Live Well and Bait Traps
Original post made by Salvatore Palombo(Sal Jr) on August 23, 2004
LIVE WELL
Tools needed: Wire cutters, Rabbit Cage Pliers, Crimps, Wire cloth, regular pliers, one or two of those swimming pool noodles or guts from an old float vest, and a 6-inch hunk of a wire coat hanger.
Directions:
1) Cut 4- 24x16 squares, 1- 14x14 square out of the wire cloth and 2- 24x24 sections.
2) Take your rabbit cage pliers and crimps and connect your 24x16 squares together at the 16inch side edges. I find it easier to do all sides first because the top and bottom will help keep form as you go when you make it this way.
3) Take your 14x14 piece and cut the corners in 1 ½ inch on all sides, folding the edges over onto themselves so that your square is 11 inches on all corners. The reason for this is so you dont cut yourself getting in and out of the live well. The fold is all your hand ought to touch.
4) Take one of your 24x24 inch sections and cut a 9 inch by 9 inch hole in the middle or side- wherever you want the hole to be for the cage. Cut 1 inch of the edges of the hole there and fold them as well to make the hole a 10x10. I usually use pliers to flatten the folds so it looks better.
5) Crimp one side of the now 11 by 11 piece onto the piece you just made the hole for, lining it up so it fits with a one inch overlap on all sides.
6) Bend your hunk of hanger so it makes a hook with one side, put a half-loop in the middle of the piece for spring action, then make a small 90 degree L on the other end. Line up the wire hook you made on the top of the cage so that you can estimate where it will hook and what wires it will be supported by- Then crimp the wire between to loop and the L right onto the lid. The L keeps the wire from coming out of the rabbit crimps and the hook holds the lid to the cage top.
7) secure the 24x24 base and lid to the cage, open the lid, and stuff those float parts into the cage so that the cage will float alongside your boat or at the river side.
________________________________________ ___________
Crawfish trap:
Tools needed: Wire cutters, Rabbit Cage Pliers, Crimps, Wire cloth, regular pliers, and a 6 inch piece of a wire coat hanger. You will also need pieces of lead and something to anchor the cage to the floor of the river- otherwise ***** will rip it up.
Cut one 24 by 24 squares of cloth, one 24 by 34 square of cloth, one 10 by 10 square of cloth, two 24 by 2 inch cloth pieces, and four 24 by 8 inch pieces, and one 16 by 8 inch piece.
1) Take the 16 by 8 inch piece and make it into a cylinder. Crimp it together. This will be your can cage. You need this to keep ***** out of your bait can.
2) Take your 24 by 24 inch top and cut a 6 by 6 hole in it in the center. Cut back the edges an inch and fold it so that the actual hole will be 8 by 8.
3) Take your 10 by 10 inch piece and fold all 4 edges back by one inch so the edges are 9 by 9 with a neat fold on each side (I use pliers to flatten the edges well, but a hammer will do it just as good, I suppose) .
4) Bend your hunk of hanger so it makes a hook with one side, put a half-loop in the middle of the piece for spring action, then make a small 90 degree L on the other end. Line up the wire hook you made on the top of the cage so that you can estimate where it will hook and what wires it will be supported by- Then crimp the wire between to loop and the L right onto the lid. The L keeps the wire from coming out of the rabbit crimps and the hook holds the lid to the cage top.
5) Crimp the 2 by 24 inch pieces onto opposite sides of the 24x24 inch cage top. On the other two opposing sides, crimp two of your 24 by 8 inch pieces. Crimp those 4 edge pieces together.
6) Take your 24 by 34 inch piece and put a 90 degree bend in each side so that the piece is 24 by 24 with 5 inch wings standing on each end. 3 inches up from the base of those wings, curl the last 2 inches back toward the center of the 24 by 24 square. This will make the trap part where the crawdads cannot go back out of the cage once theyve gone up the ramp, and fallen in.
7) Take your other two 24 by 8 inch pieces and crimp one side of them to the wings you just made, just below where they curl. This will form the ramp that the crawdads crawl up to get into the cage.
8) Crimp the cylindrical can cage in the center of the base piece.
