Make a Fish Trap

Fish traps are used to catch a variety of aquatic species throughout the world, including shrimp and lobster from oceans and catfish from lakes and streams. The basic trap is generally composed of wire or mesh with a funneled opening so fish can swim in but can't swim out. While a fish trap can be built easily and with little cost, it's important to only trap fish in areas where it's legal to do so. Some states completely outlaw the practice, while others might allow trapping in some waters but not in others.[1] Check with your local fish and wildlife agency before using a fish trap, but if it's legal to use them, traps are very easy to make.

Steps

Determining Your Needs

  1. Decide on the dimensions of your trap. The size of the trap will vary depending on the fish you hope to catch and the waters you plan to trap them in. Minnows or pan fish for bait can be caught in a trap {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} by {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}}, while large catfish, carp and suckers require a much larger trap. You also want to be sure your trap is not taller than the depth of the water if you plan to use it in shallow areas.
  2. Choose a shape for your trap. Many are rectangular, with a 1:2:4 height, width, and length ratio, but cylindrical traps work well if there is not any current in the water to cause them to roll and become fouled.
  3. Select the material you will use to build the trap. In Alabama, where trapping catfish is a long-standing tradition, craftsmen build the finest traps using white oak strips, woven together with galvanized steel or copper wire. Because such traps require considerable skill and time, we will look at building a trap with a wire mesh fabric or poultry netting.
    • The choice then, is the mesh size, determined by the size of fish you are trapping. For bait minnows, a hardware cloth in {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} mesh is fine. For suckers or carp, poultry netting (chicken wire) is less expensive.

Building a Fish Trap

  1. Cut 12 pieces of lumber to build a box frame. You will need four pieces the length of your intended box, four pieces of your intended height and four of your intended width. For example, a trap that is {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} tall, {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} wide and {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} long would require four 12-inch pieces of lumber, four 24-inch pieces and four 48-inch pieces. Larger or smaller traps would require the same amount of longer or shorter lumber pieces, respectively.
  2. Create a box frame with the 12 pieces of wood.[2] Arrange the pieces in the shape of a cube. First create two squares with the smaller lengths, with similar-sized pieces parallel to one another. After you nail the two squares together, connect them with the four longer pieces of wood, creating a box frame.
  3. Cut the wire mesh large enough to fold around the box.[3] Be sure you allow for some overlap at the seam. A {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} X {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} X {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} trap will require a sheet of wire {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} long and {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} wide.
  4. Fold the wire mesh around the longer sides of your box frame. Create a 90-degree corner around each slat of wood by folding the mesh around the outer corner of your frame.[2] Tie the two edges of the sheet together with plastic "snap ties" or light gauge wire.
  5. Cut another piece of wire fabric for one end of the box. The piece would be a 12 X 24 inches rectangle in this example. Secure the sheet in place with the same ties or wire you seamed the box in the previous step. A larger or smaller trap will require wire fabric equal to its width by its height.[2]
  6. Form a funnel to place at the other end of the box. Use the same type of wire mesh. The larger funnel opening should be large enough to attach it to the slats of your box, tapering down to leave an opening facing the inside of the box that is just large enough for your target fish to swim into the trap, but not escape.[2]
    • In this example, the larger side of the funnel could be a 12 X 24-inch oval, and the smaller end might have a diameter of only 5 inches, varying based on the size of fish you hope to trap.

Using a Fish Trap

  1. Bait the trap. Place an "onion bag", or mesh fruit bag, filled with your bait into the trap, along with a large stone or piece of brick to weight the trap down. Common bait used for catfish is chicken liver, corn or even dog food. Other fish species should be baited with food they find most attractive.[2]
  2. Secure the funnel. Instead of using zip ties, use wire that can be untied later to release or remove your catch, then retied for future use.[3]
  3. Tie a strong line, such as a twine rope, to the trap. The line should both withstand its time underwater and be strong enough it can withhold the weight of the trap and any fish inside. You will use the line to pull your trap out of the water when you are ready to check it, so it should be at least 15 feet long.[4]
  4. Place the trap. Take the whole apparatus, including the bait inside, to the fishing hole you plan to place it. Then simply drop the trap in the water in your chosen location. Secure the other end of the rope on the bank.[4]
    • An ideal spot for a catfish trap will have little current. Choose a protected spot in a slow-moving river, a large pond, or the edge of a lake.[4]
  5. Periodically check the trap. Pull the trap in slowly when you decide to check it, keeping in mind you never know what will be inside it. At the least, check the trap daily to make sure no turtles, otters or other predators have discovered it and either damaged it or gotten trapped inside.



Tips

  • Do not abandon your trap if you give up this effort. Remove it and dispose of it when you are finished.
  • Use a wire mesh that is stiff enough to form to the shape you choose and that will remain rigid with a substantial weight of fish in it.
  • Use a suitable bait for the fish you are trapping. Rabbit feed pellets, cat food pellets, cotton seed meal cakes, corn bread, or Limburger cheese are common trap baits.[3]

Warnings

  • Mark the location where you set your trap. Some jurisdictions will allow you to trap fish, but require either your license information or name, address, and phone number to be tagged on your trap.
  • State laws vary on the size traps, licensing requirements, and types of fish you can trap. Check with your local fish and game department for specific regulations where you are fishing. Do not use a fish trap in illegal waters.

Things You'll Need

  • Scrap or small lengths of lumber
  • Hammer
  • Small nails
  • Wire mesh fabric
  • Wire snips
  • Plastic ties or flexible wire
  • Measuring tape
  • Mesh onion or fruit bag
  • Bait
  • Strong line or rope

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.oldschoolfishingsecrets.com/catfish/catfishingtraps.htm?gclid=CjwKEAiA64uyBRCVmKyT2vuAjzgSJADfINB65MAreSkrABXmZ9kSn-hGpu4U69tUXf0vjdrUHQtmzhoCwq7w_wcB
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 http://www.fao.org/docrep/004/x2590e/x2590e07.htm
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 https://nogreaterjoy.org/articles/making-a-fish-trap/
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 https://www.trails.com/how_32865_use-catfish-traps.html
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