Content

• Steps
• Tips
• Warnings
• What do you need

Fish traps are used to catch small fish, which are later used as bait for fishing in the sea or ocean. This method is legal for catching industrial fish such as catfish or stick fish. This article provides instructions on how to build a common trap.

Steps

1. 1 Determine the size of the trap depending on the size of the fish you plan to catch. Gudgeon or small bait fish can be trapped with a diameter of 30 cm and a length of 60 cm. Large catfish, carp or stick fish require a larger trap.
2. 2 Choose a shape for your trap. Most are rectangular, with a ratio of 1: 2: 4 (height: width: length), but cylindrical traps are also great if there is no current in the water that could cause the trap to roll and turn over.
3. 3 Choose the material from which you will make your fish trap. In Alabama, where fishing in this way is a centuries-old tradition, craftsmen make the best traps from slats of white oak, intertwining them with galvanized steel or copper wire. Since this method requires certain skills and experience, we will build our trap from fabric or wire mesh. The choice is now only for the size of the grid, depending on the size of the desired fish. For fish that will be later used for bait, a mesh with a mesh size of 0.6 cm or 1.2 cm is sufficient. Wire mesh is less expensive.
4. 4 Cut the mesh so that you can fold it into a box shape while overlapping the seam. A 30cm x 60cm x 120cm trap requires a 180cm x 120cm sheet of wire mesh.
5. 5 Measure out pieces of a sheet of mesh in widths of 30 cm, 90 cm, 120 cm, and 180 cm., and using straight pieces of lumber, make a 90-degree bend at each mark to form a box. Tie the box with plastic ties or cable ties.
6. 6 Cut another 30cm x 60cm piece of mesh for the back of the box and secure it with the same plastic ties.
7. 7 Form a funnel of mesh at the end of the box that you have not yet secured. The open funnel should be large enough for fish to swim into. The hole should taper towards the bottom. Secure this piece with a piece of wire so that you can remove this piece later and retrieve the catch.
8. 8 Place an onion or fruit net filled with your bait in the trap next to a rock or brick to anchor the trap. Tighten the funnel a little and you are ready to set the trap.
9. 9 Tie the trap tightly as you will pull the trap up when you want to check the catch. Take your entire trap, find a suitable spot, and lower it into the water.
10. 10 If you decide to check the catch, then you should pull the trap very slowly, as you do not know what may be in it.

Tips

• Do not throw your trap in the water if you decide to leave the catch. Pull it out and then decide what to do with it.
• Check the trap daily to make sure turtles, otters and other predators have not found, damaged or stuck in the trap.
• Use the appropriate bait for the specific fish you are trying to catch. Rabbit or cat food, cottonseed milk cakes, corn or Limburg cheese are the most common baits.
• Use a wire netting that is firm enough to conform to the shape you want and retain it, even if you have a large catch.

Warnings

• Mark the location of the trap. The laws of some countries allow fishing in this way, but require your trap to have your personal and contact information.
• Legislation in some countries impose restrictions on the size of the net used, the requirements for obtaining a fishing license, and the types of fish that can be caught. Check with your local Fishery Inspectorate or the relevant authorities.

What do you need

• Rabitz
• Sharp nippers
• Plastic ties
• Measuring tape
• Smooth bars for shaping