Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Primitive Skills => Topic started by: Dalton Knapper on May 01, 2014, 04:28:15 pm

Title: River Cane Fish Trap
Post by: Dalton Knapper on May 01, 2014, 04:28:15 pm
Check out this fish trap I made from river cane. I'm 5' 10" tall and the trap is bigger than me by a long way. I think there are 44 staves 3 outside cane hoops (and one from jute) and two inside hoops. The funnel is tied in so fish can be removed. It was a lot of work!

(http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss187/benhenry007/DSC05400_zpsd5ff2f66.jpg)

(http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss187/benhenry007/DSC05399_zpsf9e633ab.jpg)

(http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss187/benhenry007/DSC05401_zpsdf56dadf.jpg)
Title: Re: River Cane Fish Trap
Post by: killir duck on May 01, 2014, 05:22:50 pm
That's awesome! Have you tried it out yet?
Title: Re: River Cane Fish Trap
Post by: Peacebow_Coos on May 01, 2014, 05:28:09 pm
Awesome work!
Title: Re: River Cane Fish Trap
Post by: Dalton Knapper on May 01, 2014, 06:57:03 pm
I haven't tried it out, but it would be for big fish. Brim would swim right through. I was wondering what native people used for bait? Maybe fish heads and guts all smashed up in a bag?
Title: Re: River Cane Fish Trap
Post by: Ozzy on May 01, 2014, 08:54:25 pm
That sweet  :D
Title: Re: River Cane Fish Trap
Post by: Zuma on May 01, 2014, 09:58:33 pm
Catfish would go for the cut bait. Perhaps a clear plastic bottle with pin holes to house some live bait like minnows? Then you might catch pike, bass etc.
Make a good lobster/crab trap. Nice job.
Zuma
Title: Re: River Cane Fish Trap
Post by: stickbender on May 02, 2014, 12:17:57 am

     Maybe in lakes they used bait, but I think they were more effective in streams, where they could build a weir, around the outer edges of the trap, and funnel the fish into it.  Also, I think that theirs was affixed to the weir, and had a lid that could be lifted up and the fish speared, as needed.  But yours is pretty cool also, and has the advantage of being portable.  If you have any streams, or rivers near you, you could try the weir, by staking out the trap, and building the weir on the sides to funnel the fish into the trap. ;)  Very nice, 8) and I think you will be pleasantly surprised at how effective it is. ;)  Great job on that .

                                                                                Wayne
Title: Re: River Cane Fish Trap
Post by: autologus on May 02, 2014, 11:38:31 am
Stickbender is on the money here, funnel the fish into it from a moving stream.  My dad and I used to make traps similar to this but with screen door screen and put it into the stream behind our house to catch minnows for bait.

Grady
Title: Re: River Cane Fish Trap
Post by: swamp yeti on May 02, 2014, 05:59:54 pm
That is a nice cane fish trap what kind of cordadge did you use to tie it together.
Title: Re: River Cane Fish Trap
Post by: Dalton Knapper on May 02, 2014, 08:49:29 pm
Yeti. I used hemp. There is a very small ammt of jute.
Title: Re: River Cane Fish Trap
Post by: Dalton Knapper on May 02, 2014, 10:55:19 pm
Thanks for the nice comments everyone. I guess I will have to give the trap a try. I need to speak with Game & Fish and see if I can try it without having to get a commercial license and tags. I work at a park and they will probably let me test the trap for "scientific" purposes.
Title: Re: River Cane Fish Trap
Post by: stickbender on May 03, 2014, 12:08:36 am

     Ahhh yes, the good ol "Scientific Purposes", and "Research Clause".  ......  ::) ;)  Bring it down here, and we can do some scientific purposes, on some lobsters, and crabs. ;)

                                                                              Wayne
Title: Re: River Cane Fish Trap
Post by: Scottski on May 03, 2014, 02:04:23 am
What park you work in?
Title: Re: River Cane Fish Trap
Post by: Eric Krewson on May 03, 2014, 09:35:35 am
I have a friend who was a commercial fisherman all his life. At different times of the year he gravitated from trot lines to fish traps. He made net traps that were shaped like your cane trap. He would bait with soap or shad guts and catch piles of catfish in his traps.
Title: Re: River Cane Fish Trap
Post by: Dalton Knapper on May 03, 2014, 11:39:11 pm
Scottski-Parkin Archeological State Park at Parkin AR.
Title: Re: River Cane Fish Trap
Post by: Jodocus on May 11, 2014, 02:50:32 pm
very, very nice.
Title: Re: River Cane Fish Trap
Post by: PrimitiveTim on May 15, 2014, 07:31:14 pm
Well, I'm really interested to see what you caught!  that thing looks awesome!
Title: Re: River Cane Fish Trap
Post by: H Rhodes on May 15, 2014, 11:09:30 pm
Nice work.  We used to bait them with cotton seed meal cakes or rotten cheese.  They will work fine in  flowing streams if you put the funnel facing down stream.  Fish in current usually hold facing into the current.   Here the law will let you use them but you have to buy a basket license and you have to release any game fish that you catch.  I think baskets work better in the spring.  You should be able to catch you a mess of catfish with that one.  :)   
Title: Re: River Cane Fish Trap
Post by: TRACY on May 20, 2014, 06:57:35 am
I'm impressed with all the things that can be made by cane! Very nice work DK! Seems like hanging meat will bring some catfish if I were using it. Nice.

Tracy
Title: Re: River Cane Fish Trap
Post by: swamp monkey on June 21, 2014, 09:04:45 pm
I made one of these out of willow and it was a lot of work.  No doubt it was a lot of work for you as we'll.  I had to put a weight in mine to keep it down.  I  expect you will need one too. Cane is buoyant.  Nice work.
Title: Re: River Cane Fish Trap
Post by: Knapper on June 26, 2014, 11:51:04 am
Nice work DK
Knapper
Title: Re: River Cane Fish Trap
Post by: Marks on June 27, 2014, 05:35:06 pm
I bet you could take a can of wet dog food and poke a few holes in it and throw it in there. Might could do the same thing with a chicken liver tub. If you want to keep the bait primitive too fish guts would be my choice.
Title: Re: River Cane Fish Trap
Post by: mullet on June 27, 2014, 06:34:22 pm
Stuff a road kill opossum in it.