Been running into a problem on a recent beaver job. The drainage ditch they’ve got dammed up has 5 different (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman) and isn’t more than knee high water in any area. I’ve drowned beaver in this depth before but due to the bank it’s becoming difficult. The problem I’ve been having is the bank slopes pretty gradually until it hits a drop off (what appears to be a run that’s been used for no telling how long). I run drowning cables, but instead of the cables having a straight shot to send the beavers down the cable, they are dragging on the bottom and the beavers are hanging up on the “lip” of the drop off. This has led to one wringout, and I pulled the traps until I can figure out a solution. I’ve pretty much exhausted setting the dam crossovers with conis and the runs but there’s at least two left that leave me push-up on the bank a few times a week. Any ideas would be appreciated. I’ve considered long-chaining them, but I’m running duke #4s and after the wringout I’m a little weary to try that.

Have you tried snares and drowning them? I have used locking snares to drown them and they don't get out. Either they drown or they are waiting to be dispatched. JMO and just a suggestion.

Have you tried a blocked down 330 on the bottom in the center of the drainage ditch under a dive stick?

For the ones you have already snagged and got away snares and #330's is your best bet as stated above.
But for others you need just as few chain links on your trap as possible with your slide swivel. You will be confined to a small space to play, so you will have to set the trap on your bank stake and cable. Be sure the hole is big enough in your slider that it goes down the line easy. Next run your cable out past the deepest part of the water and stake it there. Then in the very deepest place in the water put a stop on the cable and attach something heavy like a window weight or track rail plate. Whatever you use needs to be heavy but not bulky like a concrete block or sand bag. If you use something like those he will be able to sit on those out of the water. When he gets caught he will slide down to the weight and as he pulls up on it, it will go back each time and will wear him down. Its easier to drown him in shallow water after he wears down, even with a back foot catch.

Hope this helps but I didn't fully understand the part about you saying he gets hung up on the lip of the drop off or what was causing that.

Chain drowners do not necessarily need to be pulled tight. You could try just enough slack to allow the lock to slide over the bank lip. The bottom end would need to be incredibly secure in the situation you described.

A snare float with Castor. The torpedo. You might try a v float with set for what ever trap you want. The float with mud and Castor will drawn attention. Snares are easy to attach.

Wanted to give an update on the beaver job. I caught two more out of the place, one with the torpedo style set in a snare, and one more in a faint trail with a foothold. I worked with the landowner and busted the lowest dam two days ago. I knew I still had the one tripod beaver left at least so I went out last night and waited for a while. Didn’t take 30 minutes after dark and he was working on the dam. Took care of him and hoped it was the last one. Went back this morning and had one more in a crossover upstream of the busted (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman). Hopefully that will
be the end of this colony. They seem to move into this section of water every two years like clockwork so hopefully that’ll be the end of this location for a while.