Need help how can you catch otter's off a boat dock not going to land around dock.

varmit_master

New member
I need help I built 4 cages like a square bucket to but fish in and a 220 in to let down in water. I seen where a guy talked about a square bucket at 45 degree on bottom setting up put a rock in it a cd for flash and fish on top with a 220 in it catching them. Need help. Please
 
Sorry for the tardy response but I don't frequent the forum often. Here is a method for using a foot trap, if legal in your state, to catch otter in dock situation. A friend used to do this to catch over 100 otter per year in Western Washington before they lost trapping to the ballot box.

He makes an L platform from plywood, large enough to hold a #3 coilspring with the vertical side of the L long enough to get his trap about 8 inches under water. On the side of the L he puts a large finishing nail on which to hand the trap chain and a 5-10 pound weight. He always went closer to ten but thought five might work. He used old window sash weights if you can find them. He used enough extra chain or cable on the trap to get within a couple of feet of the bottom but not touch the bottom. The long end of the chain would be attached to the dock near the L.

A little otter or mink musk on the top of the L was all he used. Otter aren't not easily drawn to bait and I never had any luck with dead fish as bait. They do love to get out on docks though and much of my friend's otter work was in boat houses. I've used the method a few times and it works great. The otter swimming near the dock will smell the musk and when he investigates, the horizontal leg of the L will bump his chest causing him to put a front foot down in the trap.

Once trapped he'll lunge and pull the weight off the finishing nail and down to the end of the chain he goes. Do try to keep the L positioned so the otter cannot get wrapped up around an upright. Try to station it between the uprights or dock legs.

Good luck. Sorry for the crude drawing.

otter%20%282%29-XL.jpg
 
Good job Mart. Just curious....was the Washington trapper's last name "Skinner"? I once met a trapper in Oregon that specialized in boat house and dock trapping otters in Washington.

I also do a lot of otter trapping, and the set that Mart mentions should work like a charm. It is a version that some use on floats for otter with pretty decent success.
 
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