Oh, I know. But the statement that pockets are "10 times better than blind sets" stuck in my craw. That's simply not true, no matter where you trap.

Neither is it true to say "blind sets all the way" down here in my milder climate. UpstateNY or somebody earlier in this thread made the comment that using a mixture of both blind sets and baited/lured pockets is the best way to catch the best numbers, and that's true wherever mink are found.

Fine catch, by the way.

I suspect in slow water it doesn't make much difference, but if there's much current I believe it's an upstream hunt. I do know that more often than not, the downstream side of a bridge or culvert is the best place to set.

Keep in mind, though, that even in winter a good portion of a mink's prey is land-based. A mink is NOT a water animal.

Jim Personally now you dont have to agree but I couldnt disagree more. I would take a hundred dollar bill anyday in the state of Iowa not arkansas now and bet you I put in my pocket with one trap and you put in a blind set and I will catch a mink before you nine out of ten times!

You'd probably beat me up there with your pocket sets, I'm not arguing that point. But I'd bet you a dozen MB750s against a worn-out number one jump trap that you wouldn't beat me 10 to 1.

No way for either of us to prove it, though, so I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree. It's not very important in the overall scheme of things, anyway, I suppose.

I don't know, upstate, I seem to catch a lot of rats, coons, possums and rabbits in my blind sets.

Not holding something right, that's for sure.

Great haul! Thanks

Wow nice haul!

My question is, where are all the coon? lol howd you catch so many mink with baited pockets and not get one incidental coon

good job and have a great season!

congrats howmany did you get?

Hmmm, more than a few things in that picture look awfully famaliar to me.

OH YA I LOVE IT.........

do you use bait or lure in every pocket set?

I just wanna catch a couple for my collection... Not that half-truckload you got!

I set 6 110's today.

2 bottom edge set
2 in travel lanes
2 pocket sets, no bait or lure.

I think I need to open up the holes, they are only about three in" diameter.

Well I can say I know the guy that caught them pretty well, he taught me how to trap and I have witnessed his sucess first hand, Im a believer in the baited pockets after knowing gerald shmidt and the fella who caught those mink. Great job, hope ya pound the mink to add to your rats!

Well Jim your right we will never know! I have one secret that I have never seen in any video or book! I found out about it on pure luck and accident! The only time I let the cat out of the bag is when I give someone a personal lesson! It is what makes me different than any minker I ever ran into! Now im not saying I am the only one that does this in the world ha ha! However I have never heard it mentioned or seen it used on a trap line! I have literally caught up to 15 mink in one nights check on my opening week coon line! All incidentals and yes I have a couple pics if anyone is shaking their heads right now! When I trap mink I run a lot of miles and run almost all baited pocket sets! I usually will go through an area and catch the mink right out from under other trappers and they never even know I am there until It is too late! I learned from the best ever and took his knowledge and adapted it to my style and now I have a very effective system! This man is a legend and has passed on! A lot of you know him and some dont! If anyone would like to know who showed me the ropes his initials are B.H. Now that being said my best one night check is 29 mink! Now mind you I was driving lots of counties and had a lot of sets out! When the weather is just right the mink will literally fill your traps to the point that it gets goofy! But I will always be a minker nothing gets me more excited than to look down and see a big buck mink down and drown under the grass set I made just so he is hid to all the other eyes! By the way Jim I have nothing but the utmost respect for you and if I came down your way I would be lost cause I have been told them southern mink are a lot different to catch than ours! My buddies that go down south to beaver trap tell me they dont like baited pockets anything like the mink up here! So if I ever move to Arkansas I will be looking you up for a lesson on blind sets!

I'll trade ya even up for a lesson on pockets. Bud was a pretty good mink trapper, wasn't he?

Well Jim you know as well as me probably that mink was not his best talent! In my opinion I think Bud was a better fox trapper than minker haha! But yes Bud Hall was an exceptional man I miss him everytime I go put out a mink line whether it ten sets or a 125! I would just sit there and listen to him tell stories about checking traps in his old cars in blizzard conditions! I am only 27 years old and never trapped in winters like they had back then! My favorite time of the year to trap mink is when it is frozen up solid and I use my maps to target spots I have marked over the years that never freeze! Let me tell ya you find open water in the middle of a deathly cold winter and I have caught up to 7 mink at one spot over a couple weeks. They have to survive and if your willing to put on some clothes and drive down some icy roads it is absolutely beautiful! Getting out and breathing in through your nose and the ice crystals form and all you smell is mink musk hit you across the lips and you know ya got one! What a rush no drug or alcohol could ever compare!!!

Nice work!

You are on fire!! Thanks for making me wanna go throw my 5 mink away!!! HAHA...

You are my new hero.