# Outdoors > Fishing >  Eel trap

## veitnamcam

What have you got how did you make it?
Want to make something quick cheap and easy for the kids out of shit lying around. Ie free or cheaper if possible.

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## Toby

Have any chicken mesh? Cut a rectangle and make it into a cylinder. Make a cone and push it in backwards. Make a small door on the back and either cable ties or thin wire to hold it together. Chuck some meat into a sock and face it down current so when thet swim up they go right in. 

How I've always made it

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## madjon_

lace all the joins with s/s MIG wire,that should be free :Evilish:

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## veitnamcam

> lace all the joins with s/s MIG wire,that should be free


Yep got literally miles of that.

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## Ground Control

We used to fish for them on a pole with about 5 foot of line and some cat food ( Jelly Meat was the best brand ) inside a piece of pantyhose .
Their teeth get caught in the stocking and you just haul them out of the water .
I spent a lot of time as a youngster doing that .
Good memories  :Have A Nice Day:

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## veitnamcam

Yea i can catch them no worrys but with kids being in bed at 7 usually and it not being dark till 930 thought we could set a trap one evening and pick it up in the morning.

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## Ground Control

> Yea i can catch them no worrys but with kids being in bed at 7 usually and it not being dark till 930 thought we could set a trap one evening and pick it up in the morning.


I see where your coming from  :Have A Nice Day: 

Is this a catch and release situation or into the smoker scenario ?

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## veitnamcam

Might keep one.
Will have to hide it from the wife tho lol

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## Barefoot

Bait - Marmite in a 35mm film canister, cut a couple of holes in the sides of it.
DO NOT use vegemite.

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## Maca49

> Might keep one.
> Will have to hide it from the wife tho lol


Well don't put it in your pants!

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## veitnamcam

> Well don't put it in your pants!


She would never look there :Grin:  :Grin:  :Grin:

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## gadgetman

> Bait - Marmite in a 35mm film canister, cut a couple of holes in the sides of it.
> DO NOT use vegemite.


This is for VC. Use that stuff and he'll catch himself!

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## veitnamcam

Yep no danger of me using vegemite, might catch orstraylyins.

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## Spook

> Yep no danger of me using vegemite, might catch orstraylyins.


Or awe-struken-failures

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## gadgetman

Might make one myself, plenty of materials about here.

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## Ground Control

> Yep no danger of me using vegemite, might catch orstraylyins.


What ?







Ahhhhhhh     I get it now , we may be slow , but we're not stupid  :Have A Nice Day:

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## veitnamcam

Is that gonna be long enough or should i make two sections ?
Its 900,time i put a cone in it effective length will be more like 700.
I know eels swim backward into holes so if one say a meter long swims in its tail could be still in the entry and back out, or will it just get right in there regardless?

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## Barefoot

So long as your looking for the tasty small ones your fine. Its surprising how small a space they will go into.

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## veitnamcam

I just know there is big ones too.
No not under durvil hut jetty  :Grin: 

In all likely hood i would only keep one, but it would be cool to get some big Buggers for the kids to see.

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## Toby

Should be good. My one was about 3/4 that. For the door I cut a circle out and wrap the end in a garden hose by slicing the pipe. Stops it hooking on shit

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## Rushy

> Bait - Marmite in a 35mm film canister, cut a couple of holes in the sides of it.
> DO NOT use vegemite.


That has got to be the best use I have ever heard of for Marmite.

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## veitnamcam

> That has got to be the best use I have ever heard of for Marmite.


I demand a dislike button !  :Grin:  :Grin:  :Grin:

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## Rushy

> Should be good. My one was about 3/4 that. For the door I cut a circle out and wrap the end in a garden hose by slicing the pipe. Stops it hooking on shit


You should patent that design Toby.

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## Twoshotkill

Brings back some great memories of being a young we lad this thread. We used to do the same but used a whole chicken from the local farm... dip it in meths and burn most of the feathers off it, and in it went, our biggest ell was over 2m long and about 80mm diameter... completely destroyed out trap .

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## R93

A good mate of mine is a commercial eel fisherman. He always offers my son a net or 2 he doesn't use anymore. I will see if he will part with one.

