For all you guys who use floats for rats. Last year was my first attempt -- made a few dozen floats based off a model shared here on the forums (thanks for the model). Now I set half dozen of these out in a swamp I have trapped rats in for years. Shoot, when I pulled up there were two swimming around. Only thing I had available were apples so I tried those as bait on the spike. The next few days of checking the floats -- nothing. Not a single catch, nothing (including bait) touched. Trying to figure out what I was doing wrong. Have you guys encountered spots where rats just plain ole avoid floats for some reason?

Your thoughts are most appreciated.


Robert

I've tried several times with floats over the years and have never caught a rat on a float. I can catch them on a feed pile a few feet away but they just don't seem to like floats.

I had never heard of it before last year but I live with my head in the clouds sometimes (or so the wife says). This swamp is full of rats, would make it much easier with floats since the bottom is about four foot of muck. I'm going to try them again this year. I see a lot of the guys here use carrots and not apples. Maybe they didn't like apples lol.

Robert

Floats work well for places that have spring seasons after the ice is off. Almost nobody has any luck with them in the fall/winter. I have had luck with stool sets in creeks in the early season but theres a lot easier ways to catching them that time of year.

SNIPERBBB comments mirror my experience. No data to back this opinion up but in the fall, rats are geared toward WORK. The pituitary gland is triggered by the decreasing sunlight and something in them says, "get ready for winter" so they are busy building and eating. Not interested in exploring a NEW chunk of floating debris. In the spring, the increasing sunlight tells the pituitary to say, "start breeding so advertise" and rats crawl and climb on anything to sniff for a possible mate. I have caught a lot of rats in ponds on floating logs in the fall but these were "in the same place" for months and rats were feeding nearby.The only exception I have encountered is on active beaver dams. A float immediately upstream (5-10') from THE CORNER abutments of an active beaver dam will take rats for me in this farm country in the fall. Is it really worth it to set 2 floats and catch 6-8 rats at a beaver dam ? I can catch them there w/o the extra effort of a float in the fall so I only use them in the spring. My take ................................... the mike

I would NEVER set a float In WI they just don't work. But In ND you couldn't keep the rats off of them. I actually removed rats out of traps on floats and stools and stood there and watched rats swim up and get caught.That happened In both fall and spring. Spring being a lot better.
Floats and stools are a waste of time around here.

Natural floating logs or semi floating(with one end on shore) that are used as toilets are paydirt for rats any time in open water.They are used year after year by rats .Some have gathered so much rat scat over the years that it has actually composted naturally and plantgrowth will take root.
Rat turds make a great lure for rats.Much overlooked in my opinion.

That may be the case In some places but not all logs like you mentioned work out like that. Around here It seems they will pass up the logs and use rocks as toilets.

That explains it -- thank you for the all the responses. I set them out in the fall and after 4-5 days and nothing touched -- I pulled them. I'll try them in the spring next year.

Cheers,

Robert

I have had some luck in the fall but work alot better if you can put them out ahead of time and let the rats get used to using them. Also use a good rat lure. That being said,I only use them where other sets are hard to find or make. They can be an asset in fluctuating water conditions. I use covered floats with a 110 bg at each end. Like has been stated,some areas and times they will work,other times not.I will oftentimes make pocket sets if not alot of coon in area. My use of floats is mostly limited to boat trapping also. They are another tool for certain situations, but each year I use them less and less and use alternat methods. I trap in west central Wisconsin.

They certainly don't trump standard rat producing sets, like feedbeds,toilets,dens,and houses, especially in Wisconsin .

A few places I trap are full of ducks and gees and I have never caught one on a float or a stool but they will rob you bind of your bait.
The one bait I found that seemed to work the best was a chunk of poplar . A pole of poplar to hold your float works good. I've seen where the pole was striped clean of bark as high as the rat could reach. So I thought poplar bud oil wold work . It didn't.

I’ve found for floats to be most effective floats have to be on the edge. Watch where the rats swim. Be aware of entanglement.

I've used floats with good results in a creek. I've used apples,potatoes,carrots and different types of rat lure.i set them close to the bank.almost forgot I have used toothpaste with good results also.

Here in PA i have used them in rivers & big creeks that have fluctuating water levels. I pick spots with overhanging branches near the shores where i can tie them off to. Have had good results with them. Lots of big rats on the rivers.
Make sure they do not tip too easy. That may spook them

I've tried them here a few times without success. They just don't work here for me.

I tried them here this spring. No luck but did great with colony traps.

Some years they have worked well but most years not. I have set them out in front of area with a lot of bank runs plus setting the runs and still no luck. I just keep experimenting trying to find something that works.

There’s a guy in Iowa who slays ‘rats with floats. I contacted him, copied his description, built a bunch of floats and caught zippo. He traps fall rats. I trap fall rats. He traps big sloughs, I trap big sloughs. Obviously HE knows what he’s doing. I’ve noticed he puts his floats right on the edge or just inside vegetation. If we have decent water to trap in this fall, I’ll try them again.

Rat feel safe with over head cover but I still don't catch many rats on floats.
Now In ND they seemed to shine. But I think the rat population was so high that there was competition for bait and lured sets.

Now my stools out preformed the floats by a huge margin. But back In WI neither the stools or the floats worked.