There is an excellent article in the December issue of ffg about the bottom edge set. It briefly mentions using footholds in this set. Over the years the bottom edge set with conibears continues to be my go
to set in winter but do footholds really work in this set?

I haven’t seen the article but any point the mink would hug would be a good set for them with a foothold in shallow water.

The BE set is just the suicide set with more water. So of course footholds would work in shallow water. I guess it would be possible to catch one with a foothold in deeper water, but seems like you would miss most that way.

I just got my copy yesterday and read that article last night. The author mentioned footholds in shallow water, not really “bottom edge” spots but the same concept in only a couple inches of water.

Would like to note here that my mink catch has increased since i started using #1 1/2 longsprings at any mink set. The light pan tension makes a difference

its basically a blind set, at a bend, in shallows

I always figured a B&E set was for targeting a swimming mink. And a blind set was targeting a walking mink.

Years ago when setting footholds blind like that in deep water channels we used cross poles/sticks to force them down to get them to walk/put their foot on the trap.
All these sets and many others that were traditionally made with footholds are now made with bodygrips since Conibear invented his trap.
Much quicker and easier to use a bodygrip.But you can still catch fur in all those deepwater blind sets with footholds if you want to play around.

Thanks for the input. I already use footholds in shallow water but, like Beav said, that's a blind set. I was thinking about deeper water. I also visualize a mink swimming around an obstruction with front feet tucked next to the body reducing the chance for foothold catch. I'll experiment with it the stick over the top idea. With male mink at $5 this is the year for experimenting.

Before the body grip we would find a rat den or a rat run and set a #2 vic In that den hole or In the run. The den hole was more productive but the trap In the run also worked. I figure the rat is using It's feet to pull Itself along the bottom and that's how the run Is formed In the first place.

When you force them down with cross sticks they put their feet down to push thru.Thats the reason they were used that way and why they work.

I have read this guys work before. A foot hold in a true bottom edge set could work with enough effort but is really a poor idea. It takes seconds to us a body grip trap to make a bottom edge set. I would hate to have to fool around to make a foot hold work. I have not read this article but many others of his.
The theory of the bottom edge is to set a bump out in a line of travel.

Mac

In the authors defense he describes using a foothold in water too shallow for a swim through set.

Even if its too shallow you can still use a 110.