My current chain setup for coyotes (on MB550s and K9 JR's), is center located, a swivel at the trap, four or five links of chain, a center swivel, four or five more links of chain, then a swivel to a butterfly stake attachment. I run rebar stakes, double stake every trap.
I bed my trap using the "pipe dream" style of bedding, a bowl under the trap and the trap jaws pinched in by the sides of the hole.
Here in WI we have a once a day check law, so no long checks. I do get occasional red fox.
I am thinking about adding a shock spring. I've seen them mounted in-line, or with a loop of chain.
Looking for the pro's and con's of using them. Also the pro's and con's of how/where to attach them.

Just checked out his site. Looks like he's using very short chain from the trap to the spring, then swiveling the spring to the stake loop. I may end up picking up a few springs just to try out.

My set up is..... center swivel at the trap....2 links of #3 chain, swivel, shock spring, swivel, 2 links of chain, swivel.

I used shock springs on about half my traps and noticed that wolves have a harder time pulling out of traps with shock springs. I think they help hold animals that try and jump to get the trap sliding off their foot. My setup was about the same as Yotetrapper 30.

All my k-9 traps have them, I go center swivel, I use the rod swivels with long j hooks. 4 links of #3, rod swivel to shock spring, another rod swivel to 4 more links of chain. All welded closed. I have caught some big stuff with no problems. I set my loose jaw on the spring while setting.

wws

I think shock springs are a waste of time and money. I can see thier use if you had your traps set up with 2 feet of chain. But with short chains the critter isn't going to get up a head of steam to make the shock spring work.

THIS^^^

X2 i think the use of shock springs came about when the design and built of traps weren't good enough for coyotes

Im ok with u not believing me

Now that's funny.

I run them on my 550s . I am about 14 inches with the spring.Some of my newer traps are just getting an extra swivel and no shocks .When I set up to live market I put them on. As far as an added benefit I can’t say one way or the other.I do like hearing the squeak when they stretch out when a big coyote on the other end.

I have never used a shock spring set up. On extended checks they would have merit however on a 24 - 36 hr check I dont see the need.

So how short is a short train?, I know, short, lol, but like in inches....

"So how short is a short train?, I know, short, lol, but like in inches...."

I anchor under the trap so 10" is short to me.
Others mileage will vary.

There are pros and cons.
If I ran springs I'd use a longer chain.
It might just ALL be mental none the less.

If it saved me three coyotes a year
it would only take 47 years to pay for the springs.

Ive got JC Connor springs on probably 1/3rd of my traps.

As far as them improving the holding ability of the trap I think its a bunch of hooey. In fact, the last pull-out I had was a trap with a shock spring.

I will say in the spring, during that lovely, far to short period where the ground is actually a little softer from the frost going out, the traps with shock springs on them seem to show less evidence of the stake head wallowing out than those without. So that could potentially be a plus in a fraction of instances.

Not true Beav.

Back in my live market days I had the 78lb PIT springs on every trap. Bigger coyotes would be working that spring hard when I drove up and my chains were only about 15" total with the springs.

How short of a chain setup did I use? I used a swivel at the trap, 2 links of chain, another swivel, and 2 more links of chain, and a swivel at the terminal end. https://youtu.be/dqzg0KbO0lw

You might ask if I'd ever had any experience with inline springs? You may have noticed that the trap in the little video clip was a Jake with the inline spring long gone!! Yes, when I bought my Jakes I also had the inline springs so I used them for part of the season until I had to deal with making trap beds in frozen ground, much of it frozen blue clay. That's when all springs were removed never to be used again and sold!!! LOL What a POS to try and dig out a bed for that spring in frozen ground and then try an encapsulate the whole mess in waxed sand!! I found using them even before freeze-up to be completely unnecessary as seen in the video clip and a real pain in the butt after freeze-up!!!