Drowning Rods

[briankroberts]

Ok what do you guys use for drowning rods?

How do you fasten the deep end?

What do you use for Locks?

Anything else??

Thanks ......B....

[primetime]

I made some at work the other day, but have yet to catch anything with them. I put them out and the water raised and my sets are under water. Will be trying them more next year.

What I used is a 8' section of 3/8" rebar on one end I welded a 1/2" washer on for a stop. I then slid my drowning lock on. The drowning lock was a piece of 1 1/2" x 2" x 3/16" angle cut to a length of 1". I drilled a 1/2" hole in the short side of the angle and a smaller hole to fit a J-Hook in far end of the 2"/long side.

Be sure when you slide the drowning lock on that the long end of the angle is pointing down towards the stop. That is the direction of travel.

Finally I welded a 1/2" washer on the 3/8" rebar about 18 - 20 inches down from the opposite end of the stop.

I used a J-hook to attach my chain to the drowner lock.

For staking I used a 24" 3/8" rebar T-stake. Worked good in practice, but like I said I haven't caught anything with them yet. I only made 2. I do not stake the deep end.

[rk660]

3/8 rebar works good for coon, i use the rods when I CANT stake the bottom end. I weld a big nut 18" down rebar, then shove up into bank till nut is about where top stake would be, stake down and other end goes into deep water. i weld a tee to bottom end to keep lock from falling off, for a lock I use a big piece of angle iron that I can drill a 1/2" hole in for slider hole, small hole for attacting trap w/ split ring or snap. beaver i'd go to 1/2 rebar.

[primetime]

My 3/8" are for Coon. I made some out of 3/16" for Mink - a coon would bend it. I'd also use 1/2" for Beaver, but I would think the 3/8" would work most of the time.

I'm not a good welder, but I had no trouble making these. The only thing that took some time was drilling out the 1/2" hole.

If I did it again, instead of using angle iron, I might try and weld 3 or 4 - 1/2" washers together, and then weld something else on those to make the angle. That way I don't need to drill the 1/2" holes. I know I could make something work.

[terminator1]

I use 3/8 smooth rods for beaver. I don't want any chance of my lock catching on the ridges of rebar. I use 2"x1" angle iron 1/4"thick for the locks. Rod is 8' long with a big washer welded to the top for stake and a nut welded 1' up from the bottom. great for soft bottom sets. not to good for rocky bottoms

[dj88ryr]

Mine are 3/8 smooth rod as well and 8' long. I have a bubble welded up about 18" from the bottom, the top has a loop for a T-stake. I use them for Coon, Beaver, Mink, Otter etc. You wouldn't want to carry them around, I preposition mine while scouting before the season.

[briankroberts]

Thanks for all the good input, I've never tried these and want lots of opinions.....B.....

[dj88ryr]

B they aren't nessasary for every set, but it really does give you lots of options when one is required. The other good part is, you can make and check your set, without having to get in the water, handy when the water is over your hippers or waders.

[musher]

There's something I'm not understanding here.

When I use rebar it's because it's faster and easier than using a stick. It's also less visible from a distance. I attach a drowning cable to the end of the rebar (8-10 feet long), poke it into the water as far and deep as I can, attach the other end of the wire to land near my trap, attach the trap to drowning wire and bingo.

From what I'm reading you guys do not poke the end of the rebar, that is in deep water, into the bottom. It remains free and the catch does not slide off due to a weld holding the wire end. You do fasten the opposite end near shore with a t-stake.

Since the "shore" stake can act like a horizontal swivel, what's stopping the catch from swinging the rerod and trap back to shore in an arc?

[17HMR]

Brian, I can tell you how not to build them. I built some out of 3/8 smooth and they didnt work. On the bottom I welded a nut for a stop, on the top I bent 14 inches a 90 deg and weled a big washer in the corner for a corner brace and stake hole and a smaller washer at the end of the 90 so I could have 2 stakes at the top and none at the bottom so I wouldnt have to wear waders to check traps. I put a few out and had coon in 2 of them on the first check, they turned the rods in to cork screws and had it all up on the bank with them. So I pulled them all and back to the shed with them till I figure out how to do it right.

[fishadict]

Would a small spade welded on the bottom end help in anchoring the bottom end, or is that not necessary? It would double as the lock stop.

fa

[dj88ryr]

The bottom of my rods are pointed, you drive them into the bottom, which also acts as a stop, the bubble is just in case. he loop on the top will accept 3/8" redrod T-Hnadle stakes about 18" long, they do not swivel with the end stuck in the bottom, I have not had any bent yet, even on 60LB. Beaver, everything is dead on the bottom.

[briankroberts]

I've always used No. 9 wire and a sandbag filled with whatever and it always worked well.
But a friend of mine started using those CDR's and there high dollar, he's using cable and after a catch of so its a mess, just looking for a better system without worrying about wire breaking and loosing a trap.....B.....

[rk660]

If you have a big enough hole in slider you dont have to worry about not sliding down the rebar, but it will lock much better than smooth rod. rebar is a little stiffer than comparable smooth rod and dont bend so easy. Think i was going to use a large washer next time for lock, bend 1/3 of washer to 90 degress so you dont bend thru the hole, then just drill one hole for trap attachment and use washer hole for drowning rod hole.

musher, what keeps from spinning around on mine is large nut welded to side of rod that stake can go thru, the stake pins it down so it cant spin and helps hold in palce, and, shoving remaining 18" above nut up and into bank anchors it, very solid actually since you are anchoring at 2 points. to clarify, you must shove into bank first then run stake down thru nut. they work flawlessly,I see no advantage to running a cable along rod unless your just bored and need something to do.

Brian, unless your wanting to drown in real deep water you cant reach, or, hardpan you cant drive a stake in, drowning rods are kinda clumsy to use. If you are just wanting a more secure anchoring w/o wire i would just go 1/8 cable slider with 2" pogo on bottom. I just use the rods when im forced to becuase of either of above conditions. They are pretty clumsy to lug around for all around use. ive got 15-20 stashed on high banks so i dont have to pack them around on rocky places i cant drive a stake.

Actually on large traps like the CDR Im pretty much have gone to 10' of chain staked at bank on beaver, think you actually hold more this way as they can move around and dont fight so hard at end of drowner resulting in pullouts or toeouts. I add a couple window weights or a rr tie plate about 2' down chain from trap. Just need to make sure they cant wrap chain around underwater limb.

[musher]

RK: Thanks. You've clarrified things. I would guess the t-stake and end of rod are about 24 inches apart since you shove 18 inches of the top into the ground?

My wire does not run parallel to the rerod. The rod is nothing more than the equivalent of a long stick to hold one end of the wire. I don't want the rerod near the beavers face when it works the set. Beaver aren't shy but ....

[briankroberts]

Thanks for all the relpys, Rich a friend of mine was talking about Dale using long chains and staking them high, sounds pretty good, may have to try that.....B....

[terminator1]

I lay my rod down my rod down flat so I see where the bank end will be. I then wade out stand the rod straight up and shove down as far as I can, like a 1' and still be able to stake it on the bank. rocky bottoms aren't to good.