Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Trapping Muskrat floats

I built some floats last year with 2 #1 longsprings on them. The traps sit perfectly on them barely submerged. I tried mud and cattail roots, apples and corn as bait but couldn't get a single rat to touch them. How do I get these things to work?

I used to catch a ton of rats with the very same set up. Used apples for bait.

I'm not even sure you need bait. Muskrats just like to get on these floats and hang out. You sure you got rats there?

For one thing, the 'rat's are seemingly far and few between, I'm seeing fewer and fewer all the time.
There is some speculation as to why the numbers are down, but I don't know what the final conclusion is... However, it's not due to trapping.

Floats are especially effective in the spring when 'rats are running. That is, when they are looking to mate.
At this time, the mating season, "bait" is not necessary, however, a little 'rat gland lure won't hurt.

If you'll take some time and look at the floats that nuisance trappers are using to catch 'rats in such places as golf courses, and such, you can get a picture of one type of effective set.

I like the "float set" in a 6" x 20" piece of corrugated black drain pipe, suspended with high density float along both sides (if the water level is bound to rise and fall-if not, forgo the foam). A 1" hole drilled through the top and bottom (center) will allow a piece of Alder to be pushed down through the "tube" and into the bottom. You can wire off to that alder IF there are NO beavers in those waters, otherwise, I'd suggest an anchor of some type apart from the alder. If the water doesn't fluxuate, just wiring to the center stake will allow you to keep that pipe about 1/3 submerged so the 'rat merely has to swim on in.
A notch in each end along both sides will allow the end of the tube to open like a mouth to "clamp down" on a 110 body-grip which will in turn guard the entrance.

'Rats cannot refuse to investigate a hole.

...you get the idea.

There are definitely rats here. Central IL farm ponds and a big creek. I can't figure out why they wouldn't touch my floats. I'll build a tube float and give that a try. Due to the drought, our rats are denning deep. When the water comes up, they will be out of reach to set the holes by hand.

Any other farm pond muskrat trapping ideas?

Here in New York (Where I've done most all my trapping since a kid) it is not legal to set over holes or even within 5' of a 'rat house.

Edges are a good place to set. Say that there is a cattail stand or grass bed that they enjoy feeding at. They'll skirt the edges from feed bed to feed bed and as they do they stick close to the edges. Often you can find (or make) a "mound" out from shore and set a body grip right between the mound and the shore.
Also, a post can be driven into the mud out from where they have to swim around a little peninsula or out-cropping. That post only has to be 1" in dia or so and can have brush/sticks running from it toward deeper water as a blockade which will discourage them from swimming around the set rather than through it.

If you find a mound or build one, be sure to set on that mound also. You can also build up a false shelf around the mound for them to 'step on in order to climb up on the mound - obviously set a trap on the 'step.'

First, floats seem to work well in certain regions of the country, and then others have the same experience as you.

Second, floats do not work as well in the middle of a bare water pond as they do in mixed cattail sloughs. I'm not certain why, but I would suppose has to do with what the muskrat is naturally doing in those locations (swimming from one side to the other vs. looking for a place to pull out).

Third, if the muskrats want to use the floats, any of the baits you listed will easily catch them (or use none at all, they just like to climb on board).

This is float country up here (by the hundreds or even thousands) but they don't work well everywhere.

Well said, DD

I really only want to add that visualizing this "natural doing" in the world of the 'rat is a good practice followed by questioning.

For example; "What is that rat doing in that cattail slough, and why, and how, etc..?"

If the water is deep and they are feeding there, then it stands to reason that they's "appreciate" a resting place upon which to feed once the cattail root is unearthed. Play upon that.
If it's spring, and they are looking for mates, build that 'float' into a dry mound upon which they both can climb upon.

Muskrats are wonderful little animals.

Any log or hummock that protrudes into the water is a natural resting spot for muskrats. Look for rat chit, which is not hard to find if you are in rat country. Any place you find it is a good set location.

Set your foot trap just below water level and stake you chain in deep water.

I did alot of river trapping and would use floats when the shore line would start to ice. Mine were triangular and I would set two traps on the open downstream end and use apple for bait. Had to anchor them well as I'd catch a couple of beaver in them every season. I used 1 1/2 coilsprings on them and would catch rats, coon, mink and beaver on them.

Bank hole were always good rat, mink and coon getters. Caught a lot of rats when baited with rat carcasses.

The other thing I didn't mention about the "floating tubes" is that they don't catch ducks like the leg hold "raft" type do.

A quick and effective set we often made was fabricated by simply using our boot to create a slick or trail (2-3 feet) out of the water where there was rat activity. Then we just pressed our heel into the mud at the edge of the water and set our trap under water in the heel mark. The trap weight was thrown into deep water.

This will take mink too, but is no match for a pocket set, which were constantly tied up with rats when our target was mink.

For reasons I do not know, we had troubles getting floats to work too.