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## veitnamcam

Yea the main motivation here is get the kids into outdoors.
I have been watching them turn into townies.(not their fault, its where we live:thumbdown :Have A Nice Day:

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## Gibo

Basic shape mate, cones at each end are even better.

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## veitnamcam

If that works with no cones then i can't fail!
Famous last words lol

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## Gibo

> If that works with no cones then i can't fail!
> Famous last words lol


It'l work but if left long enough they may get out.
Best bait for eels in my experience is well ripened beef liver  :Grin:  
Good luck, your kids will be hooked, or should i say hinaki'd  :Thumbsup:

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## veitnamcam

> hinaki'd


I can't say that let alone spell it lol.

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## Gibo

He nak ee spelt hinaki. Get your kids to do some research and make it more educational, then they will want you to make a flax one next  :Grin:

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## veitnamcam

They are in the nz educational system so can count and spell better in Moari than English.

I don't care what its called I will call it a trap, I just want my kids to catch some eels and have some fun doing it.

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## Rushy

Dead possum in the shallows and the old man's slasher was always fun.  Caught a lot of eels that way.

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## Gibo

> Dead possum in the shallows and the old man's slasher was always fun.  Caught a lot of eels that way.


Caught or butchered?  :Psmiley:

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## Kiwi Sapper

> So long as your looking for the tasty small ones your fine. Its surprising how small a space they will go into.


As the medical staff at a certain Hospital outpatients unit discovered recently.....................:>)

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## Gibo

> As the medical staff at a certain Hospital outpatients unit discovered recently.....................:>)


 :XD:  :Sick:

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## Rushy

> Caught or butchered?


I stand corrected Gibo.  Chopped the heads off of a lot of eels that way.

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## Dundee

Hows the progress?   The eels love hare legs to a quick wizz in the microwave before baiting the trap.

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## veitnamcam

Pretty much done.
Just got to lace the ends on.
Will just zip tie one end so can get them out.

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## Twoshotkill

Pics??

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## veitnamcam

Attachment 17145

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## veitnamcam

Its pretty Pissy galv mesh so don't think it will last long but should serve the purpose.

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## Rushy

It will catch eels and looking at the size of the mesh you may score some Koura as well..

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## veitnamcam

> It will catch eels and looking at the size of the mesh you may score some Koura as well..


Here's hoping!
Was actually thinkin of making some little ones for them.

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## Rushy

> Here's hoping!
> Was actually thinkin of making some little ones for them.


Do it. They are sweet little buggers. I like them a lot.

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## veitnamcam

Its in the water, river high and dirty so put it in a backwater.
Less than ideal but will see what the mornin brings.
Used a hare carcass for bait.

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## veitnamcam

Fail lol.
Bit slimy round the cone so maybe some boot laces had been in but got out.
Will give it another crack in better spot next weekend if river not up.

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## Rushy

What did you bait it with VC?

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## Dundee

Can't you read Rushy :Grin:

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## veitnamcam

Hare, i think the main problem is the spot i put it due to the conditions. Might make the opening a bit smaller to at least catch something.

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## mikee

We always used to use a tin of Catfood for bait (holes punched in the tin, of course)

What river??

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## gadgetman

Might have to knock one up this arvo ready for the holidays. There are some nice eels in the Wairau.

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## Chris

Think you need a few wire fingers to extend into the trap off the cone,other wise they'll swim out same way they went in.
Wire fingers then becomes all one way traffic.Beef bones or gravy beef in a mesh but need to tie the bait to the mesh or they'll just reverse out the whole with it. 
I just use a hand line, throw it out & tie it off to a tree or fence post.Lot less mucking round ,easy to carry. 
Put it in the other evening didn't get it tied off & had 1st eel hooked .Was like a can of worms in 10 minutes.(gravy beef.)
Got 3 was enough for a feed,then off to get a trout as well .

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## veitnamcam

Put it in last night in what i thought was a near perfect spot.
I used a jar of marmite as bait this time.
I had cut a sleave of a cotton shirt and sown a taper down it so opening was around 50mm dia and put it on the cone so they could push in but hopefully not out.
Got the kids up at 5am and went and checked it.
Nothin nada zip.
Who told me to use marmite  :Grin:

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## Toby

Never heard the marmite one before

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## Rushy

> Who told me to use marmite


Probably Nibblet. Dead possum VC. Go get some road kill.

