Long lining and chain drowners.f

[LLLTrapper]

How many people here run a long line and use chain drowners? I would think it would be a lot of weight to carry around. If I was just trapping a few sets I would say I could see the reasoning but a couple hundred drowners could be very cumbersome. LLL

[riverbandit]

I don't run a lot of chain drowners but the chain I use is quite small,welded link, and kink less. They are a bit heavier but not too bad. Wish I knew the chain size. Bought over 1,000ft of the stuff several years ago at a garage sale real cheap.

[jim blakley aka Gadget]

.... I run all my sets on chain drowners . I only carry what I can set In 1 day , about 100 sets. I run 2 lines each with about 200 sets . One of my 6 foot drowners weights 17oz. So that's about 106 lbs. for 100 drowners , not a lot wt.

[Scott W.]

I use chain too. For me, it is easier to keep organized in the canoe. May be a bit heavy, but I can add 5ft increments with small S hooks that the drowner will pass over to get to deeper water when needed.

[coontrapper]

I don't run what I'd consider a long line (50-100 sets majority trail sets) but what little bit you loose due to chain being heavier you gain in not having to deal with tangled cables or having to replace cables every year.

[LLLTrapper]

Jun 11, 2012 22:34:01 GMT -6 coontrapper said:

I don't run what I'd consider a long line (50-100 sets majority trail sets) but what little bit you loose due to chain being heavier you gain in not having to deal with tangled cables or having to replace cables every year.

If that is the only up side I will stick to my cable. I rap and tuck the cable. LLL

[BigT]

Larry, I went to chain a couple years ago and will never use anything else. It is a bit heavier but you banana belt guys only set 2 traps per location anyway so whats the difference?? Ease of use and ease of cleanup sells me for sure. When I pull I just throw them all in big totes. The rarely tangle so I can just pull them out of the totes to clean them up! The chain will last forever or until someone steals it.The chain locks are smooth and the coons are almost always at the bottom! Just my review but I like them!

[LLLTrapper]

Let's see some pics T. I doubt I will do anything this year but may try a few. LLL

[Nick C]

They're not THAT heavy. I'm as small of a guy as it gets, weight wasn't an issue to me. Unless you're lugging a 1/2 dozen of them a mile or something.

And I thought they were going to be a tangly mess, but that's not the case at all, it's amazing how you just grab one in a pile, and can get that individual drowner out to use.

I caught 60 or 70 coon on them is all when I was working a different job, and mostly all of them with Blakleys locks are on the last link of chain at the bottom of the drowner every time. With the exception of the couple coon who pulled a top or bottom stake.

Mink and muskrats make it about halfway down.

Most of mine are 5ft or so, and Thanks to Jim Blakley showed how you can easily make them shorter and how they don't have to be tight at all to work.

In some of the smaller feeder streams I trapped, 5 foot of chain was too long to get them where I wanted, so shortening them up by wrapping around top of Tbar stake make it perfect for those situations.

Larry, I have a few dozen extra locks if you're interested in them.

[jim blakley aka Gadget]

[centraliowa (ryan)]

i don't because i don't like to change. i cable stake everything and sometimes i have trouble getting on stake in the ground. have a real hard time getting both top and bottom of drowner in some of the rocky clay cricks around here. i also hit a lot of places where there is very little water if any at all so having all my traps rigged the same way works best for me. cable to disposable stake and staked so the coon can't get on the bank works best for me. it is also very fast and lose few coon.

[LLLTrapper]

Thanks Mr. Blakely,LLL

[furstalker]

You guys talk about how good the chain drowners are. Where do you get the locks for them? Is the blakely lock available?

[skunkboy]

Look in some of the supplier catalogs.

I think they can be easily made (please correct me if this won't work)... cut a 1/2"x1/2" square tube diagonally at 45 degrees, or more, and cut it off perpendicular at the other end, about 1" from the bottom of that cut. Drill a 3/16" hole in the top (at the end of the angled cut) and put a J hook in the hole (with the J up), then close the J (that'll be the connection to the trap chain). Slide the drowning chain through the squre tube (in the correct direction) and there you have it...I think.

It should slide right down the chain (towards the anchor) and not turn back up the chain. Should be able to get about 2 dozen from a 4' piece of tube.

Or just buy them already made.

L8R...Ken

[renny1]

So how hard is it to get that pogo out when you are done, or is there a trick to getting them out.

[teal]

I use a puller for added leverage. still can be hard in some situations.

[coontrapper]

If you have access to a chop saw or metal band saw and a drill press making the locks is very simple. What Skunk boy said is 100% correct. Just cut the pipe at an angle, drill a hole and your done!

[skunkboy]

Maybe dumb question, what size chain> 2, 3, 4? I might give this a try sometime.

I saw where a guy uses coffee cans (the plastic ones) filled with concrete as a weight. This would be a good idea as long as you didn't have to lug them very far. Culverts and road ditches would be OK, but they might get pretty heavy in a canoe going down a creek a ways.

L8R...Ken

[jdrogge]

#2 chain, the machine chain is the best, but the double loop does work as well. In my opinion once you use chain drowners you will never go back to cable. No kinking, no tangling, very solid lockup, and they will last you until they are stolen from you, and like Nick said the adjustable length is also a plus.

[jim blakley aka Gadget]

As you can see in the picture I posted I use a 2" Pogo on the end of my drowner. I can get It to hold at about 75 % of my stops . Out In the water It doesn't have to be that solid of a anchor , you'll get the feel for It as you use them . Were I cant get a pogo to hold I use a weight on the end .

I also drill 1/4" holes In rocks using a Hammer Drill ...

Almost all drilling Is done pre-season , But at the end of season I stash the rocks at the stop for future use . I can find 90% of them most the time .

[skunkboy]

Good idea about the rocks...probably cheaper that Quikrete. And I doubt anybody will be looking to 'steal' you rocks that you stashed.

Thanks a bunch for the info. This was a good thread...gave me some good ideas.

L8R...Ken