9) Crimp the top and base together.
10) To get the crawdads out, I just flip the cage over, and give it a shake. The fall thru the holes at the two sides. You can also customize a spare door to access the trap if you want to though.
________________________________________ ______________
Minnow trap.
Tools needed: Wire cutters, Rabbit Cage Pliers, Crimps, Wire cloth, regular pliers, and two whole wire coat hangers.
Cut one 24 x 39 inch section of cloth. Cut one 10 x 10 section of cloth, cut two 39 by 16 inch sections of cloth.
1) Wrap the 24 by 39 inch piece into a cylinder. Crimp it together at the seam.
2) Wrap the 39 by 16 inch pieces into two separate cones, making sure the minnow can squeeze into the cone but not back out. Crimp your cones together at their seams.
3) Take your 10 by 10 inch piece and fold all 4 edges back by one inch so the edges are 9 by 9 with a neat fold on each side (I use pliers to flatten the edges well, but a hammer will do it just as good, I suppose)
4) Take your big cylinder body and cut a 6 by 6 hole in it in the center. Cut back the edges an inch and fold it so that the actual hole will be 8 by 8.
5) Place your lid INSIDE the cylinder over the hold and crimp one end on so that your lid swings INWARD. The reason for this is so that minnows have less chance to escape.
6) Crimp your cones inverted into the cylinder's ends so that they point inward.
7) Unbend your wire hangers and weave them in and out of the edges of the cone-cylinder seam. This strengthens the seam. Cut off excess.
8) Use excess hanger bit as such: Bend your hunk of hanger so it makes a hook with one side, put a half-loop in the middle of the piece for spring action, then make a small 90 degree L on the other end. Line up the wire hook you made on the outside of the cylinder so that you can estimate where it will hook and what wires it will be supported by- Then crimp the wire between to loop and the L right onto the lid. The L keeps the wire from coming out of the rabbit crimps and the hook holds the lid to the cage side.
9) Make a handle out of other excess hanger. Attach where it is comfortable for you.
Anyone can email me for more info or the line drawings I suppose.... Good luck!
LIVE WELL
Tools needed: Wire cutters, Rabbit Cage Pliers, Crimps, Wire cloth, regular pliers, one or two of those swimming pool noodles or guts from an old float vest, and a 6-inch hunk of a wire coat hanger.
Directions:
1) Cut 4- 24x16 squares, 1- 14x14 square out of the wire cloth and 2- 24x24 sections.
2) Take your rabbit cage pliers and crimps and connect your 24x16 squares together at the 16inch side edges. I find it easier to do all sides first because the top and bottom will help keep form as you go when you make it this way.
3) Take your 14x14 piece and cut the corners in 1 ½ inch on all sides, folding the edges over onto themselves so that your square is 11 inches on all corners. The reason for this is so you dont cut yourself getting in and out of the live well. The fold is all your hand ought to touch.
4) Take one of your 24x24 inch sections and cut a 9 inch by 9 inch hole in the middle or side- wherever you want the hole to be for the cage. Cut 1 inch of the edges of the hole there and fold them as well to make the hole a 10x10. I usually use pliers to flatten the folds so it looks better.
5) Crimp one side of the now 11 by 11 piece onto the piece you just made the hole for, lining it up so it fits with a one inch overlap on all sides.
6) Bend your hunk of hanger so it makes a hook with one side, put a half-loop in the middle of the piece for spring action, then make a small 90 degree L on the other end. Line up the wire hook you made on the top of the cage so that you can estimate where it will hook and what wires it will be supported by- Then crimp the wire between to loop and the L right onto the lid. The L keeps the wire from coming out of the rabbit crimps and the hook holds the lid to the cage top.
7) secure the 24x24 base and lid to the cage, open the lid, and stuff those float parts into the cage so that the cage will float alongside your boat or at the river side.
________________________________________ ___________
Crawfish trap:
Tools needed: Wire cutters, Rabbit Cage Pliers, Crimps, Wire cloth, regular pliers, and a 6 inch piece of a wire coat hanger. You will also need pieces of lead and something to anchor the cage to the floor of the river- otherwise ***** will rip it up.
