Float trapping

Going to set a few floats tomorrow I’ll try to take a bunch of pics and post them,but things get pretty busy once I get rolling.

Good luck

good luck-let us know how you do!!

You're Late, newfox1 !!

Should have started on Monday !!

w

Walleyed, had few loose ends to tie up I'm good now til the end of season,some years I can't start until April because of ice, so I'm early not late, how you doin any bites yet?, I'm hoping to get ahead of the bites this year.

i got bites on some of my rats

I've caught six rats in three days, and 3 have bite marks.

w

Newfox, Good luck to you. Are you going to run the boat with floats on the Black river? if so post some pics. I remember a half dozen years or so you had a thread on NY trappers with some pics. I thought that was awesome!

River was awesome today,set 40 double floats and two 220 conibears,also seen some beaver sign I’ll set a few beaver floats tomorrow,should have some fur pics soon.time for a shower and supper I’m beat.

got this one today.2nd one from this float.

Day one,real nice day however did manage to get muskrat lure in my mouth should know enough to wash my hands before I eat!!! Smells ALOT better than it taste,found out short boots leek. Day two,forecast is for high winds raining real hard,checked early to beat the wind,only caught three very little action so it was a quick check flats are still froze over, with today’s rise in water it should help, found out different pair of short boots leek.im headed to town.

Wharton yes on the black,my buddie posted those pictures on ny forum years back, minkless looks like that floats working good.

It is hard to see it all but is that a pipe dream float set??? Looks like a piece of pipe that lure or bait is in?

Day three went well, solved the wet feet problem, set a few beaver floats,caught nine today.

Nice!

Looks like a fun day!

WTG, thanks for posting the picture!

i LOVE FLOAT TRAPPING!

First double

Day four went well,seen a big beaver on bank, caught seven rats on lower half, got skunked on the upper half. My daughters boyfriend rode with me today.

Yesterday’s rats are boarded and today’s are almost dry enough to skin.

Are your traps held on the float in any way or just set on the board?

Boco, traps are wired to staple on underside of float.

Nice Pictures!!! Good Job!!!

Nice catch, thanks for posting the pictures!

That's the boat i was referring to. How many HP is the motor? I like the simple floats, looks like they're working pretty good. do the rats flip the traps off often?

Are you using any lure? Do you have problems with coon getting on your floats that close to the bank? I wish we had a spring season here!

I’ve tried float trapping several different times and had zero luck. Our season is out the end of February so never got to try real deal spring trapping. Talked with other Ohio trappers and they say the same thing, no luck with floats.

How long are your boards? Are those 2x8's? Will 2x6s be stable enough or flip in the water?

Whartonrat 70hp,the rats are usually hanging under the board.
Trapalaska,I put lure on the outside pieces of parsnip,no problems with coon occasionally a mink will eat one
Trapperrev, my boards are 40” rough cut 2x8 get 3 from a ten footer,2x6 are to tippy and don’t handle the boat wake as well 2x10 gives rats to much room to get by traps.

Had a great day got to spend it on the river with one of my buddies, water went down about 2 feet few boards were beached, nice otter in 220 and ten rats today ,I’m headed to shed .

Good Day!!

Nice. Thanks for sharing

Nice catch, I'm sure you are, like I am, happy to be able to enjoy spring trapping for a change. The last few years have been either froze up or very unstable weather.

Now we'll see how good my memory is...will there be PBR in the shed?

i'm a watchin and lovin it.spent many,many summers on black lake.i'm floating in my kayak on the river to wrap up beaver season.

Day 6 little snow this morning,nice rain shower when I was checking,water went down again but should come up a little the next few days,seen three adult bald eagles today,there’s quite a few around.
Wharton no professional bull riding in the shed lol, but there’s genny reds.
Today’s catch 7 rats 1 beaver.

Hey Newfox1,

what is the percentage of muskrat with bite marks/scars so far ?

I am running at about 30% this week.

Nice Catches.

w

What percentage is male? They must b out pretty good there?

Thanks

Walleyed,there not to bad females are worse,one advantage of using boards instead of wires you can make them look nicer i do pretty well on my spring rats in Williamstown how you doing you usually catch a bunch in the spring??
Nimzy I'm catching a little more than half males.

It's picked up quite bit over by the lake.

Got 20 on Sunday.
Got 8 on Monday.
Got 15 yesterday.

