# Drowning wires vs cables



## adamj (Sep 6, 2006)

What is your preference? 1/8 cable slides for beaver or 11 gauge wire. How about for your basic river **** trapping? 14 gauge wire? Just curious as to what others are using. I know wire can kink, but hey its cheap enough to be disposable. :-?


----------



## Trapper62 (Mar 3, 2003)

Beaver - Adjustable cable w/ a z-lock, it will last for a dozen catches if set up right!

**** - 14 gauge wire with fender washer anchor or drowning rods


----------



## smitty223 (Mar 31, 2006)

1/4" rod with a welded loop on each end for stake....or poke the water-end into the mud & stake the top end. I add a heavy drowner lock to the rod prior to formimg & welding the last loop.

There are handy at culverts too. One end in the culvert, stake the front.....catch can crawl back into the pipe, but not back out.....hides catches well.

Smitty


----------



## pickles (Jan 24, 2007)

Do you use 1/4 in for beaver ? don't seem heavy enough ! I was going to use 3/8 and was shaky on that. 
Good Idea to form the loop on the end, never thought of that, I cut angle iron to 1" peice's and drilled them, both to anchor and as the slide lock. Never put them into use, I have them for next year.


----------



## smitty223 (Mar 31, 2006)

I don't do much beaver trapping (lol, that's why I don't respond to too many beaver posts), and trap off an ATV, so I use cable since I'd have to carry longer rods for beaver, but use the shorter rods for ****, rats, and mink. I think if I were to catch a beaver in one of these sets, it'd be there as long as my trap would hold it. An 18-24" stake would be tough to pull sideways.

Most commercially produced rods I've seen advertised for beaver are 5/16". Seen alot of guys use rebar too.

I've made them several different ways, from 3/16" & 1/4" both. Welded large flatwashers on the ends for stakes, welded swivel bodys to them, then built a rod former to bend the loops.

There's actually a new system out now made for rebar & doesn't require welding. I think Minnesota Trapline Products carries them.

Smitty


----------