Cut one 24 by 24 squares of cloth, one 24 by 34 square of cloth, one 10 by 10 square of cloth, two 24 by 2 inch cloth pieces, and four 24 by 8 inch pieces, and one 16 by 8 inch piece.
1) Take the 16 by 8 inch piece and make it into a cylinder. Crimp it together. This will be your can cage. You need this to keep ***** out of your bait can.
2) Take your 24 by 24 inch top and cut a 6 by 6 hole in it in the center. Cut back the edges an inch and fold it so that the actual hole will be 8 by 8.
3) Take your 10 by 10 inch piece and fold all 4 edges back by one inch so the edges are 9 by 9 with a neat fold on each side (I use pliers to flatten the edges well, but a hammer will do it just as good, I suppose) .
4) Bend your hunk of hanger so it makes a hook with one side, put a half-loop in the middle of the piece for spring action, then make a small 90 degree L on the other end. Line up the wire hook you made on the top of the cage so that you can estimate where it will hook and what wires it will be supported by- Then crimp the wire between to loop and the L right onto the lid. The L keeps the wire from coming out of the rabbit crimps and the hook holds the lid to the cage top.
5) Crimp the 2 by 24 inch pieces onto opposite sides of the 24x24 inch cage top. On the other two opposing sides, crimp two of your 24 by 8 inch pieces. Crimp those 4 edge pieces together.
6) Take your 24 by 34 inch piece and put a 90 degree bend in each side so that the piece is 24 by 24 with 5 inch wings standing on each end. 3 inches up from the base of those wings, curl the last 2 inches back toward the center of the 24 by 24 square. This will make the trap part where the crawdads cannot go back out of the cage once theyve gone up the ramp, and fallen in.
7) Take your other two 24 by 8 inch pieces and crimp one side of them to the wings you just made, just below where they curl. This will form the ramp that the crawdads crawl up to get into the cage.
8) Crimp the cylindrical can cage in the center of the base piece.
9) Crimp the top and base together.
10) To get the crawdads out, I just flip the cage over, and give it a shake. The fall thru the holes at the two sides. You can also customize a spare door to access the trap if you want to though.
________________________________________ ______________
Minnow trap.
Tools needed: Wire cutters, Rabbit Cage Pliers, Crimps, Wire cloth, regular pliers, and two whole wire coat hangers.
Cut one 24 x 39 inch section of cloth. Cut one 10 x 10 section of cloth, cut two 39 by 16 inch sections of cloth.
1) Wrap the 24 by 39 inch piece into a cylinder. Crimp it together at the seam.
2) Wrap the 39 by 16 inch pieces into two separate cones, making sure the minnow can squeeze into the cone but not back out. Crimp your cones together at their seams.
3) Take your 10 by 10 inch piece and fold all 4 edges back by one inch so the edges are 9 by 9 with a neat fold on each side (I use pliers to flatten the edges well, but a hammer will do it just as good, I suppose)
4) Take your big cylinder body and cut a 6 by 6 hole in it in the center. Cut back the edges an inch and fold it so that the actual hole will be 8 by 8.
5) Place your lid INSIDE the cylinder over the hold and crimp one end on so that your lid swings INWARD. The reason for this is so that minnows have less chance to escape.
6) Crimp your cones inverted into the cylinder's ends so that they point inward.
7) Unbend your wire hangers and weave them in and out of the edges of the cone-cylinder seam. This strengthens the seam. Cut off excess.
8) Use excess hanger bit as such: Bend your hunk of hanger so it makes a hook with one side, put a half-loop in the middle of the piece for spring action, then make a small 90 degree L on the other end. Line up the wire hook you made on the outside of the cylinder so that you can estimate where it will hook and what wires it will be supported by- Then crimp the wire between to loop and the L right onto the lid. The L keeps the wire from coming out of the rabbit crimps and the hook holds the lid to the cage side.
9) Make a handle out of other excess hanger. Attach where it is comfortable for you.
Anyone can email me for more info or the line drawings I suppose.... Good luck!
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