Bait in pocket set water trapping

I always thought fish is best, I use in addition an sometimes just trapline supply bait, In pocket or pipe, or dp or smear bait around above top pocket or side with fish in back, water rats. Or mice clean up fish fast in locations. A piece muskrat really fast, fisheads last while. Muskrst meat spoils in warm weather fast, do some just use trapline supply bait an that it for coon ? For mink I know fish is best

Fish muskrat good. Spoil still good.

Most of the big hitters in Mn. use fish.

I’ve seen a lot of folks partial to canned mackerel

When mink was good guys would stock up on suckers in spring to use for mink bait in fall.

I personally think if mink is the target fish is best.

Coons? Lot of guys used prepared, lots use fish.

Sardines

Yes fish is best for mink, buy jack mack is costly , u need buckets fish

sometimes I just take make a nest out of aluminum foil , and take some cotton balls soaked with fish oil and throw up in there.......I don't ever have to worry about spoilage issues, the hole and the aluminum foil itself are great attractors.................ive caught incidental otters doing this.

interesting^^^

I don't use or make much coon bait anymore. When I did I would put a 5 gallon pail of HMSC and cover with water for a week or so to sour it some. I would put about 10 cans of jack mackerel and a couple qts of feed grade molasses and stir it up and freeze in usable size containers. I found that it seemed to give of a stronger odor when thawing out then when just used w/o freezing.

Bryce

I don't use or make much coon bait anymore. When I did I would put a 5 gallon pail of HMSC half full and cover with water for a week or so to sour it some. I would put about 10 cans of jack mackerel and a couple qts of feed grade molasses and stir it up and freeze in usable size containers. I found that it seemed to give of a stronger odor when thawing out then when just used w/o freezing.

Bryce

Most of us heavy hitters in iowa use nothing but cut in half Carp heads for mink coon i use some paste bait for coon mostly

If you place the trap outside the entrance to the pocket It really doesn't matter what bait you use In the hole. The hole itself creates the curiosity factor. And as the mink stands outside the pocket you have It caught before It even thinks about trying to reach the bait. If I was trapping mink I would use nothing but a lure at my pockets. Or just forget about pockets and blind set them.

Dumb question. What is HMSC?

I guess there are 2 of us that don't know what It Is.

I always used Hanson's formula made by Red O'Hearn from Iowa. My change up was Kaatz Brother's black label.
Deadly duo IMO.


Cut carp works well, I have friends who use it.

Be safe out there.

No idea, I have never try feed grade mollases. Thought of it at farm supply. I also have dry dp trip mix I bought, also make homemade dp bait that good for maybe first week an then don't seem work, fish is hard beat , especally on mink, hoping to be able find some

High moisture shell corn which is fermented in a silo prior to me using it. Gives off more odor


Bryce

Thanks .

For mink, what works for me is half a blue gill and a spritz of mink urine.

Hard for me get that , how do u apply food grade mollases, ? I am thinking a messy and idea that attracts non target. I afraid fish is about only good mink bait, oftentimes stole from pocket in coon sets. Found down or up creek or other side. Or in front trap , mink steal bait at coon sets

It was molasses from the feed mill, not food grade. I pay about 20 cents per lbs. I took an empty ice cream bucket down and got a $1s worth. You can make some high moisture corn by taking dry whole kernel corn and add some water to a bucket and cover. Stir so it does not rot etc. Not as good as high moisture. If you know a farm with a sealed silo they use for grain they may have HMSC.

Yes you stir that up. Messy? maybe, not much different then carp chunks, fish heads, muskrat carcasses etc. I freeze in plastic bags and use a large spoon. I did state I don't use much for bait anymore. Now I mostly use a narrow PVC pipe pounded in the ground. I fit a large marshmallow down about half inch or so in the pipe and that holds my home made lure. I use this mostly on the water line. I slowed down bait use on dry land sets because it lowered my non coon catches. Probably lowered coon catch but really lowered the non target catches.

Bryce

Fist size chunk of carp is all I use. Told you that years ago, Dave when you'd come buy my house in Blue Grass/Buffalo, Iowa.

Half a duck or rat carcass pinned up in the back of the hole

Hopefully can get some fish bought

Fish. KISS. LLL

I have most bag of dry crack shell corn I got farm fleet, would that work ?

So if decide make some speacil homemade bait, what is cheapest. When buy fish at Walmart or wherever. ? Jack mckranel at Walmart for cheap generic can water down stuff is over $1.50 a can, about enough for 2 pocket sets in can unless. Mix other stuff, I intersested fish mink bait , what is cheapest route to go an what store

You'll not buy canned fish that is worth a crap for mink. You need fresh fish imo. Coons, it wouldn't matter.

I use muskrat.