I would say 70% are males.

Our rats are really spread out because of the high water level on Lake Ontario
so no big concentrations but a few scattered every where.

I'd venture to say the population is up over the last couple years.
Lots of trappers out too hitting the traditional hot spots.
You would think Rats were back at $10.00 each the way trappers
are out and about.

Probably just all the trappers practicing "social distancing" on the marsh
away from people, crowds, and the virus disturbance sweeping NY.

w

saw a half dozen rats out while floating my beaver traps yesterday.

trappin is keepin me from listening to the crap.

Thanks fellas for the feedback.
The theory here is with majority males the run is going. When it equals out it’s time to quit.
How’s the fat content holding up. That and damage can indicate how long they’ve been out.

Lots of larded fat on rats in one area,
and at another area they are pretty lean.

w

Fat rats are happy rats

In my mind it’s just another piece of that muskrat mystery.

You trapping them Dexter Marsh rats?

Hi upstate,

No,

Trapping Salmon River Estuary,
Sandy Pond,
and Lakeview Marsh.

Dexter marsh is too open to the wind,
and historically plagued by Trap & Fur Thieves
for walleyed's tastes.

Bedford Creek is the farthest north I trap.

w

Got it.My older boy lives near the pond.Has 130 acres there.Lots of deer and good rabbit hunting too.

Just got back from an half day assault
on the Eastern Basin muskrat population.

Shuffled 20 floats to a new Sandy Pond estuary
with lots of promising sign where I don't think
anybody has hit so far this spring.

We are expecting rain tonight so that should get
the rats moving around and climbing on various
floating objects hopefully to include my floats.

Finished the day with 16 rats out of 45 floats
and 9 rat toilet sets.

One of the rats was a beautiful Jet Black Muskrat
that I'll probably hold for sale to taxidermy market
or maybe to get tanned for Internet sale.

Had not caught one of those Black Rats in three years.

w

My buddie Pete greeted me when I got home.

Day 7 had to run to town this morning,cough cough cough,then I worked in shed for a while before checking,water still going down but there is rain in the forecast,cough ,7rats today

Did score a large roll of tp in town,cough cough.

yesterday and today.one has 2 rock hard baseballs for castors.

Is that boat a mid 60s StarCraft? I have one that looks a lot like that one.

perfect warm calm drizzly night here.moved down a bridge into new territory yesterday.

good luck to those still at it.and your boats bigger than mine.

top right beaver has stones for castors.what a sight in this castor market.

Upstate , I think it's early 70s StarCraft.
Pcr nice catch of flattails looks like there all packing castor's.
Walleyed, I've never caught a black rat .maybe today!

I have one looks just like it.Mine is a 16 foot 1965 StarCraft.I took the windshield off it,painted it camo and built a flip up duck blind on it.They are built like tanks.55 years old and don't leak a drop.

Day 8, one rat today,set 1more 220 and one 280 at crossovers and moved one beaver float,think we’re going to let them soak 48 hours check again Saturday


High water

Low water

Water gets real high sometimes
Goose down

todays 64 pounder and yesterdays stones

Nice !!

how long does your otter season stay open? ours season ended late jan.

Our Otter & Beaver season in the Northern Zone closes on April 7th,
and mink & muskrat runs until April 15th.

No Bag limits on Otter although they must be CITIES tagged
within 10 days after the season closes.

Same season and no bag limits for Non-resident trappers as well.

w

I am surprised your otter are still furred nice, I caught an accidental yesterday(season closed last day of February) and the DNR officer asked if I wanted to skin it, I told him he could keep it. Big male, completely singed

All caught up in n shed
A few real nice rats


Hoping for a good run tomorrow.

Nice job on the fur-catch and handling.

Nice fur & Fur shed, newfox1.

w

Man that's awesome. Nice cave too!

Water came up 4-5 feet, the big river was chocolate today had a good run today two doubles,15rats but I had to work for em, there was extra current today,and did I mention wind.2 rats in 220s,rats are drying its coffee time.

Great catch newfox1,

walleyed chickened out today because of the wind & cold temperatures
over by the Lake. Decided to make use of the 48 hour check law
and we'll be after them again in the morning.

Had 11 yesterday including another JET BLACK RAT.
Had 21 the day, before that.

