Anybody have any experience putting rubber minnows on submerged conibear traps for mink and otter . Thinking about giving it a shot on some bottom edge sets

Yes, Works great but not always productive. move of a piece of the puzzle. In my experience pockets are better. Put it where a minnow would be

Yes but not as productive as a blind or trail set for otter. I have only used under ice when other options were not nearby.

I tried to catch otter this way for a couple years but never had luck . Eaven used big fresh shad . I did catch several mink like this though .

I put a bluegill on the trigger once.
It worked. Only ever did it once.

I'm not a big time otter trapper but have thought about putting a bluegill in a small cage 2 in x 2 in attached to the trigger. My though was live/moving fish would be more attracting.

Minnow ???

Use a bluegill size bait, preferably like the palm of your hand.

Forget the minnow idea. A lot of realistic rubber fish now, just remove the hooks

Caught my first otter in a bottom edge set with a 220.

I had some mild success using it for mink. I was making the set under a bridge along the bridge wall in deep water situations. I only set up about 6 or 7 locations like that, when I say mild success my most productive year using that set was 6 mink.

I have had one rigged up with a plastic minnow for years. I don't recall ever catching anything with it.
just

I did a decade or so of successful mink trapping for myself and as an employee of MSU and it boils down to these two facts for success IMHO. Location-Location-Location and using the inherent tendencies of mink. If a trapper lacks coincidence in their ability to determine either one of those and feels that they need an attractor on the triggers for their success, go for it.

I got in some trouble on a particular forum some years ago when I ask the simple question - "Why would you put a plastic minnow or any kind of an attractor on a BG's trigger in a BE set location when the mink will use the location anyway?". Heck, shouted me down and run me off! LMAO

2X

It wasn't I that ran you off Seldom, wasn't aware that happened. I will answer your question since it seems it was directed at me. The reason I tried using a plastic fish along bridge walls in deep water was because I used bodygrips there without bait and had very little success. When I put small fish on the trigger I had some mild success. So there you have it. BTW, my go to set when trapping mink was a pocket set.

Nittany Lion, weren’t you part of the infamous “6 minkers” that got together at a convention (PA or NY) a bunch of years ago? Seems like I remember because there was quite an article in one of the trapping mags and I’m sure it was before the big Tman crash. in fact, I think I have or maybe had saved that mag because of the article. A very good article btw!!

I don't know about "infamous" lol. Yes, we actually got together at the Pennsylvania Convention which was held about 15 miles from our home. We left the convention site and actually went to a few locations on my trapline. I do not recall everyone's name as there was one or two that came along that I did not know. The one's that I remember were Mark Stackhouse (Minker), Randy Schworm (Computerhater), Glenn Koons (Old Coon) and Steve Gappa. I think Gappa wrote the article you are referring to. We were actually at a location in my lawn which bordered a farmers field, the farmer had an old single strand electric fence that separated our properties. Most times he did not have any livestock in that field and seldom had the electric fence turned on. Gappa wanted to cross the fence to check something out and asked me if the fence was live. I didn't think it was so I said no. He proceeded to cross by lowering the fence with his hand and got shocked. Some of those guys thought I set him up, lol.

I credit Gappa for pointing me in the right direction of blind setting mink and the Miranda walk-thru canine set.

Why did you wink at us when you told him it was never on?


I still get a good laugh when I think about that !!!

It was shortly after that when I got a lifetime ban from his forum Coyotes R Us.

Some ideas ive been playing with. Tried the 330 with a huge bait i found on ebay. Didnt have it out long last year and not sure anything saw it. The koro traps are for marten, but all the otter sign i see is full of crawdads. Im able to get out again this week and am going to give it a shot. Though i have no faith in them…

Never had any luck with plastic baits - Have caught all my otters with blind sets on trails or little creek washouts going down to a lake.