Thanks for let me know that, some construction guy on bs.told me that either a teaspoon of jack or some other stuff in can was best mink bait, I stupid enough believe it, water rats or just mice would have teaspoon gone well bfore dark, muskrat meat then, should save last year's. But I don't know if freeze well

It keeps just fine in the freezer for a year, chop each one into your chunks and put each rat into a ziplock type bag and squeeze out most of the air and drop them in the freezer. Put the bags in a 5 gallon bucket with a lid for even more protection.

I always did well with the rest of the frog, after the back legs were cut off, split in half and microwaved for 4 minutes from frozen. The smell is very strong and I usually connected on most sets the first night, in good locations.

Keith

Nearly every mink I ever checked had frog parts in their stomach contents. Coonman would only be able to be in possession of 12 bullfrogs legally, but they would be pretty easy to collect on most any pond around. Leopard frogs would be high limit but harder to come by around here.

I don't think get frogs. I wouldnt have heart to kill them really, need more 12, I very hard on bait. I find frogs hibernate in water, sometime but not often, snakes

Using muskrat as bait near water will get you some incidental rats which is not a bad thing when mink are about the same price.

When I said the smell was very strong, I kind of understated it. The smell of microwaved frog tops and guts was strong enough I could find my sets by smell too.

I sell tons of other animals to a company that makes food for reptiles. They make a slurry like frog juice, from imported Chinese frog legs, that they sell in tiny bottles, for putting on other animals to get reptiles that prefer frogs to eat them. It only takes a few drops.

Keith

I had good luck using canned mackeral. til I had some rat carcus to use. I would use a big pinch full in my fingers in back of the pocket and wipe the roof down with my fingers as I pulled my hand out. It probably out-did the rat for bait by a little. I surely wouldnt use fish or any meat with molasses corn or cherry mixed in with it if I wanted mink.

I'm not sure why you would put corn In pocket set.

That would be the dreaded cornhole set.

I hydrate corn in stale beer or any Berry Weis that guests leave at our cottage- I've never used it in a pocket set but works great on coons in live traps when you want to avoid cats in barns and on farms.

For like summer ADC bait, it be good, I still have some of trapper arts sweet tooth left, frozen, maybe 16 oz, I bought gallon years ago, never use it for adc work

Normally I use fish. But since fur prices on raccoon are down I don't bait pocket sets for the time being. But if i were to add bait I normally will go to the store and buy cheap, frozen fish like tilapia. If there is a good possibility to catch muskrats in the pocket I use muskrat meat. When i bait with muskrat meat I'll catch 3 to 1 muskrats over mink.

So how much is tilapia? How much 5 gallon bucket ? $150 ? So muskrst meat, is guaranteed because good as fish ? Commercial trapline bait, 2 different kinds is as good as fish for coon ? I figgure. A rat minus innards in pocket, 1 far, minus guts, 2 pockets out 1 rat. Maybe skip buy fish this year if csn even get it ? To hot haul this weekend if even csn get, take room freezer, I don't got,

Maybe just blind/trail set and forget about bait?

No, I into pockets

Here's what you should do coonman220. Just get a tile spade and drive It Into the bank then work It back and forth till you have a slot In the bank. Then drop In your rat carcass and kick the slot closed. Just as effective as a pocket with a lot less work.

Why don't you take your fishing pole and go catch a bunch of bluegill, bullhead catfish, etc.

I see u post that bfore. I don't see how could be possibly effective when kick slot closed. I would think on ineffective side. Slot closed. ? U want a hole. Nice pocket

Coonman whatever baited set works the best in your area,copy and repeat that one.It allows you to standardize equipment thus being more efficient when running a lot of traps over a big area.
You can always stick in a blind set when an opportunity presents itself without having to carry extra equipment.
Keep it simple and set more is the ticket.
Do you set the same places each year or different/new spots all the time?A lot of good mink spots produce year after year unless something changes on the landscape.
A trapper gets a lot more efficient after a few years running the same area as he can eliminate unproductive sets and lengthen his line with productive ones.
I imagine where you are,competition or lack thereof will be a big factor in production.

Dave, do what Boco says here. This is good, solid advice.

The slotted set Is right at the waters edge the bait Is partially exposed and Is above the water line. You still have the odor factor and the mink or coon has to work to get the bait. Giving you a better chance at a catch.
The beauty of the set Is there Is NO BENDING over to dig those holes and In my opinion It's just as effective as a standard pocket.

I never try it, I have to see how made. I always like pockets, use later on in season after frozen banks, I come back, some pockets well take lot coon mink an some rats throughout season, some thoughout a season on drowner take 8-12 coon, can rember several good bridges by woods an bigger stream, woods both sides road an good coon country take 20-30 coon , had 2 pockets close under bridge in narrow row, dbl catches often, no end to coon by woods an quarry, I just set few dps for while there now, water deep, very rocky narrow row, hard make set , 1 of those bridges I still have at least 1 pocket as long as can

I always liked to just take a trap stake and stick it in the bank and wallow it around and around and put the bait in it, I figure the more it looks like a crawdad hole the better.

That will work.