Don't really want to skin more that 15 a day cause I'd get buried.
Got to save time for my afternoon naps, you know. LOL

w

Walleyed ,I hear ya I've been going since 5:30 those floats looked like they were dinomited between the wind and the rats, had one I couldn't get out from some roots water goes down a little I'll get it, still no black ones here I'm jelous.

What a beautiful day to be alive


[img]https://trapperman.com/forum/attachments/usergals/2020/03/full-47853-43097-

93cc7f80_2300_4bca_9d47_5b09061f3fb2.jpeg[/img]soft maples are budding gerry ride with me today,water went down about a foot,one double today,7 rats today.


Towed boat upriver for neighbor

Nice newfox1,

We got 13 rats over here today by the Lake after a two day soak.

Setting a new marsh tomorrow for rats plus setting a pile of beaver traps
to get some Castor, skulls, and Tails, Oh and the high dollar beaver fur too. LOL

w

That looks like my " Lloyd's of Lowville " coffee cup on the table next to the sharpening steel.

Upstate, yup Lloyd's it's settin next to my recliner right now, I only live about 10 miles south of there.

What a difference a day can make



Two rats today by boat launch,24 on the boards,few inches of snow we’ll see what tomorrow brings.

Too nasty for walleyed to do much today.

Set out 6 beaver sets, and 2 floats,
and two feed-bed sets in a new location.

Left all my other floats to soak for another day.
Check tomorrow and hope for better conditions.

Keep after them, newfox1.

w

Could you take a photos of the set float. Is the trap on the grass? If so, why the grass? Enjoying your thread and makes me want to set another line. Lure, Bait, Incidentals?

DT,I use parsnips for bait,finish nails to hold bait.i use lawn clippings for my nest of grass but you can use that yellow grass that grows on river bank,that’s what we used when I was a kid.im not sure if the grass is supposed to depict a feed bed but it’s the way I was taught,I don’t put much if any on trap because wind blows it off unless you wet it,to much on the trap will clog it.little lure on outside pieces of bait,outside bait close to end of board so as the rat doesn’t have room to set on The board to eat bait.

Water down couple feet,9 in top photo, last trap by launch had one more, 2 or 3 inches of snow this morning so most all boards needed tending,otter gave me the slip at crossover the snow gave it away.

Water down,12-18 inches did manage 2 rats 1 beaver.

Beaver was climbing on float and stealing bait so I changed the location of bait and caught one.

I have to say I’m pretty jealous right now...all of it. The clean shed, boat on the water, rat on boards....pretty slick rat boards btw, did u make those?

That's what I was thinking. I re did a green 66' StarCraft StarTrek model open bow 18' a couple years ago. Sides, gunnels, corner brackets and bump trim look the same. I love old StarCrafts, mines still going strong and it was born the same year as me! LOL

Great post Newfox1! Great to see ya out there given er!

Mine is a 1965.Built like a tank.Great boats.

good read thanks for sharing

Wylee yes I made the boards, mostly basswood ,clear pine works good too.
Trapper Dahlgren, I hoped that you been watching, how are you feeling, been praying for you.

Water still dropping , sure was a beautiful day!!




Managed 6 rats today my neighbor Gary adjusted lower unit shifting linkage and the fee was a ride along on my spring river line,now I just owe him dinner for removing,cleaning,and replacing carbs.i thought the white-tipper was cool.

looked to be a beautiful day out on the river-I am jealous!

do you anchor the board or let them freely drift along the edges and they dont travel that far?

Water seems to have leveled off but fairly low for this time of the year.beaver float with bait on the trigger was sprung,started pulling today plan is to pull most of the river line tomorrow,I have some beaver to catch and the season ends on the 7th, I’m just 10 short of my goal of 100 might have to leave a few floats or catch a few beaver pond rats,still catching some real nice rats ,sure was a nice day to be a trapper.


Four today

One of my crossover sets,river is about 20 feet behind me.

Buck mink, I anchor floats to tree with about 10 feet of 16 guage wire, I tie about four to five feet above water and adjust as nessesary so I can keep boards floating and be able to reach tie off.our water can rise 3-4 feet in a night.usually reseads slower.

Got all but 5 floats pulled today caught 4 rats mink was in process of eating one but we took it back.enjoyed posting the pics thanks for looking.


Now I’ve got to clean up.

loved the ride along! thank you!

Number 98&99!!