I've looked through the archives and didn't find much.
I've played around with a few ideas but they seem to be unstable and swing around back and forth on the water.
I was working with a 2X6 with 1" foam on the bottom for better floatation
I tried cutting the upstream end into a V, and I also tried cutting it in a angle across so as to be used as a planer board, so to speak.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Back in the 80’s there was an article in The Trapper by Tom Krause, if memory serves, describing a V shaped float. I’m going by memory so measurements could be off a bit, it used 2 2x4’s 24” long nailed at one end, then opened to 6 1/2” at the other. A bottom of 1x boards was then nailed on. These would accommodate 1 1/2 coil springs, long springs, and even 110 conibears. I remember making a few to use and catching a few rats in the creeks. As I remember they seemed to work best when wired off to a brush pile or downed tree so they were in the slower water downstream, and lightly covered with some grass pulled from the banks. I might have to throw a couple together to try again with his year. Hope this helps.

I used the V shaped ones. 2ft pieces of 2 by 4 with a 1/4 inch piece of wood nailed to the bottom to create the shape. Worked OK. I no longer have or use them.

Bryce

I’ve tried floats here several times over the years and I just can’t get rats caught on them. Maybe if we had a later into spring season they’d work better but I have given up my lifetime thinking of catching rats on floats, here. Not many rats around anymore anyway.

Thanks Rhoad Dog, the V shaped float is a good design and probably the way I will have to go so I can put screen over it to keep ducks out.

I'm hoping to get info on a 2 trap design for moving water.
I tried using a 2X6X40" piece but it just seems unstable if a rat crawls on the side and not the end.
I even recessed the traps into the 2X6 unit the pan is flush with the board but it doesn't seem to make a difference.
Am I over thinking this?
I'm doing this from the bank in a large river

Thanks

I wouldn't worry about ducks getting on your floats.
I would worry more about rats not getting on those floats. Make a few and see if they work.

2 X what the Beav said !!!

With thousands of trap days/hours of Spring rat trapping with floats,
I can count on one hand the number of incidental waterfowl by-catches
that I have had, & most of those were Canada geese !!!

Incidental Duck catches on muskrat floats are rare anomaly !!!

Ducks and geese taste good too.

Muskrat floats for moving water . . . . this is what works for me. Not to be confused with 'rat floats that are in still water. Whole different look.

Typical float with styrofoam base. Ridge in back to keep trap in place. I have three holes drilled to insert sticks in the bow.



Marsh grass is weaved around the three sticks.



Add a little mud, maybe a little 'rat lure if you feel so inclined. Choice of trap could be any single longspring or coilspring.



No need to cover the trap, 'rats aren't too smart.



These can be tied off anywhere there's current. Close to shore, in the middle of the stream, wherever.



I've mentioned this before here, but worth it again. When I trapped this huge muck farm there were culvert tubes under the farm roads crossing drainage ditches that I would have two or three of these tied in a row like battleships. Drilled a hole in the upstream tube, tied on the lead float, other floats tied on to the one upstream of it. Came time to check traps just pull up the whole shootin' match and take off one 'rat at a time.

Now I use 'em when we have high water events and the 'rats are looking for something to crawl up on since most everything else is underwater.

Anyway, for what it's worth.

Thank you Muskrat, very helpful as always.

Bigger question: do you catch many ‘rats in the fall with floats?

If we In WI had a true spring season they might be worth trying. But they don't seem to preform well In the fall. Sure you may catch a few but Is It worth the time?

I really only want a couple for a project and I don't want to catch coon in the process.
Our season ends mid January here, and we don't have many rats left in my area. Not even in the ponds,