There is a never ending supply of catfish in just about every major body of water in the country. There are multiple methods you can use to catch catfish. Catfish are one of the most durable and prolific species of fish found in the U.S. They are not difficult to catch and can be a great source of protein. In some states, it is legal to recreationally trap catfish. If you live in a state where it is legal to trap catfish, I highly recommend you give it a try. We all know the corona virus has created many concerns, one being a possible food shortage. You can put you fears to rest if you learn how to trap catfish.
In this post we will talk about setting catfish traps. We will share some tips and methods on how to be successful when using wire net traps and slat traps but first, let discuss the two different types and the pros and cons of each.
Wire net catfish traps.
Wire net catfish traps are basically slat traps made out of concrete wire and net. However, they have many benefits over the traditional slat trap. The structure of the trap is made out of concrete wire formed in to a cylinder. Typical sizes are usually two feet wide by five feet long. Wrapped around the wire is netting that contains the fish. The netting will have first and secondary throat to guide the fish into the trap.
Benefits of wire net traps
The number one reason I prefer using wire traps over slat traps is weight. I typically run traps alone. One person can easily handle setting and pulling wire traps. They are a fraction of the weight of a traditional slat trap. This means you can carry more in your boat without the fear of overloading your boat. They are very simple to set.
Wire net traps also have less maintenance than a slat trap. Typically the only maintenance you will find in fishing a wire net trap is the occasional tear in the netting.
Perhaps the biggest benefit to using wire traps is the fact, one person can pull a full trap out of the water. Slat traps can be cumbersome and extremely heavy when loaded with fish which can be dangerous and difficult for one person in a boat to handle.
Slat traps
Slat traps are an old proven tool used by countless commercial fishermen each year to harvest catfish. They can also be used by recreational fishermen is some states as well.
Slat traps are made of wooden slats spaced evenly along the length of the trap. Typically there are two throats made of wood that will allow the fish to enter the trap. The design is pretty much identical to the wire net trap.
The biggest drawback to using slat traps is the reoccurring maintenance caused by fish damaging the thin slats of wood on the throats.
Another drawback to slat traps is the fact they are made of wood. Unless you attach weights to the trap, you will have to let new slat traps soak and become water logged before they will stay on the bottom.
Benefits of slat traps
Slat traps are proven. They have been around for decades in some shape or form. They catch fish year after year. Based on my experience, seasoned slat traps seem to catch fish quicker than wire traps. Because the wooden slats created a dark whole on the inside of the trap, I believe catfish are more comfortable entering slat traps when compared to net traps.
HOW to set the traps
I have used both types of traps over the years. Whether you decide to use slat traps or wire nets traps, setting the traps is pretty much the same. I use the same methods for both types of traps with equal success. Slat traps and net traps use the same basic design to catch fish. The key to success is location and proper bait placement. If you will find the right location and place your bait in the correct area of the trap, you will be successful regardless of which type of trap you choose to fish with.
Choosing a location
The location of a trap placement will largely depend to the type of body of water you are fishing. However, one thing I always like to look for is current. The type of current I’m looking for is slow steady current not extreme fast moving.
The mouth of slews and tributaries where fresh water is dumping into a larger body of water is also a great place to set traps. Sharp creek bends with depth are also great places.
When fishing creeks and rivers that seasonally flood, look for current in flooded timber near the edge of the actual creek channel. The early spring rains create a great opportunity to fish areas that are hard to access during the other times in the year. Flooded timber with current is also great for trotline fishing as well.
When fishing lakes, I like to fish near a creek channel and in the mouth of a creeks or slews. Lakes can be tricky. It might take several sets in different locations before you find fish. Don’t get discourage if you are not successful the first few times you check you traps on a lake. The first time I ever set traps on my home lake, it took nearly a month before I found the fish. However, once I found a hot spot, I would find my traps full every time I pulled them out of the water.
Like any type of fishing, location will largely influence your results. Time and patience are key to finding where the fish are. If you do not have success after a week of letting your traps soak, move onto another area. Keep searching until you begin to catch fish consistently. Once you find a good spot mark that spot for future sets. I have found year after year the same spots seem to always produce good results.
The two ways to set the traps
vertical position horizontal
There has always been a large debate it seems on how to actually positon traps. Some fishermen like to have their traps sitting horizontal on the bottom of the lake or creek. Others, like to hang their traps vertical. Both methods work and both methods are effective. However, the way you should position your traps will largely depend on where you are fishing.
