New Bait Trap

[shortpole]

Just finished building a new bait trap.  About time, I started this puppy last season.  Kept putting it aside but made up my mind last week to finish it.



Gonna drop 'er in the pond tomorrow to try it out.  Got 200 shiners in the tank now, I hope to get that each time I pull this baby.
Dimensions are 24" x 24" x 14" tall.  Made with 1/4" hardware cloth, welding rods, aluminum and steel wire, ty-raps and scrap tubing.  I have maybe $10 cash into it but I can't count the hours!
Good luck this season to everyone, stay dry.

Paul
 

[Tomcatt]

That thing is sweet,, add cheese puffs and some mint chewing gum , and its on,,lol

[maineduckhunter]

That thing is sweet,, add cheese puffs and some mint chewing gum , and its on,,lol

You forgot Wood Pellets!!

[Tomcatt]

 

[mainedukblaster]

how do the fish get in??

[shortpole]

"how do the fish get in?? "

Through the 4 vertical slots (adjustable width) - one on each side.  Bait (I use dog food) goes in the round tube in the center.  I saw a similar design somewhere last year.  I thought it was a big improvement on the round minnow traps at Wally World.  I'll post some results in a few days.

[jp]

wow !!!

paul you been holding out on me.     that's not much different from what i use now.

[shortpole]

wow !!!

paul you been holding out on me.     that's not much different from what i use now.

Jeremy - Your expanded steel trap inspired me to get off my butt and build something better than what I was using.
Hope to be seeing more of you beginning next month.  It would be good to come back, but it will put quite a crimp in my fishing this season.  Last winter ruled!

[jp]

I sure hope you have your ice machine making ice over your way. not much making around me.

[fishon--fishoff]

wow that puppy looks very durable...Nice job

[jp]

here is a pic of what my traps look like befor they hit the water this fall. not as fancy as yours but getting the job done.

[Tomcatt]

 

[FRESHBAIT]

NICE LOOKING TRAPS,   I remember someone on here showing a cloverleaf trap a while back.  These are similar in design  Do you guys find that you catch more with this style trap over the walmar gee minnow trap style

[Tomcatt]

I found out last year a black wal mart trap next to a vintage silver trap same size and shape the silver one beat the black trap every time?

[antlerdawg]

Nice work, I bet you catch more than 200 a soak with that beast though!  That'll fill up the bait tank!

[SilverSides]

I found out last year a black wal mart trap next to a vintage silver trap same size and shape the silver one beat the black trap every time?

I thought it was just me. Don't catch nearly as much in the black traps vs. the silver.

[PIKE FISHERMAN]

Great looking traps.

[FenDog]

Great looking trap. On second thought that is flipin' awesome....

How do you get them out of the trap? I'm thinking one door is going to be a bit challenging.

Around here people steal them often (I lost one already this year). At least with a beauty like that it would be easy to track down.

One more vote for silver here. Everyone I know catches less with black.

[fishingsurveyor]

Can you say patent
You just might be on to something there I dont think you can buy anything like that local

[TheOutdoorsman]

Nice looking trap!

[shortpole]

How do you get them out of the trap? I'm thinking one door is going to be a bit challenging.

In theory - haven't gotten it wet yet - with the trap on it's side, rotate trap until all the bait is in the lobe with the door.  Open door and pour into bait bucket.  The space between the slots and the bait tube is three times as wide as the slot openings.  Anything that can get in should slide around without difficulty.  I thought about a door in each lobe but I'm thinking this will be the way to go.  Not to mention 75% less work making doors and openings!

Going down to the pond to launch this beast now.  Plan is to soak it 24 hrs but with the relatives coming over tonight I imagine my young nephew's and I will have to check on it.  I may have to tweak the slot openings till I'm catching the size bait I'm after.   

[FRESHBAIT]

how did you attach your mesh to your angle iron.  I see alot of wire tires, wire, welding rod, but can't really make out how you attached the mest to the outside frame.  Get it to work and see how many you get.  I would like to see its results, also I hope your method of getting them out will work.  maybe just a opening in the top to get them out and dip em with a net. 

[ctibbetts]

Great minds think alike- I'm building one almost exactly like yours as we speak from a clover trap design I found on the net.  They do the door a bit differently.  Actually put kind of a double door on top.  The main door is almost as big as the top panel and lets you access the entire trap at the same time.  There is also a small door on top just for accessing the bait area.  I'm interested in how you did the angle/trim too.  I was debating putting some kind of edging on it myself.  Very nice.

[McIce]

That's what I'm talkn' about 
Great Job!

[trucker]

Holy cow that is a trap it looks like a palace for you bait very very nice work how often would you pull that Palace out

[shortpole]

how did you attach your mesh to your angle iron.  I see alot of wire tires, wire, welding rod, but can't really make out how you attached the mest to the outside frame.  

The trap is not attached to the frame anywhere, it was an after thought.  As I got close to completing the trap I began to worry about how well it would hold up to the abuses of use and how to attach lifting points.  I want my stuff to look and work 10 years from now as well as it does today.  I decided to build a frame that the trap would nest snugly into and I could remove it for maintenance as needed.  I used some 3/4" square thin walled tubing (rusted inside and out) from my junk pile and ground off opposite corners to make the angle stock I was after.  Cleaned it up and welded the bottom and sides of the frame first, set the trap into it and then made the top and welded it on.  Lifting points on the frame eliminate strain on the trap.  
All but the very top of the trap is sewed together using aluminum wire and wreath wire.  Just a few ty-raps to hold things in place while doing this.  Talk about a time consuming PITA!  Once I placed the mesh top on the cage I could no longer sew it together so I wound the UV resistant ty-raps to it.  I think this is the weak point to it but there's no strain on them and they are easy to replace if needed.  
I had to keep telling myself that this is just a prototype, the next one will look and function much better!
Thanks for all the comments and concerns.  As for the door, time will tell how well it works.  I gotta say tho that if it goes as designed I think I'll be off the ice and on to other things while some of these other ideas are still fishing around trying to get the bait out of their trap.
Peace on Earth and Merry Christmas!

[shortpole]

how often would you pull that Palace out

I tell myself I won't need to pull it more than once a week, but I know I'll have to talk myself out of checking it twice a day.  The pond is 300' from my door.  Been getting shiners up to 6" in my old trap - a black wally world special with the holes reamed out.  I never used to worry about getting pike bait, never had any use for 'em, but last season I caught a 20# pike while perch fishing and I gotta admit that was fun!

[TheOutdoorsman]

As far as the door to get fish out goes...I have built traps to catch larger fish, like trout (for research).  It is really convenient to have a large door on the top (often the entire lid of the trap) that can be lifted up to net fish out.  It looks like a large and sturdy enough design that it could be done with relative ease.  Just a suggestion for the next prototype.  It makes getting fish out really easy!   8)

[kezarking]

As far as the door to get fish out goes...I have built traps to catch larger fish, like trout (for research).  It is really convenient to have a large door on the top (often the entire lid of the trap) that can be lifted up to net fish out.  It looks like a large and sturdy enough design that it could be done with relative ease.  Just a suggestion for the next prototype.  It makes getting fish out really easy!   8)

 what do u research? how big the openings have to be for  legal trout to fit in?? haha

[APJ]

You forgot Wood Pellets!!

I'm telling ya, they do work..