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## veitnamcam

Yea I only used it because there is nothing in the freezer I dont want to eat at the moment.

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## R93

Marmite? One of my cobbers is a commercial eeler. He uses Pukeko's quartered or paua guts.
All his nets have a wing on them as well, to guide the buggers in.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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## Barefoot

> Who told me to use marmite


Me  :Psmiley: 
I'll fix the smoker this week then set the trap to show you  :Wink:

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## mikee

I could have save the 6 eels we caught yesterday if I had known. Slimy yucky things

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## veitnamcam

> I could have save the 6 eels we caught yesterday if I had known. Slimy yucky things


How on earth did you end up with eels? Were yet using marmite ? :Grin:

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## veitnamcam

> Me 
> I'll fix the smoker this week then set the trap to show you


I look forward to it.

What's it like just fryd fresh?

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## mikee

> How on earth did you end up with eels? Were yet using marmite ?


No, we were fishing wreck Willy Nilly off the cut. had 2  large 1/2 eels on on long line, set down one side and 1 live on on the one set the other side. Anchored directly over the wreck and caught 3 more. Well the other 2 guys did my fishing luck yesterday was the same as Dougies relationship with her car.

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## veitnamcam

Ah that makes more sense then.

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## Barefoot

if they are out of a good river then fresh fried is good.
irrigation ditches and the like tend to get smoked and sent north.
I find hot water best for cleaning off the slime.

It's just a smear of marmite in a 35mm film container with small holes/knife cuts.

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## mikee

> Ah that makes more sense then.


No worries, given the 1/2 of the 2 eels were over 10lb each on their own, there was a large bitey thing down thing there. Glad I/m not a swimmer

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## Barefoot

Smoker is now fixed so will put the net out tomorrow with marmite bait  :Wink:

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## P38

Barefoot

Pour some full cream milk upstream from your Hinaki.

Not too much ... a pint or so is enough.

Works well for me.

Smoked eel is delicious  :Thumbsup: 

Might have to put out my net this weekend....... got me hungry for some just by talking about it.

Cheers
Pete

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## Barefoot

I know the milk trick, but the marmite tomorrow is to show VC it does work . . . or get egg on my face.

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## veitnamcam

Never heard the milk one, why don't they just follow it downstream?

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## Dundee

> Barefoot
> 
> Pour some full cream milk upstream from your Hinaki.
> 
> Not too much ... a pint or so is enough.
> 
> Works well for me.
> 
> Smoked eel is delicious 
> ...


A maori bloke that fished for eels here taught us that one also :Thumbsup:

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## kiwi39

> No, we were fishing wreck Willy Nilly off the cut.


There's a wreck off the cut ??

I assume you're talking about the cut between the boulder bank and haul ashore ?


Tim

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## P38

> Never heard the milk one, why don't they just follow it downstream?


VC

The Eels downstream from your trap will detect the milk in the water and follow the scent upstream looking for the source and hopefully swim into your trap.

Cheers
Pete

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## veitnamcam

> There's a wreck off the cut ??
> 
> I assume you're talking about the cut between the boulder bank and haul ashore ?
> 
> 
> Tim


Yea, its a few miles out tho.

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## kiwi39

> Yea, its a few miles out tho.


When, what ?? First I've heard of it ....




Tim

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## veitnamcam

Yacht. "willi nilly"
Dunno when it sank but a fair while ago.

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## Barefoot

Eels will have to wait a few days, cleaning backyard this morning and something went ping. On the couch till Chiro opens on Monday by the feel of it  :Sad:

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## Gibo

> Eels will have to wait a few days, cleaning backyard this morning and something went ping. On the couch till Chiro opens on Monday by the feel of it


Nothing worse mate, rest up

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## Barefoot

It's my own fault, let myself get fat and lost the fitness, and this is the result.

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## Rushy

> Eels will have to wait a few days, cleaning backyard this morning and something went ping. On the couch till Chiro opens on Monday by the feel of it


Ain't old age a bitch when it creeps up on you like that Barefoot?  And here you are a relatively young fellah as well.

