Otter Question

Found an otter toilet in a pond I was trapping muskrats in. They next morning while checking the rat traps I actually saw the otter swimming in the pond. I then set a bank hole I found and threw an underwater bucket set in it that night. Haven't seen him since and I'm in there everyday checking rat traps. That was three days ago. There are two other ponds nearby with zero otter sign. I know its a waiting game for otters and the ones I have caught have all been in rivers. Here are my questions:
Do you think he will come back ? Haven't got a rat out of that pond since I saw him
The pond is most likely going to freeze up, then how would you set it ? Footholds are a not legal in NJ
Any help is greatly appreciated

he will come back

Might take a week or more for the otter to be back.

Is their a drainage ditch going away from the pond?

otters get bored quick.
they will move every few days, but they will be back.

Around here otter travel alot and can be gone for weeks at a time before being back in a area.

I'd set the outlet if it has one and every trail I could find no matter how faint it is. Critters don't always respond to bait but they all travel.

I am curious how would you set the outlet. My pond has two. Its a little over an acre and otters have hit it a few months ago. I found a toilet behind the (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman). I can set trails going to it but how do you set the outlet???? I mean in the water near the spillway or on the dry ground where the spillway comes out??

This bucket set please enlighten me about it?? Thanks my otter IQ is low and I never trap water. I have two 220's and several duke footholds I was gonna set around the pond and keep them there since its for nuisance the law allows it.

I think there is a culvert pipe going to another pond but its deep under water. Im hoping I didn't spook it away

Believe me...you didnt

There must be a stream in...and a stream out....set those

Block off the culvert with a conibear

My outlets are gradual spill ways. No pipes.

Block off the spill way with a conibear.

The water from the spillway goes someplace. Look for a trail entering the water below the spillway and set a coni downstream. No trail, set the stream at a pinch point, set coni's side by side. Fence off good.

The pond is frozen solid now. I was hoping to catch him before it froze up

Watch the sign... where they go a trap should go

X2.Channel sets,bottom edge sets,inside bends in stream,etc.

I saw him this afternoon in a bordering pond. Moved a trap over there it is a small pond. The connecting channel is very deep and I can't get to it