First off, our PA otter season ended today
There is a toilet located in a huge swamp along a deep mucky stream that I would love to set. There is a stream crossing there as well and there is a rock the otters use to climb out on the crossing. Since the slide accessing the toilet was frozen the whole week of the season, I set a modified bridger #3 on the rock with a drowner. Well I pinched the bugger and the trap only made it 18” down the drowner before it escaped. I have always wanted to set the toilet itself, but haven’t because I check after work. It doesn’t seem like a good idea to me to possibly have an otter in a land trap all day. I have to check after work because my otter spots are 60 miles from home. The other problem would be how to stake in a swamp? It’s thick and brushy and wet. There is a maple that I could tie off to, but is that a good idea? I don’t believe I’d be able to get a drowner from that location either.
What say the Tman crowd?

If I couldn’t run down a drowning rod I’d add a couple more swivels and a shock spring and cable to the maple.

Or I’d check before work. As I did back in the day. Up at 3, at work by 6.

Double staked, long chain, center swiveled victor 3N longspring.

Pogo's. They work great in swamps and soft mud.

Steve Gappa, a Minnesota trapper and no longer on Tman, was involved with a catch and release otter study a number of years ago. They used #11 with multiple swivels in the chain and routinely caught and held otters. He said if you provided shade, they’d be dry and alive.

I use weights and like a truck rotor. If the bottom is smooth use two of them. If the bottom is mud step on it and smash it into the bottom.

I’m a firm believer otters are stronger swimmers then beaver! I drown 90% of my beaver with a rr tie plate. But every otter I catch has them drug up on bank !

This is just what I do....

But I have yet to find a situation where it was necessary to dryland otter. I spent plenty of time and energy trying over the years and it was pretty much an exercise in futility.

I will drive right by toilets or crossovers that aren't conducive to drowning/bodygrips and catch the same otter at locations that are ideal for me. Whether that is 100 yards or a mile away, it is just so much more effective to set for otter where the terrain is in the trapper's favor. They do not appear out of thin air and they cover a lot of ground. This method has worked very well for me.