Covering necessary?

I would say yes. Otters have proven to be pretty trap shy in my experience with them.

Not like a canine set! A depression in the ground and cover with a few wet leaves!

Thanks guys. Any ideas for riprap banks/dykes with footholds?

All I can say is good luck! Stabilizing footholds on riprap can certainly be a challenge!

Yep, but I sure see sign. Brainstorming continued...

Bring a stone mason with you to make a trap bed. Or maybe tether a partly rotten log into the water. Otter always seem to like pulling out on logs when available. A trap bed could be hatcheted out on a log.

Small sandbags. Don't fill them to much so you can work the trap down into the bag.
Old sweatpants or jean legs or I used empty shot bags for smaller traps.

Ive caught a few in River pocket sets...

Northwoods , 1.5 and sleepy creek 1.5's

3 Swivels

As far as bedding in riprap, I've had good luck cutting a piece of sod, flipping it upside down, wedging it between the rocks, and bedding on that.

Carry a chunk of sod?? Flip the grass side down??bed it in the chunk.

That will work but in time that dirt will wash away.

That would probably work good on the wing dams I would like to set. Now if I could just get Corp of Engineers not to yo-yo the water level...lol.

On land covering isn’t super important watch dale Billingsley Lousiana videos with the number 11 . Any time I find rip rap or um even bottom I put a brick or cinder block depending on depth

I’ve released 3 otters out of two different blended dirt hole sets for something else…too close to their trail or landing. I cover or break up the outline of all land traps….just out of habit.

Releasing an otter is so much fun = no it s not. It is dangerous!! they can real fast become nasty......jk