So prob 4 110s here tight up against and sitting on bottom? One on each wall. Bottom edge set would be if this was 4’ deep and just doing the same thing all the way down right? Like really? Four feet down on the bottom and in the corner? More in the middle or the end? Whatcha think?

In order to answer your questions I suggest you do a little fact finding under that bridge that will help guide you to trap type & set locations. Why would a mink be swimming on the bottom to necessitate a bottom edge set? Is there prey structure under the bridge(rocks, logs, etc) or is it just mud? If no prey structure, why would a mink swim on the bottom edge especially with overhead cover(the bridge). There is always a reason WHY a mink wants to swim on the bottom edge vs the top edge! Understand a mink’s inherent behaviors and the scales are tipped in your favor!

What Seldom said plus not every mink will pass through under that bridge. Look for trails going up and around that bridge. You mite surprise yourself.

What Seldom and Skippy said…….the mink will need a reason to be under the bridge…..let’s say the mink is getting into the water even just to travel. The abutment/wing to the left is screaming at me to make a set as I feel like a mink will come down the bank next to the concrete and enter the water. And, what looks like a rail in the water to the right looks like the beginning of a funnel to make a set….. both of my observations would leave a set …. Trap and catch exposed to whoever looks down there.

Snare placed on each wing just out of the water where the mink will climb out and/or enter the water from the bank. Set both sides of the bridge. If under the bridge the water is shallow, to trap there, build up along the side wall with rocks or cement blocks to a level 2 inches above the water. Top that off with a piece of sod. Set trap or snare on top of the sod out of the water. Almost every mink will climb onto this sod, often to eat, as they are protected from birds of prey under the bridge. This is a deadly set and being above the water it is not affected by a slight rise or fall in water level.
Under deep water bridges I have floated a 2x4 wired to a stake on the upstream side so it drifts to the side of the bridge, with snares or traps on top of it. Same thing, mink will climb on and run the length of the board before jumping back into the water.
A handy tool to check traps under a bridge is a mirror on a longer handle, I usta' just park on top and with the mirror could check snares under a bridge in seconds without climbing down alongside the bridge abutment saving time.
Remember that a mink is a land animal that goes in the water, not like a beaver that is a water animal that goes on land if he has to.
Also learn to see any location thru the eyes of a mink. His eyes are about 4 inches off of the ground, our eyes are 5 to 6 feet off the ground. Things look much different from 4 inches than what we see.

Anyone have a way to set a BE on those 45 degree wall corners??? Obviosly would have more water depth than this pic above^^^ I run all plated 110,150,160s

For what it’s worth

Interesting. Actually I was going to ask about the mink that cross the road. I see road kill mink and see them cross at bridges in my headlights. Its like they run around the end of the guard rail even, like out and around, not even with the shore... Was wondering how you guys pick them up. Theres not enough traffic to leave a trail and I think they go down the bank up high for awhile and then dip down and travel the water edge as opposed to getting right in as soon as they clear or even approach the bridge. Seems like some think they love the cover of under the bridge and others think that many go around them... You must have to set for both.

As far as this spot... that creek is full of cattails. I walked it looking for rats and there are still track marks in the mud on the bank from when they dredged it. So no rats. Was asking about mink just b/c that looked kinda minky, especially with the catails. I've always thought they hunt in cattails but what do I know. I was hoping to find rat sign and set for mink if that makes sense.

There's plenty of country bridges where you can stand on the bank under the bridge. Maybe they would want to climb up on a high podium under there and celebrate a gold medal huh?

To hear about the bottom edge set they just swim there. I don't know what food would want to make them swim down in a bottom corner. Just small fish hanging out by the cool wall in the current I guess you are saying? Lets say this was filled up with crawfish under there for example... why a bottom edge set what makes them want to swim exactly there down in the corner? They just like edges right? Maybe your point is yes, they like the swim the bottom edges, but let that be slammed full of crawfish under there so that they want to be swimming under this bridge and that they don't just enjoy playing under bridges? Seems like there is a lot of articles making it seem like they just like to play under bridges. Maybe it makes a difference if you already know you are in a minky area?

Oh there will be a trail. not like a coon trail but a trail. Like Eric said, there small short critters. I used 120's on the trails. Theres a number of 110's that won't take them out quick.

I would add a 4th one to the right where it looks like a culvert comes through the wall.

It looks like the creek narrows considerably going downstream, maybe even more out of the picture. I'd look there for a pinch point/BE set location also.



My thought too, maybe a brick or something to get a 1 1/2 just below the water surface under that pipe.

How much does the water level fluctuate? Judging by the grass, it looks to have been quite a bit higher recently.

Personally . . . I wouldn't set anywhere near any bridge this coming season, unless it was private property and I had exclusive rights. In some areas we'll probably be back to the "glory days" of trapping . . . oh boy . . .

Most liars, cheats and thieves have one common trait: they're lazy.

Take a few more minutes, wade upstream and downstream, and set it up hard, using the tips you've received above. And hide your sets.

Best get out long before season and have every stop mapped with likely locations of sets. That will make your first setting day much more enjoyable.

And ignore whatever is under the bridge.

sound advice

See if you can make a pinch point down stream and set a couple 280's

For otter...while your there...always set at least 2 traps for otter.

Put a rock or sod clump on the angle and set on the level beside it.

A couple of decades ago my County replaced just about every “old Style” concrete bridge with either a culvert OR a concrete “module-type” bridge as shown in the photo. I eluded to the condition of the bottoms of bridges in a previous reply because it’s been my experience that the “module-type bridge bottoms are bare, devoid of mink prey habitat. So, if there is no prey to hunt why would a mink swim on the bottom edge UNLESS you have hard water. If you have open water and you’re planning on setting under a bridge with a clean bottom, it’s been my experience that top edge sets work far better than a bottom edge set. A traveling rat or mink has overhead cover and is only traveling through and they will be swimming on the top edge!

Again, a couple of decades plus I experimented with this philosophy by setting 2 “clean-bottom” (only mud, no prey cover whatsoever) bridges on my line with a stand I made that allowed me to use a foothold as a TE set and beneath it either a 110 bg or a cage trap as a BE set. Two years produced these ratios of rats & mink- one bridge I caught 6 rats & 2 mink in the TE foothold and 0 in the BE below it. The 2nd bridge produced 4 rats & 1 mink and 1 rat below in the BE. Both bridges with hard water produced both rats & mink in the BE set. I’ve had the opportunity to be standing under those types of bridges (no prey habitat) and had rats swimming submerged outside the bridge pop to the surface and move directly to a wall as soon as they sensed overhead cover and swim on top along the wall until seeing me standing there.