What are some good sets to make on a river for muskrats? I can't find any dens, water is to discolored to see them.I don't know what they eat in the winter time, there no plant life in the water.In the summer time there's plenty of cray fish but im not sure if they would eat them?I seen a slide which looked like the muskrats wentup on the bank onto the grass and eat some then slide back down to the water.Its been used alot so im going to set up on that in the next couple days.
Mike

Look for places where tufts of grass over hang the bank. If you can find a trail leading into the downstream side of this, set there. One other good set ( for me at least ) was to put a few drops of Muskrat gland lure on a stick set along the bank side. Set the trap just on the down stream side of this also.

I also used to use a slice of apple, stuck on the trigger of a 110. I'd just set it up under water in any place I though any passing rat would see it.

I may not be much help, but here goes. It's been a long time since I trapped rats. I trapped along a river, but I went out into the back waters and cut off oxbows where the rats made huts. Most of these waters had alot of vegitation like reeds in them. When it froze up enough to get out on the ice, I found the runs the rats made through the reeds in shallow (up to two feet) water under the ice. They leave nice clear paths marked with lots of bubbles. I would cut a slot across the path in the ice, wide enough to set a 110 connibear deep enought to block the path and so the spring wouldn't freeze. Tie a piece of wire to the spring coil and to a short stick above the ice. You can do this right outside the hut entrance too. I really caught alot of muskrats that way. There are others, but I never did any in open flowing water. Sometimes rats find holes under the river banks for use as homes instead of huts. Look for these too, you can trap them the same as huts. Good luck!

Rick

A really good set that helps on rivers that fluctuate up and down is the floating set. If you go to www.trapperman.com the have some great photos and some great info on rat trapping. Good luck. Fred

VarmintSniper308,
My most productive muskrat set on a river is as follows. I find a large clump of grass and sod that has caved away from a high bank. An overhang will work too. There should be a least one foot of verticle bank exposed on the down stream edge or underneath the overhang. (I prefer a couple feet of water to stake in also) I build a level shelf about 3-4" deep with my boot to bed the trap on, usually a 1 1/2 CS or 1 longspring. Place the stake as far out in the river as you can. If the water is shallow place a tangle stick too. Next, I break an ear of corn in half and shove a stick into the center of the ear leaving about 8 inches protruding. I then stick the bait 4-6 inches, angled upward a bit, directly above the water line and over the bedded trap. Last, I splash water on the bait and near the set to help eliminate scent.
This is my favorite set and I've been hammering rats since 1980 with it. All the rivers I've trapped had corn near by but I bet corn will work anywhere. It's a great visual attractant.

Good luck,
Chris

Thanks for all the help everyone.Zipedo, about the corn? Will that attract birds and ducks? I know the duck travel the rive just about everyday.
Mike