The stoploss prevents the muskrat from twisting out. If the water isn't deep enough or to much vegetation it poses a risk of a rat twisting out.

Between myself and a buddy (more him than me), we caught over 1500 muskrat this winter, mostly through opening huts on top of the ice.

Quite a few wring-outs with #1 longspring. Stopped using them.
Very few with #1.5 longspring. Probably should switch chains opposite of spring.
Almost none with #1.5 coilspring.
None with #1.5 jumps.

I'm just wondering what the cost/benefit analysis is for a #1 stoploss versus simply going with #1.5 coils or jumps. My best results were with heavier traps yet--Bridger #1.5 and Victor #2 coils. They simply don't allow the rat to do gymnastics, even in the late-season huts when they were not drowning.

Even though it has always been touted as a muskrat trap--the plain jane #1 long spring needs the best of conditions to work well as a rat trap.
Ater 45 years of chasing rats,and trying most traps, I just prefer a #1 stop loss, they work for me and I can set them with my eyes closed.
Tom

Wonder how many ring offs you would have had using baited conibears

I wonder how many misses happen using conis compared to setting in a hut?

In many areas,baited body grippers are a very low percentage set.
One has to go with what works for them and what is the best set for the area they are trapping.For me one of the least effective sets is a baited body gripper.
Tom

If you use a over size conibear hardly any , much less than a jump trap . 1.5 coil trap is a muskrat eater . I use them on some sets . The problem is there round which makes them hard to secure to bed down on the house , with the long spring I can put the spring into the side of the house . I use the house to hold the trap for me . The long springs are lighter too . So less weight in the boat . The jump trap does seem to work well on my board sets . The stoploss jumps I do use the pin . The victor round pan stoploss I do not use the pin , problem is there getting hard to find . The victor square pans are all laying on the bottom of some marsh after I got [Please excuse my language... I'm an idiot] of and threw them

Anybody know how much a 1.5 Pioneer trap co. long spring goes for? And lastly what about 1.5 long B&L stoploss?

I use round and square pan stoploss .If the square pan give you problems just turn them to round pans and I think it will take care of you problem . As for fasten the stoploss I keep as is and put a wire on them to a stake and it uct down on loss of traps from coon . ALso if a coon pulls the stake it becomes a drag in the weeds.I learn that from one person I use to trap near years ago and works fine for me .

Isn't the square pan a whole different design trap?

I have some 1.5 north woods stoploss but don't really like them ,but there still in the boat. The 1 north woods long spring is my best mink trap for edge sets . Really good on the female mink . It's also a square jawed trap .

Yes Hap, the square pan is a completely different design than the round pan.
There were several versions of northwoods stoploss.
When the Northwoods came out with the #1 1/2 stoploss,it was modeled after the B and L #1,I bought 8 dozen of them,but the stop loss spring was overly wide and would actually pass over small rats and female mink, without touching them.(more to follow--as time allows).
Tom

good stuff guys i dont have many i only have 1 square pan but the bail and spring where taken off can i buy the spring and bail of is it just better to leave it a #1 of should i put the bail and spring on

or better yet is there a way i can make them thinking of a rat trap spring and a piece of coat hanger

I just bought a dozen sleepy creeks- how did you like that delay mecanism on them? Seems to pull awfully hard to me.

so no one has tryed to make there own gaurd system

i never saw any, but im thinking they used to make an add on stoploss set up. it bolted or riveted to the base plate of your longspring trap. these were made a long time ago i think, some one else could probably clear this up.

You are correct. I have some for sale on the shed. I have used almost every type, and found I like the vic rd pan the best. So I have been selling the other types I have. If you get into the rythm of setting one kind and grab a diff style it kinda throws you off. lol

yes wynn, il ike the blake and lamb # 1 myself, and the the duke is a very close 2nd. i have to wax my dukes thats the only thing about them, if not t he spring will rust and not fire{stoploss}. but then wax that trap and they fire perfect.tried painting the spring and it helped for a while, now i just wax em.

Here are some of the old style, (top pic) is the add on style with rivited on base.(bottom pic ) Crimp on base, note that there is a Victor Giant in the bottom pic.