Most here are familiar with basic fish trap designs. Many have used them, if others have designs to share please do.
As a kid we caught our bait before going fishing. I made a lot of minnow and crawfish baskets as a kid. Basic tube design with an inner cone at one end to allow bait fish to enter the trap. We made them from window screen wire. I remember using a slice of white bread as bait for my minnow traps.
I sometimes made larger fish traps. I used 1 inch chicken wire to make the tube and cone, simple design. I bought a couple fish traps at a farmers supply store a few years ago. They were made by hand locally, well worth $20ea.
The problem with tube traps is making a frame strong enough to hold the shape but light enough to carry. The last thing I want to carry into the swamp is heavy fish traps. I don’t want to put a lot of cash into a trap either. There is always someone who’ll steal traps they find. Then there are critters, a lady killed a 10ft gator couple years ago near here. A gator or big snapping turtle will make a mess out of a fish trap.
Where I sometimes fish, in a swamp, it’s a numbers game. More traps in the water, the better chance at a fine haul of catfish. Because they might get destroyed or stolen I don’t want to spend a lot of $$ per trap.
First 2 pics – traps I purchased. Made from one inch chicken wire, a metal ring welded to a long “T” shaped rod. An excellent design, light, holds it’s shape even with fish in the trap.
Last pic – Today I was in a garden center, needed some tomato cages. Funny, when I saw them I thought “fish traps”. They are perfect for fish trap frames. They came in 3 sizes, these are mediums. The large ones are about 55” long. Just wrap it in chicken wire and make a cone. They are a bit heavy, just cut out some of the excess frame to lighten it. These would make excellent fish traps.
I'm about to replace my chicken pen perimeter fence. 150ft of 1 inch chicken wire. The bottom portion is rusted and past repairing. The upper 4ft is fine. I was thinking of making a few fish traps and selling them. Again... how to make a frame... don't have to now. I'll just use tomato cages.
As a kid we caught our bait before going fishing. I made a lot of minnow and crawfish baskets as a kid. Basic tube design with an inner cone at one end to allow bait fish to enter the trap. We made them from window screen wire. I remember using a slice of white bread as bait for my minnow traps.
I sometimes made larger fish traps. I used 1 inch chicken wire to make the tube and cone, simple design. I bought a couple fish traps at a farmers supply store a few years ago. They were made by hand locally, well worth $20ea.
The problem with tube traps is making a frame strong enough to hold the shape but light enough to carry. The last thing I want to carry into the swamp is heavy fish traps. I don’t want to put a lot of cash into a trap either. There is always someone who’ll steal traps they find. Then there are critters, a lady killed a 10ft gator couple years ago near here. A gator or big snapping turtle will make a mess out of a fish trap.
Where I sometimes fish, in a swamp, it’s a numbers game. More traps in the water, the better chance at a fine haul of catfish. Because they might get destroyed or stolen I don’t want to spend a lot of $$ per trap.
First 2 pics – traps I purchased. Made from one inch chicken wire, a metal ring welded to a long “T” shaped rod. An excellent design, light, holds it’s shape even with fish in the trap.
Last pic – Today I was in a garden center, needed some tomato cages. Funny, when I saw them I thought “fish traps”. They are perfect for fish trap frames. They came in 3 sizes, these are mediums. The large ones are about 55” long. Just wrap it in chicken wire and make a cone. They are a bit heavy, just cut out some of the excess frame to lighten it. These would make excellent fish traps.
I'm about to replace my chicken pen perimeter fence. 150ft of 1 inch chicken wire. The bottom portion is rusted and past repairing. The upper 4ft is fine. I was thinking of making a few fish traps and selling them. Again... how to make a frame... don't have to now. I'll just use tomato cages.
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