When river trapping otters, which bucket position is preferred, horizontal or vertical?

I’ve never used buckets in rivers, but I’ve used them in salt water and in lakes, I’ve always put weight in the bottom with the bait to keep the bucket upright

Thank you for your reply AK-TT, What you’ve described is what I’ve found on Utube. I’ve only found one video of a trapper using otter buckets in flowing water and they used the buckets horizontally.

I use then and I place them horizonal. The water is normally 6" or less. I always place the opening facing away from the bank or levee, and try to get the back of the bucket as close to the embankment as I can. I try to set them on both sides of a crossover or where I see otters are tearing up an bank looking for crawfish. They work pretty good. Along the lines of buckets I make wood cubby boxes with rat wire backs, basically a wood bucket with a back wall so they can see through them. They work fantastic, but they are heavy and you can't stack them like buckets.

Thank you GT. 👍

Take some 1x1 inch wire. Build it like a live trap. I built some 7x7 for 160's. And 8x8 wide so 220's body traps will fit. I use a 3 D bream lure without hooks. Hang the lure in the middle. Put in some current. That lure will look like it is swimming. U will have to wire small rock on bottom side to weigh it down. I have caught several otters in them. Even in 160s. I find limb over the creek tie it just under the water. That runs along the bank. Otters can swim right in. I run it so any otter swimming up or down the creek. Can swim right in. I put a little otter lure on the limb. Where I tie the trap off.

Thanks bobcat_trapper!