Thanks. I took this picture the day the water was finaly calmed down because it was raining and didnt want to get my moms camera wet the day i did set. The area next to the bank had a lot of debree and sticks and junk but if i could have set for one more day i would have placed a 110 there too. By the way, GREAT PICTURES everyone!

no... it wasnt... it was the truth.how many rat traps did you set this year at one time? if you will read the post i said you guys need to get out and set more traps before i said little kids trap them. the reason i stated that was to point towards the fact that the muskrat is one of the easiest animals to trap.if i were bashing you zbowtech id of said something like"wow for a guy who only caught 4 muskrats this year you sure do try to sound like a know it all" or maybe "wow 4 rats all season, you ought to be a longliner" or "you should be ready for that water trapping contest you wanted to have next year." but since im a nice guy i wont do that to you on this thread................ now on those creeks that cant seem to find the den holes or the toilet id just use the mud slide i desribeed in my upper post, if its all rock and gravel,blind set or a lured /baited set will take them nicely also make sure when setting for rats you really stake them well as coon will often be taken in rat sets. wingnut, i really like those colony traps, like to set them in ponds in the runs/bank dens wow they really do help add up some number there. to bad its all you can use though.

Well, Joeburg, they are not as easy to trap here as they are in other places.On the other side of the state we have typical shallow marsh habitat, but where I'm at it's all steep banked lakes carved by glaciers.Or I just like to make excuses for only catching 3 in a month.

Agree with JoeBurg 100%

I'm not an expert.

BUT....in the spirit of "not bashing" I will say this....

The big number rat guys I know, meaning put up 4 digit catch numbers every year....(yes, I actually do know a few of them)

-don't use lure

-don't have time to block off, guide, crowd, or otherwise alter an area

-don't mess with 110's

-and let the rats show them where to place a trap.

IT IS EASY, when you have the rats to do so. It IS NOT EASY, to produce big numbers consistently like they do. That's all heart, combined with a decent population. Gotta have the rats to catch them.

I really don't even like catching rats, because every one I catch reminds me of how hard those guys work. I will never hold a flame to those guys. Gotta really love the marsh to put that kind of energy into it.

EVERYTHING THAT WAS STATED ABOVE HAS BEEN TRUE...RATS ARE EASY TO CATCH. Doing it in numbers is a different story.

The things I listed off above work when you don't have the population to work with.

Happy Trapping.

Anybody have any pics of their rat floats?

i wasnt trying to be a smart azz wing nut. i was serious, they do help take number in runs bank dens. if you only have lakes then look in the shallows for runs/bank dens. you may not have the population to take numbers of them. since you cant use footholds then you are at a disadvange that of no mud slides/toilets/etc. any huts? were the three you caught hard to catch? you have any mink in your area? those colony traps should take them as well. the only thing i dislike about them are the bulk.you may try the bottom edge set with them as well as the funneled down set up.im no big numbers guy either but i love to catch them.

I agree.
Trapping 'rats on creeks seems like a waste of time, I HATE IT. GO WITH THE NUMBERS. Lakes and sloughs are your best bet. Find the houses, the slides on the houses (usually 4 places to set a trap per house). Find the feeders (looks like a pile of green veggies with roots they've eaten on top) and the toilets and set'em.

Creek 'rats are a different story. They're sometimes harder to find and are smaller in size (from what I've seen). Stake for coon, beaver or otter though, I tried long stakes for 'rats on creeks and it did not hold very many coon. A simple wood stake or rebar works. Gang set and move on as the bulk of the catch will be made within a few days.

For creek 'rats I look for spots on the bank where they might rest or eat, put a trap there. Toilets are also good. Bank dens are good to set if you can find them. I hate 110's for rats, although I find myself setting them still. I've tried floats too with no success, although have had 'rats climb on and poo on my beaver floats in fall and spring. Apple and orange slices work good on creeks, check with exposed bait laws though.
I like long chain on my 'rat traps, very seldom will they be alive if they can get out to deeper water.

theres one set that i use and that is bout the only set i use. I do throw in a few 110s here and there where theres a good supply of strictly bamk rats but I took 200 rats this year and I would say 150 were in this set. The others were in bank runs or in mink sets. Now, this set IS legal in MN but MAY NOT IN OTHER STATES. I Like a 1.5 long spring with 2-3 feet of chain stakeds with lathe.





I can make 5 of these on 1 house and come back to 5 rats easily. you barely need anything for an indent but this particular house was different because of it being made of all cattails. I just take my fist, make a little indent and put the trap in front and walla

cool greenwing..ill hafta try that! when i get the chance

Joeburg, the tree I've caught were easy. One in bottom edge colony set, and the other two at a den colony set.I just don't have the big populations.There is a big ol' mink running my area, I hope he ends up in one of my colony traps!That would be great.If I was serious I would hit this place hard in waders with 30 or so colony traps.As it is I'm just kinda settin as I go with three colony traps.

same here i only have 11 110s and 3 footholds so i set as i go. i had 12 new 110 and lost i so i hope i find it. i am looking at getting a dozen duke 160s. they crush a rat with both springs. i caught one the fist time i set it. no paint or anything just but it in a pinch point hopeing to get a mink and got him. also go one in a toilet that day making it my best catch day so far. hoping to get three animals at one check now.

Are you kiddin me!!!!!!!You have caught 4 rats this season and your blowing up this thread like your some kind of ratmaster.What the H-bomb?

I couldnt agree more. Read the post bout muskrrat trap sizes, he is bashing 1.5s for rats even tho hes never used them

second year trapping and done well by my standards. not sure what you guys might think. it seems to be a touchy subject. i use modified 120s they are 18" wide by the norm height. they work great in narrow shallow drainage ditches off bigger ponds and marshes. i also use 1.5s great for drown sets. i also use rat carcass as bait and get the occasional mink from time to time. never knew they were cannibalistic critters. a friend and long time trapper told me that and it seems to work great. 67 rats this year 5 last year

Do you have any pics of your modified 120's?

I by no means am a "ratmaster" or anything like that but i think anybody can have an opinion. Ztbowtech may have only caught a few rats this year but he could have topped over 100 last year and none of us would ever know it. Therefore he is entitled to his opinion about 1.5's or any other traps. personally i have a few sets that i really like over others and im more of a 110 guy even though i only have 11 rats on the season.


Also, not to be "that guy" but the rules on this forum state NO FLAMING so just lay off of people and focus on the forum and give your opinion on sets and post some pics and be happy.

Have you read any of his posts? It;s kind of hard not to throw judgment.I have trapped a few yotes in my day none of which in a leghold.I would never even think about posting my opinion on a coyote thread. You are probbably his nieghbor or something just posting on his behalf.I doubt he trapped a 100 rats last year.LOL. I'm done this thread went to H E L L! Sorry!

no. not even sure how to put pictures on the computer. i cut the horizontal bars off of the trap and welded a longer bar in. then replace the trigger with the thinest bar i could find and bent it in a 90 degree angle so it runs in the middle of the trap from side to side. i got the idea from a 660 i seen on the f&T web site. the 660 is just a 330 thats modified the same (not sure if its the exact same) the 660 is 26" long but i found that was too long with narrow steel bar used on the 120. it made the trap weak in the middle. 18" seems to be about as wide as i can go and still be effective

walrustrapper,that is a good concept,but why wouldn't you just use a colony trap?

He said its his first year ever trapping, If it takes 1 season to become the trapmaster, i wonder what your title is to those like bogmaster whos have trapper over 50 years?