Do you think a 10lb plate is heavy enough to keep a coon in place or real close to where it was caught. Planning on putting about 3-4 feet of cable on to attach them to the traps.

Not unless it gets hung up in weeds or rocks or brush. In an open field a big coon could drag it a mile. Plus you never know when you'll catch something bigger.

Not enough weight it may pull it up a tree.

Not sure what they weigh but I've caught a bunch in DP's wired to a RR tie plate. I never had one go more than a couple feet.

I would feel a lot better bout a 20 lbs.

With 10 lbs eventually you'll spend the day searching instead of trapping

This is correct

Yup, when an otter or a beaver gets attached to one.

Been there; done that...no more.

Only if you bury it 2 ft deep!

I fastened a Victor 1 1/2 coil by the chain to a wooden pallet sitting along the shore. The next morning everything was missing. A large boar coon pulled the pallet along the shore about 100 yards. They are strong animals! If it's deep enough, I would use a slide wire with a drowning clip staked in deep water. Or, I have used Pogo anchors with DP traps too.

If your considering carrying around 10lb metal plates I believe I would go to some type of drag. They will snag up faster and the animal won't be far from the set. Lighter and easier then 10lb plates.


B

If there is snow, drags work well. Maybe I'm a poor tracker, but if I have a large trapline, I don't want to spend a lot of time searching for a coon. Pogo anchoring system or something similar will hold the largest coon.

Had a coon caught in a pasture tile that dragged a 1.5 coil with long chain on a railroad plate downstream at least 50 yards before tangling on the cattle fence under the bridge. NEVER again!!

Just out of curiosity, you guys that use railroad plates, do you think a short chain is better or a long chain? Is it easier for them to drag it if they can get a lunge? Seems to me, with a short chain, it would be harder for them to drag the plate because they have to apply constant pressure to drag it whereas with a long chain, it will move a little each time they hit the end of the chain. I just got a lot more RR plates and I think I’m gonna use some for coon trapping this year too instead of just mink.

A long chain has a better chance to tangle, If there's anything to get tangled in.

This. Give 'em enough rope, they'll hang themselves. LOL

I have used some 10lb weights before, but I added (2) 12" sections of all thread with a big nut on the end to help "dig in" and get hung up.