setting sandbars

[conibear]

Just wondering if you guys have any sets you would try on rivers were there are lots of sandbars. I've tried buckets, pockets, and snares on the edges of the sandbars, and had fair succes. Just wondering how the coon cuffs, or the Lil Grizz Get'rz coon traps would work, and the sand bars are really big on the river I trap.

[RiverRat]

Pockets are my best bet, location is number 1 it anit the set or type of trap if the critter anit there you anit gonna skin it.

[Bristleback]

Use a "fish stick set" when you do not have a verticle bank..........like a sandbar with lots of coon tracks and no bank.
Killer set, Bristleback

[conibear]

Bristle.Thank you for the input but exposed bait is not legal in Minn . thank you agian

[RiverRat]

wrap the fish with grass to make it leagle sp?

[ADC]

In place of the fish on a stick you could use a piece of PVC I like 1 1/2" diameter 18-20" long. stick it in vertically a foot from shore and place a trap or two between it and the bank. Place your bait inside the pvc. It is highly visable but that visability attracts the coons too. I'm assuming you aren't too concerned about theft or you wouldn't want to use a griz getter either. I think the coon cuffs would work but I'd try to see if the sand will fill in them. if all else fails lay a good sized piece of drift wood along the sand bars edge and stick your bait under it. or sandwich your bait between two rocks in the edge of the water guarded on two sides with your traps.

[conibear]

ADC thanks for the input I'm going to try alot more pvc sets on the river this fall. Thanks agian guysfor your help.

[Snareman]

That pvc set works good. The white is a universal color to predators... maybe because it's such a loud color or resembles patches of feather, fur or bones. If you use the pvc set, push it in at a slight angle facing the shore and either stick a tight wad of grass in there or some insulation. Jam it in a few inches from the top, then stick your bait on this or without it, it can slip all the way down the tube into the water rendering it less useless. It also helps to have some holes drilled from various angles on it to allow for better scent dispersal. Have trap(s) between shore and land about 4" from a spot that represents where the exact underneath of the pvc lip would be for front catch. You could solid stake or use a drowner to deeper water.

As kid starting out, my uncle & dad taught me the "fish on a stick" method. As mentioned above, you can wrap it with grass to make it legal. It helps to strategically grab sticks ahead of time, jam the bait on the stick and wrap with grass ahead of time, then store in a bucket. That way you only have to find locations, pull out a bait stick, add some lure, anchor trap(s), set them and you're in business. The bait could also be like a chunk of muskrat, etc. It does work for mink too.

Both the pvc and bait on a stick work on land.. If the water level remains consistant, you could make conventional dirt hole sets as using some backing that stands out or helps make the coon work the set from the front side. Problem with fish and land sets near shore is that they're prone to take skunk too if they're around, but if you extract the gland, then it't not so bad. Get in a habit to hang snares in access routes to and along the water. I don't have many coon around here, so I have to really maximize each trip in by gang setting and it usually consists of everything in the book... foot holds, pit falls, conibears, pungee sticks, landmines, grenade traps, dead falls, dog proof traps, claymores and snares(LOL!).... all saturated in areas to get the first time through... or least as many as I can in those first few days before frost, ice and cold weather.

Go get 'em.

Snareman

[SteveCraig]

Johnny Thorpe taught me a set some 25 years ago called the "slick-up" set. Sand bars and flat areas are the best place for the slickup set. John just put this set on his mink and otter videos.
Steve

[ADC]

Steve shed some light my friend. What is this slick-up to which you refer? It's not nice to get up our curiosity then leave us hanging.

[Bristleback]

Conibear.........get creative.......don't have to use "fish" try "lure"..........wrap a bit of cloth with lure, sheeps wool, cotton.........you get the idea.
Caution on the PVC set........yes it's a good coon set, also attracts the Thieves too........which is why I will often times run a version of the "fish stick" set......stop at a bridge and look over and you can pick out the PVC sets.........try to find a very sly set with only a stick coming out of the water with some good coon lure on it and a shot of fish oil on the bank, place the stick only about 3-6" out of the water.........at the coon's nose level. The key for me in harvesting a nice coon catch is gang setting and when you do gang set and the thieves come out, it forced me to get creative. Yes the PVC set is a good coon set, but just understand often times more than just the coon are seeing it. Hope this helps some, Bristleback