ignorant as ...

[Cutbait]

How do you use a ring trap? Thanks, Cutbait

[mikie]

Attach bait to center of netting - when you check the trap you have to keep pulling rapidly until you get the trap to the boat.
Only thing that keeps crab in the trap is the water pressure pushing against them as you pull the trap.

[Cutbait]

Thank you. Do y'all attach a float like you do with pots? Could you tie it to the pier? Is this an effective method? Never used one, will try this weekend and report, Cutbait

[Crabslayer]

Cutbait, you can tie to a pier, but I would add a small float like the kind used for surf fishing to the string just above the trap. If you don't you will flip the crabs out when you go to retrieve the trap.

[Cutbait]

trap must stay on the bottom,right?

[Crabslayer]

Cutbait originally wrote:
trap must stay on the bottom,right?


Correct. Some will use small lead weights to hold bottom as current will sometimes have an effect on the trap. You may want to look into topless traps as they stack and will last longer.

[crow]

I've never had any luck with them.

[C Sollers]

A buddy of mine uses 8 or 10 gauge single strand copper wire for the lines to the ring. They provide weight , stay up out of the way( to reduce crab flipping syndrome), and fold down for storage. Although the rings may not be the best way to go, this set-up works well.

[rgminer]

I don't think you can successfully use ring traps with floats like cage traps. The floats tend to lift the rings up off the bottom a bit making it hard for the crabs to crawl into get at the bait. They could swim in, but in my experience, they don't seem all that excited about swimming into a netted ring....

Ring traps are great for still crabbing from off a pier or maybe a well anchored boat...