This is the question for mink trappers. In a slow moving water area where it would be difficult to use pocket sets and no trails, has anyone tried the standard muskrat pole setup with a bait holder, but instead of an apple piece or carrot, maybe a piece of muskrat or whatever. If a mink was in the water do you think it would swim out and attempt to get at the bait and use the trap/bracket to get on for reaching the bait?

Similar to a Fish Stick Set but with red meat bait?

Maybe. Could use fish, but I'm not sure how long it would stay put in place. Just asking for ideas. I know that electric fence wire holders squeeze just like the Hagz bait holder except they have 2 wire hooks and are more sturdy.

I don't really qualify for a full fledge minker, but I am targeting them starting 5 days ago. I haven't tried a set like your describing for mink. Have used it for rats with good results. I do use the hagz clip for 110's to make bottom edge sets with and am having decent results for me. Guess it would be worth a try if you can keep the coons off it. Here's a couple l caught yesterday with hagz clip bottom edge.

In a few days I'll give it a try. I didn't see any mink sign yesterday when I walked completely around this spot. It borders a canal but has been created by beavers partially plugging the drain culvert at the road. The canal is froze over, we have snow on the ground but no mink tracks. The beavers have gone back into the canal for winter because that's where the food supply is stored. It's a mucky area around the sides so impossible to get to far away from the edges.

I'll learn something from the attempt.

I'm trapping the same type ditches 3togo. Sink up to your ears mud and steep banks. Made some beaver floats that would have the capability of doing the same type set with meat. Pretty sure a rat will crawl up on it,but don't know if a mink will or not if I use a chunk of mushrat for bait.

Exposed bait here is illegal I think. Check your regs. We can get away with carrots, but a chunck of meat can attract a predatory bird. That's a no no.

Good point. exposed meat is illegal here.
In a hole, ok.

Maybe it will need to be a pocket set at waters edge.

I'm really curious to know if that would be a good set for mink. Would u be legal if you had a cotton ball with mink lure on it?

Nothing ventured nothing gained but I don't think It's going be too effective.

I think there’s better mink sets, but some situations demand creativity.

We have had customers do exactly as you describe and have made catches, what percentage I don’t know. We have also had some place a piece of piece of drain tile on the rod to hide the bait from above.

Well, snow storm 2 days ago, and another coming in 2 days. I picked up all of my mink sets except the two under 5 foot of drifted snow on a ditch bank. Can't even tell where they exactly are right now. When we get some warmer weather I'll start digging. One was a mink box, the other back under some concrete hard fill to stop erosion on the field edge. Season ends Feb 15 here so that might be it for this year.

If I ever did think about using a box for a mink set I would use the floating set where the 110 is underwater and the bait is above.

Mink tracks in the snow showed me the mink ran the bank, not in the water.

For those in no-exposed-bait states, a “T” water pipe on a black painted plastic pipe should make a fish stick. Put it in the water taking into consideration which way the wind typically blows.