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## Dundee

I was going to suggest "take some concrete pills" :Grin: 


There you go I did :Have A Nice Day:

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## Rushy

> There you go I did


Master stroke Dundee.

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## Barefoot

> I was going to suggest "take some concrete pills"


Do I use them to weigh the trap down?  :Psmiley:

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## P38

> Do I use them to weigh the trap down?


 :Grin:  :Grin:  :Grin: 

Good to see you still got a sense of humour Barefoot  :Thumbsup: 

Hope ya shaggers back comes right soon  :Wink: 

Cheers
Pete

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## Dundee

> Good to see you still got a sense of humour Barefoot 
> 
> Hope ya shaggers back comes right soon 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Cheers
> Pete


loafing on the couch :Psmiley:

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## Rushy

Barefoot was it your upper or lower back that pinged?

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## Barefoot

Lower back is always my problem area, pretty much the connection to hips. My use of the word ping was probably a poor choice. I should be able to walk around alright tomorrow but bending over will be very silly - it's happened before.

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## Barefoot

> Ain't old age a bitch when it creeps up on you like that Barefoot?  And here you are a relatively young fellah as well.


It's not the years that are the problem, its the mileage.

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## Rushy

> It's not the years that are the problem, its the mileage.


Ha ha ha ha then it is the maintenance regime that could be the problem mate. Tell your wife that I said she needs to up the servicing frequency. Ha ha ha ha

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## Wirehunt

And she'll tell you the same thing he gets told.

Meat and rope, middle of the day doesn't really matter.

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## Barefoot

Set the trap last night on the way home with marmite as bait. Checked today with my boy - 2 small eels. So the catch was a bit light but shows that marmite does work. Pity then that my boy decided to untie the end of the net while it was still on the bank . . . .   :Sad:

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## Rushy

> Set the trap last night on the way home with marmite as bait. Checked today with my boy - 2 small eels. So the catch was a bit light but shows that marmite does work. Pity then that my boy decided to untie the end of the net while it was still on the bank . . . .


The impetuosity of your Barefoot.

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## Barefoot

I just think he didn't want to carry them back.

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## P38

Give the marmite a miss and give the milk a go Barefoot.  :Thumbsup: 

Remember to use full cream milk too.

The eels might get bigger or maybe just milkier  :Wink: 

Cheers
Pete

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## Barefoot

It's been a while since I did that trick so might as well. I had the trap set in one of the ditches so the eels are small but it means I can split them and smoke whole without difficulty.

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## veitnamcam

3rd time lucky.
3 small eels not worth pissing round with but at least the kids saw and touched.
Bait was bone tainted dog chewed pork.

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## EeeBees

Thank you Guys for all of this; might go and make a hinaki myself...used to catch monsters near my grandmother's home...she would cook them up for the chooks...smoked eel is delicious.

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## veitnamcam

> Thank you Guys for all of this; might go and make a hinaki myself...used to catch monsters near my grandmother's home...she would cook them up for the chooks...smoked eel is delicious.


Now i have satisfyed myself the trap actually works will have to set further afield and try and get some big ones.

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## Dundee

Way to go VC at least it wasn't marmite bait :Thumbsup:   Mind due that black shit is only good for eels as vegemite is the best :Nom Nom:

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## EeeBees

PROMITE RULZ, Dundee!!!    :Grin:  :Grin:  :Grin:

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## kiwi39

> Now i have satisfyed myself the trap actually works will have to set further afield and try and get some big ones.


Drop it in rotoiti next time you're up there : thumbsup:  :Wink: 


Tim

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## veitnamcam

Its not big enough for that :Grin:

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## mikee

I'll ask a man in the weekend that has a  good sized creek running thru his farm if you like. You might even guess where!!

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## veitnamcam

Was thinking one of the regions most popular swimming holes.
There's some big Buggers in there
 :Wink:

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## Chop3r

Try using a singed possum for bait, that works really well. Dont take the fur off, just give it a good singe up in a fire and toss it in the hinaki

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## veitnamcam

> I'll ask a man in the weekend that has a  good sized creek running thru his farm if you like. You might even guess where!!


Ask him if we can go hunting instead :Wink:  :Grin:

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