Horizontal position
Positioning traps horizontal works well in creeks and flood water where the water can be rather shallow. I typically set traps in creeks in the spring when the creeks are out of their banks due to spring time rains. Some of my best spots are where the water is under 5 feet deep. However, the creeks I typically fish are no deeper than 8 to 10 foot for the majority of the year. So, horizontal sets are the best way to go. When setting a trap horizontal, always set the entrance facing downstream. If you place the entrance facing upstream, you will catch debris instead of fish. Fish will approach a trap from the downstream side nine out of ten times so, position the trap entrance where the fish will come in contact with the entrance first.
Vertical position
I have found on lakes, the vertical position works the best. To be honest, horizontal sets are the most capable set you can use when fishing traps. There are a couple of reasons why.
#1 Your bait will say in the optimal position.
#2 You will not have to worry about positioning the entrance of the trap downstream because the fish are able to freely swim under the trap.
I like to hang my wire traps off stumps in the vertical position about three to four feet below the surface. Fish can easily swim up in the trap if the bait is properly positioned in the trap. This leads us to our next topic which is, how to position the bait in a wire net and slat trap.
How to properly position the bait in a catfish trap
Before we get into how to position the bait, let’s talk about the different types of bait commonly used to attract catfish. Of course the most popular is cheese. You can use cheese blocks that have been aged or you can use the more common rotten cheese that resembles a liquid form. Both work well however, there are a few things to consider when deciding on which to use.
Dry cheese blocks vs spoiled liquid cheese mix
Dry Cheese blocks typically consist of cornmeal mixed with old spoiled cheese. Cheese block are my favorite to use simply because there is less mess and they are much easier to handle. There is little smell and the blocks will stay together for long periods of time under water. You can simply place a cheese block in the trap and forget about it.
The liquid-like spoiled rotten cheese seems to attract fish better than dry cheese blocks. However, the smell alone is enough to run you out of the boat. It is nasty to handle and will require you to pour it into a bait bag or sock. If you do not place it in a bait bag, it will simply dissolve and exit the trap as the water washes it downstream. Another reason I do not use the liquid-like spoiled cheese is the fact that it can get into your boat and the putrid smell will absorb into the metal of your boat.
Placing the bait in the correct spot in the trap
slat trap throat 
wire net throat
The biggest mistake made by people fishing with catfish traps is placing the bait in the back of the trap. I know common sense will tell you to position the bait in the back of the trap so the fish will swim through the throats to get to the bait. This is simply not how fish traps work.
You wand fish to feed around the throat of the trap. When fish feed around the throat of the trap, they will inevitably swim into the trap. The first throat is designed to encourage fish to swim into the front section of the trap. When a number of fish are feeding, they will begin to force each other through the secondary throat which captures them. I know this might sound crazy but trust me, you will catch way more fish by placing the bait near the entrance of the trap.
Summary
I hope this article will help you guys that are interested in using catfish traps. However, another great method for catching bigger catfish is by using a trot line. You can find a great deal of information here for catching catfish on a trot-line. Another popular way to trap large catfish and large numbers of catfish is by using a hoop net. That is for another post. Check back with us at Americanhuntingsafari.com for an upcoming post dedicated to setting hoop nets.
Wire nets and slat traps are extremely effective tools for catching large numbers of catfish. If you do not have the time to go fishing every day, you can let traps fish for you while you are at work or busy with everyday life. Just remember to be responsible when using traps and always dedicate time to routinely check them. Always us ethical practices when using catfish traps.
Make sure to check your local fishing regulations before setting catfishing traps. Fish trapping regulations vary for each body of water. It will be up to you to know the law and understand how and when you can use catfish traps. They are not legal to use in every state and often permits are required for use of recreational catfish trapping. In most if not all states, fish traps are prohibited to be used for catching game fish such as Bass, Crappie and Bream. If you would like some tips on locating and catching bream we have a post here that will help you out.
If you guys would like more useful tips and tricks for fishing check out our fish category on our blog drop-down section. We also share tips for hunting and cooking wild game at Americanhuntingsafari.com
We hope you guys will find this post useful. Please come back to see the latest tips and tricks we love to share at Americanhuntingsafari.com Good luck and thanks for reading.