Our rivers broke-up last week so day before yesterday I set 9 floats. Between setting & the check my rivers rose 3'+ and it's always dicey with the steep clay banks! Today was 1st check with a catch of 4 out of 9 floats. I started using floats 2 years ago and spent considerable time revamping my float design until I was satisfied with the balance & current control. My river bottoms are for the most part too rocky to use a vertical float rod so I use a 10' fiberglass rod horizontally from the bank. Works great for me! I took a few photos today and did quite a bit of video recording.

Seldom, will you show us your final float design out of the water?
I am always impressed with the level of thought you put into everything. Thanks.

Sure, I started as most do with a squared-off front end but quickly learned a good pointed front rides the current better without the wide waggle. Also, the tether can be hooked to a side where it will swing out in the current like a planer board. The balance of the float is critical to me because I want the biggest trap “window” for the beaver to line itself with. Too low of a window and the beaver can & will try to climb over the jaws!!! I have a pond near me where I’d take my float & trap to see how it floated so I could make adjustments in the floatation. You’ll see in videos where people mention needing to add weight to the front of the float inorder to get the window higher!

I’ve tried and tried to use floats from our fall, open water winters and spring and I never have had any luck

Thank you, I have my first float build out right now, but it floats a little low in the back with the weight of the 330.

Here in Michigan floats work very well on the migrators. All I need is permission from one property owner (one of a hundred plus) that will allow me to set a float rather than going door-to-door asking for permission “just to look for beaver sign” as I did back in the mink Dioxin Project! I let the beaver come to me rather than search out where the beaver are! A friend of mine mentioned that floats catch a lot of little beaver, I do catch little beaver as in today’s catch , a 15lber but I also caught a 44.5lber! Last year I caught a 68lber so who knows!

Does painting your PVC (lure holder I assume) green help with attraction? I left mine white.

LOL! I’m a “green-man” from my muskrat days but probably the white would also be a good visual attractant!

Beaver Floats take a little work on setting out in rivers, creeks.... but after that it is literally rinse and repeat....over and over again. Trapping non flowing water a necessity as well, but the replenishment of new beavers with rivers/creeks very efficient. Was able to get to 420 two years ago - not sure how many the floats claimed, as a lot of these were taken in other types of sets including under the ice... but guessing 75 or 100 at least that season

I understand completely, Infact, watching Utube videos will bring that up time after time,that is why I spent so much time testing and adjusting the floatation on my floats because I wanted that “window” as high as I could make it. I took small pieces if 1” foam with me when I’d go to test a float and tack on pieces until I got what I wanted!!

The biggest problem I have is getting permission on both sides of the rivers! All of my river’s frontages are private and the general flow is west to east so I know I’m missing beaver with floats only on one side but it is what it is!

Have a close-up of your horizontal rod set-up?

Sure, tomorrow is check day and I’ll take a photo. I’ve got several on my orv trailer right now so If you wanted to see something specific, I go out and take a photo for you.

Yesterday I had a float on a horizontal rod that got hung up on a heck of a big Cottonwood limb. That limb was close to 8” at the big end by 15’ lg which was jammed into the bank catching my float about mid-way on it’s length. My stakes held the rod OK and my float was as well but that fiberglas rod was bent beyond 90* holds everything in a heavy current.

I made my terminal ends out of 1/2” sq tubing with an old swivel body welded to one end. I then drilled 2 holes for a couple of 3/16” bolts and just peened their ends.

Always been intrigued by these, but Maine law requires our 330s to be completely submerged. Haven’t figured out a way to make a float for a submerged trap.

Hmmm . .... now there's a challenge. Longer arms on the float. A dive stick across the mouth with something like a KB stabilizer attached to the underside of the dive stick that would guarantee your #330 would be fully submerged 24/7.

Then three lengths of threaded rod that would extend above the float to wall off any that want to crawl up, as well as extend down into the water to allow just one opening through the #330. Washers and nuts top and bottom. One at the point, one each at the end of the wing.

Then . . . a fella could take a length of burlap, width cut to the distance the rods hang down in the water, length enough to attach from one rod near the trap to wrap around front rod and back to other rod. Hmmm .
.clamps on the burlap to keep in place? Same for three rods on top.

Now . . . to keep things simple, the three rods and burlap could be transported separately from the floats. Each rod could have a two nuts positioned at the right location so when the rod is shoved up from the bottom through the hole, it will be at the right location top and bottom. Two nuts cinched to keep them in place. Then a third nut could be spun down from the top to keep the rod in place. Floats could then be stacked.

Sounds like a cluster. . but at least it's a place to start. I do believe once you figure it out, and are successful, you'll progress to an improved model. IMO, it would be worth the challenge.

One stake for the anchor and one stake for the fulcrum point for the rod to bear on.



During this mornings check.

good stuff there, Seldom