My Turtle Traps

[indianacoon]

Here are some pictures of the turtle traps I make. They are made out of thick, plastic covered metal screen.

This is just a picture of one of them. The demensions on mine are 10 inches tall, 2 feet wide and 3 feet long.



In this picture, you can see the door is at a slant, like a colony trap.




In this second picture, you can see a hole in the door.The hole is there because the turtles will go around the trap, bumping it's head against the trap intill it's head feels a way to get into the trap.

When they find out how to get into the trap, the door opens like this.


I just wire remains of fish I catch in the back of the trap. I am trying to make a bait box that is connected to the back of the trap so that a turtle can't eat the bait and I have a chance of getting more than one at a time. I have had 1 problem with these traps, on one I cut the door a little to short and had one get away. What do you guys think about my traps?

[happersilderness]

Thats 100X better then my hunk of junk lol Except I'm used to a different door system

[dtraper]

You made them 10in tall-so that means the water can only be what 8in deep??-D-

[dtraper]

Nice job on the trap-D-

[Forrest]

I have use wire traps similar to that one but I make mine with a ramp on the bottom so when they are caught they do not block the door for the next turtle. You could ziptie noodles to the sides and use in deeper water... I have since went to using 100% hoop nets as I can fit 50 of them comfortably in the boat where I am lucky to fit 15 cages....
Using a bait cage or bag will defiantly be in your best interest so turtles are not trying to work it from outside the cage..
Looks good let us know how it works next year!

Might look into some hogrings, those zipties are ok for temporary but snappers will really work your cage hard when caught and eventually break them...

[Pasadena]

Forest, do you have a pic of the hoop traps you use?

[indianacoon]

Thanks Forrest! I have used these before, and I have caught about 13 in them. D, I put the traps in the water deep enough to where the bait is a little under the water, but to where you can still see it whille your walking up to it.

[dtraper]

indi -was just wandering,with that tight of mesb about drown outs if its under water-but since reading your answer-0k-D-

[Forrest®]

INCOON I don't have a market for dead turtles so I have to have my traps above water..

Pasadena All my traps are put up for the season these are the only pics I have...

I can fit roughly 50-80 traps in the boat at a time...

[indianacoon]

Forrest, I set these traps deep enought to where the fish is barly under the water, but shallow enought to where the turtle can get its head abouve water easy.