handy. Any reviews, tips, etc would be great. Thanks.

I use 330 of Bridger and Dukes and work fine for otter and beaver also use Victor and Bridger in 220 for coon and otter and also beaver. For me I see o need to up grade to a different trap. If the are is extra wide set (2) 330 if able to. As for the 220 for beaver it is on dry land I use it for on cross over.

I use Bridger 280’s for otter specific sets. They are torpedo killing machines!

If your targeting otter the Belisle 280 is nice, just a bit faster then the 330 on the close for the blind sets. Will also do for your avg beaver.

IMO a 330-size trap is a poor choice for otter unless it is fully submerged.
For fast moving otter’s a 330-size trap quite often closes on them to far back resulting in poor hip catches that don’t dispatch them quickly. My experience with the smaller 280 is that it closes faster and results in fewer, if any, poor catches. The 280 will also capture more of the incidental mink and muskrats that often trigger 330 beaver and otter sets without getting caught. Thus, it is the ultimate otter trap IMO. The 220 also has its place in those narrow pinch points.

What bctomcat said - 280s for otter specific sets. If I am setting strictly for otter I use 280s, 220s, and if its a real tight spot a 160, 99% of the time though I set a 280.

Thanks guys, I'll check out the 280s. There are no beaver in the area I am trapping, so it sounds like the 280 would be the better choice. There are definitely mink and muskrat, and I had the 330 fired, but empty, a few times.

220s are my favorite ott trap! A clean behind the ear across the thorax every time! I own several 280 but still prefer the 220. As stated a wide spot daisy chain several traps to span the area your guarding.

Belisle 330 with Circle Triggers

If there are NO beaver and you are dealing with rats and mink + the otter I would go with the 220. Then you will be able to catch those rats and mink and the otter.

I can't say there are 0 beaver, but I would be amazed to see one. I'd be better going after the mink and rats that I know are there.

I prefer the Belisle 330 to the MB1216. I find the 1216 overly heavy and less versatile. You'll be very pleased going from Dukes to Belisle.

Bridger 280 mags, otters don't even move the support sticks and as mentioned gets the beaver,mink and rats too.

Works just like this in Georgia too...^^^
Belisle 280s are the otter trap...

Years ago when I was in a state that around the area that was just otter and no beaver , I use was 220 and could only trap in water beside #3 Victor 2 coil.

Personally I wish they made a 220 sized 660! 7" is plenty tall for every otter ive seen the width would make it look very inviting under water.

I've thought the same.

Now you have me thinking. Might pick up a 220 and see about expanding it.

That was my thought behind the 1216, the extra width looked appealing.

If you have a wide channel,it should be set with 2 or even 3 traps set side by side with block sticks.You will catch multiple animals especially on extended checks.

In most cases the first critter that gets caught can spring the other traps. I would rather find or construct multiple pinch points and set them with a single trap.

Pretty sure I am going to go with 220's, for the versatility. I might pick up a few 280's.

As the belisle's don't come with any chain/cable, what is everyone's favorite setup for that? Most of the creeks I have access to have gravel/rock beds and banks, getting stakes in can be a chore.

Add about 8 feet of cable to the trap that should allow you to stake or tie off some where along the bank.

i do that but ive seen to much evidence of otters swimming tandom. So my thaughts was why set multiple spots when one spot can catch multiples. Also ive seen numerous times were the rest of the group left the water after one of their comrades got dead.I still firmly believe otters get shape shy. And I had to come to the realization all pinch points aren't created equal.And yes boco I link multiple conis to form a wall

Beav - swivel each end of that cable? Or no need to with that length?

Tony.F - I am not too concerned with multiple otter catches, we get one, or two if we are lucky, otter tags here in WI.

Beave doesn't know how to use block sticks apparently,lol.

Neither did I until this year. Worked like a charm for me once I figured out the block sticks. Especially for under ice. If I am going through all the work to find that awesome channel I am not coming all the way back for one critter.

If you move the trigger to one side you can cacth most beaver in 220. And otter if you can set 280 s on land I would go 220 any to avoid most unwanted cacth.



But otter will likely be hip caught.

Like the man said here In WI we are lucky to get One otter tag so setting for multiple otters Is a no no.
But It looks like our new biologist's are going get It so we will all get at least 1 otter tag next year with out even applying.

Boco I was using blocking sticks before you could walk. LOl I just find It easier to use natural pinch points with well tuned Body grips.. And for sure I'm not going to be trapping otter under the ice.LOl

I just attach the cable to the trap with a quick link and On the top end I have a safety pin type deal. So I can either shove a T bar through the coils or open the device wrap the cable around something and then just close the clip around the cable. With a body grip and 8' of chain I see no need to use any swivels.

that's the very first badly caught otter ive seen in a 220

Swivel at the trap will help save your cable from being kinked up by a rolling otter or beaver. I use 1/8" cable and a 6 or 8 foot length. Swivels further than a few inches from the trap are useless.

Im sorry I forget other states have a draw on otters! Our conservation dept must not like them our very first season the limit was 15 after that no limit. I wish they wouldn't close the season on them in the spring beaver season.Avoiding them in conis is easy but footholds and drowners not so much. I think a slicked up bank caster mound is a attractant. I find as much otter activety around my caster mounds as beaver in some locations

I don't know of any animals that are not attracted to castoreum.

good point boco but actually I think its the eye appeal of the slicked up bank more.

You are so right . The bank dose not need to be sliked up or any mud pile to draw a beaver .Just use caster on a stick on the shore line and sticks to guide the animal in and you get them That is how i get them and the animals I have stated . Beaver,otter, coon ,mink . and others that will show up to castor. It is multi use .

I cought my first otter in a 280 northwoods the next year ibought three dozen new old stock 280 northwoods because everybody said 280s where the best otter trap .That year i worked my tail off trying to force otter into them traps and the 3 doz 220s i had .I caught otter but i had alot of frustation with otter going over and around these traps and the extensive femcing .I was running traps olot between 3;00 and 6:00 in the morning the frost showed countless times the otter went over my dive sticks and sliding between sticks or just hitting bank and going around My fencing was getting huge and complicated. I had all my traps set and borrowed a doz 330 bmis from a friend WOW THE OTTER STARTED ROLLING IN .I caught almost as many otter in that doz 330s as the other six doz traps i had and didn't have to do neer as much fencing .
That next summer the Nta convention was in columbia mo . I took 2 doz of my 280s and al my 220s to sell and buy 330 bmis .Then I laid my hands on a 330 belisle WOW again .I bought 3 doz . Now we were otter trapping .That season they worked so well .the time spent fencing was reduced giving more time to make more sets so I bought another 3 doz330 belisle.
my favorite otter trap is a 330 belisle hands down whether im setting necked down streams ;cross overs or abandon beaver den entrances . In missouri we cant set anything bigger than 5x5 on land .If i could i would make dry cross over sets exclusively with 220s or 280s belisles ..I have a dozen 280s for places that are too tight for a 330 ..I have a couple dozen duke 330s that I set where ive had traps stolen .they are quite serviceable stupid strong trap.

I'm with you Bigfoot. Belisle 330 with a circle trigger or a Duke 330 magnum.
They are always in the circle.

One more thing belisles will catch mink and muskrats by the feet and tail,suckers catfish and gartersnakes .you don't get hardly any tripped traps without catching what tripped it