We had a very very good mink trapper here years ago that used only #1longs. Russ Carmen started out using them. I use and like them but I wonder if a nominal amount miss the smaller target. When I went heavily to #2 square jaws a few years it seemed my catch rate was a little better. I’m afraid installing a slightly larger pan on #1’s several wouldn't stay set. Might work a little better on 11’s?

We never had a lot of mink here but in a few places you could catch a hundred if you worked at it. We had two guys here that could do it every year. One guy ran all number 1 victor or blake and lambs and the other ran all number 11 victors. All on dry land in blind sets. The guy that used the number ones said you need a good strong trap. They both trapped over fifty years so I feel their opinion is valid enough for me.

I think these days there’s a lot of coulspring use but those old longs caught a lot of mink. I like the old Diamond Double Jaws.

The #2 square jaw Is my go-to mink trap. Large pan high shoulder catches. Heavy trap will get them drowned. But I heat up the springs and that helps a lot with pan tension.

This
I don't weaken the spring, I remove one lever completely. I do use #1 long for nostalgia reasons, but this year it seems the prices a moving up on Mink, so I do not want to miss one.

Have for muskrat and seems like a mink finds them also.
Work out ok, 1 1/2 is better.
Always anchored to the waters bottom.
2 foot of cable.

When I was younger I used a lot of #1s, but all of my #1s are pretty much scrap metal now. Never had an issue with a #1 for mink. My trap of choice today is #11s or #2 Victor square jaws.

The #11 will hammer a mink. I put a large mink pan, a swivel mid-chain, and a split ring on the end of the chain.

My #2 square jaws have a large mink pan, a swivel mid-chain and a split ring on the end of the chain. I DO NOT weaken the springs. When trapping crawfish ponds I encounter big mink. Also, on a crawfish pond blind set for a mink you could end up with a otter, bobcat, nutria and God knows what. I like to have strong springs just incase something bigger comes along.

#1 stoploss long spring is one of my favorite traps for mink in a set that might not drown it.

Yes #1 longs work very well for mink for me.
Jim

Marlon Farmer, who had the book out The System in the early eighties, used only modified #1 Blake and Lamb longsprings for water trapping. He had some large catches.

I have caught plwnty of mink over the years with 1 and 1.5 long spring traps.
1.5 is a better trap for drowning which I prefer to do before freeze up.
I have caught plenty back in the day in cubby sets made for marten in winter and the 1 long spring is a better trap for holding them alive as it is for marten.
A big foothold trap on a small animal is not as humane as a smaller jawed trap when set on land(live hold).