I recently wrote about a drowning rod system that one of the readers to my column called me about. This trapper is from the Deep South and used sections of heavy gauge conduit (he is an electrician). He uses a small set screw to secure the conduit after he slips his conduit pieces together. He runs a modified over sized drowning lock down to the deep water. He simple pounds the deep water end down to a bent over point. He said it works well and is cheap enough.

Swamp wolf and Seldom, great idea. One idea that i believe would make dissasembly to add slack would be quick release pins instead of the bolts holding the conduit sleeve. Tractor supply and such sells these 1/4" pins . One on each end of the sleeve with both pieces of rebar touching together would hold tight together, then pull sleeve off for dissasembly. The pins have a retaining latch to leep from coming apart.

Swamp Wolf brought up a point at the begining of the thread about the slack I had created in my drowning cable, that it might kink, I don't from experience if it would or not but there is always improvement to be had! Swamp Wolf had a plan using a pin to hold it tight. Now let me tell you, as I said in my video, ! have've never used a drowning rod before, I only made the 3 because I've reconditioned 3 traps to use on beaver. Just busy summer trapping work! LOL In the video I explained that I used stiff cable loops as anchor points because I needed some "give" so I could hook-up my top quick link, well that causes the undesireable slack. I may have figured out a way to keep the cable taunt but I'm waiting for a part so it's still a work in progress! LOL

And yes Mink Pan, I looked at those in 3/16" diameter. Those I feel I mightn go to if plan A doesn't work as imagineered! LOL Those pins would be good because they are easier to carry securely and not be fumbling around in wader pockets. Those could just clip onto wader suspenders so they'd be readily at hand.

I'm wondering if you could use a cam lock at the bottom end to post-tension the cable? Haven't drawn it out but the theory seems to work in my head LOL.

I used these type pins on the first one I made. I swapped it out for a bolt and wing nut on the others, but I may go back to those clips as they work well and one part is easier to keep up with than a bolt and wing nut (easier to find when I drop it). Plus I have several of those clips from old climbing deer stands.

Can see it in my pics. It is used to hold the 2 sections together. I think I'll go back to using those.Bolt/nylon nuts used to fasten conduit to rebar...permanently. Clips I have are black. And put thru hole from the cable side so the clip doesn't interfere with slide lock.

Possibly, if no slippage would occur.

I would like to see that setup..

Seldom,
Once you get those parts...if you're willing to share....I'd sure pay attention.....

Would a 1/2 Id conduit slide into 3/4" Id piece of conduit. Then you could have 2 5' pieces of conduit slipped Inside of each other to end up with 5 foot section for hauling around. Then just slid them apart at the trap site and pin It too the length you want.
In the ends just drive In some wood dowels and screw In some threaded eye bolts for your anchoring points.

Swamp those look great. I was suggesting using the pin on both sides of the split rebar, which are pushed tight together and fastened with pin thru conduit on both sides. This would keep conduit from buckling in the middle on the big beavers. To take apart both pins are pulled, conduit slid down on one end and the rebar slid apart , dissembling.
Thanks for the ideas, those are a great idea for cutting the length in half for transporting.

Or instead of using two pieces of conduit slide a 5' piece of 1/2" rebar Into a 5' piece of 1/2" conduit. Have the re bar on the deep end. And I don't think there would be any buckling issues.

Beav,
Good suggestions. I'm gonna experiment with those...

I have the two sections of rebar almost touching inside the conduit...it's within an inch or so of touching after the rebar is pulled back that inch and pin placed thru aligned holes to allow tighter cable. I didn't think the conduit (with only an inch that don't have rebar inside it) would bend. Granted it wasn't much, but beaver did bow it. Maybe it bowed with the flex of the rebar?

Great, Thanks for running it thru the test lab, before i put one together. Nice work

Yes you can do this, but you don't get it quite as tight as you would think. I make adjustable cable drowners for beaver as shown in the archives here. They use a cam lock at the bank end to create the adjustability, but you can't get them banjo string tight. Just good enough to get the slack out. I typically walk my weight out into deep water and pull it tight that way instead of trying to mess with the cam lock

Heck yes, no secrets here by golly! It’s all fun for me! LOL If what I imagine works, the cable should be banjo-tight quite easily. Similar principle as the CamLock but mechanical.

Doubled this morning, but it was 2 feet...not 2 beavers...lol. 2 year old female.

Easy drown for the cable slide sectional rods.....

Nice

Yes very nice!

Here is my slack cable fix- https://youtu.be/jbu7lFPiTN4

If Youtube videos aren't your thing, here are 3 photos.


Bass fiddle tight-