Anyone use sardines in their dp's? My coons are getting smart this late in the season and the cat food ain't cutting the mustard anymore.
Dp bait?
- Thread starter CATCHDAWG
- Start date
They are starting to shift into breeding mode and are less food motivated. Make sure your traps are right on sign and trails. Not 1 foot away. You want their nose to hit the trap as they move down the trail.
I don't use sardines too goopy and stinky. Try this. Take some used fry oil and dump a can of sardines in it. Give it a whirl in a blender then put in a squeeze bottle. Give your DP a shot of fish oil on the catfood bait after you fill it.
I don't use sardines too goopy and stinky. Try this. Take some used fry oil and dump a can of sardines in it. Give it a whirl in a blender then put in a squeeze bottle. Give your DP a shot of fish oil on the catfood bait after you fill it.
That would get mighty expensive awefully fast. I used to make my own bait out of Jack Mack when it was super cheap. Great bait but it rots after a few days and then no coon will touch it. Now it's more expensive and I haven't heard anybody mention it in years. After 10 years of DP trapping I have settled on a system that works for me. Two large marsh mallows...one on the trigger and one in the top. A an edible sweet lure smeared on one or both mallows. A small trail of fish foil spike with 1oz shellfish oil per pint. In January I use Blackies Boars Delight at about 50% of sets near but not in the DP. Don't underestimate the fish oil trail. I have had it bring both mink and otter straight to dps.
One thing that you don't hear talked about a lot with DP's, but has been my experience and validated by a number of big numbers coon guys....is that DP's have a high refusal rate compared to other coon sets. I'm not talking about just walking by because they are not interested. I'm talking about they pulled the trap out of the ground or ate the bait off top, but would not go further and put their paw the trap. Some of this is just the natural wariness of coons. I have had them do this then get caught in a dirt hole 20 feet away. (One of the things I use dp's for is to try to catch coons before they clog up k9 sets in corn fields, etc)
Some folks make the mistake of using non-edible lures in DP's....like Caven's Moonshine....once they taste the aweful taste they won't go further.
If your DP's are being refused, change up with pocket sets, dirt holes, or even pvc sets.
One thing that you don't hear talked about a lot with DP's, but has been my experience and validated by a number of big numbers coon guys....is that DP's have a high refusal rate compared to other coon sets. I'm not talking about just walking by because they are not interested. I'm talking about they pulled the trap out of the ground or ate the bait off top, but would not go further and put their paw the trap. Some of this is just the natural wariness of coons. I have had them do this then get caught in a dirt hole 20 feet away. (One of the things I use dp's for is to try to catch coons before they clog up k9 sets in corn fields, etc)
Some folks make the mistake of using non-edible lures in DP's....like Caven's Moonshine....once they taste the aweful taste they won't go further.
If your DP's are being refused, change up with pocket sets, dirt holes, or even pvc sets.
We put mackrel fish in our hole when trapping for coon and possums
diamond hunter
Well-Known Member
A bag of catfish food will last years,add fish oil as attractant.Fryer oil attracts also as does bacon grease
pb10point
Well-Known Member
I tie a ear of corn in my live traps,works every time.
Thanks guys, some good info.
Just got back from checking after using a sardine/cat food mixture yesterday along with fish oil outside the trap. Fresh tracks at two sets but totally ignored. They have seen to many of their buddies in the dp's! Put in a couple of pocket sets with footholds, we will see.
I am 2 for 2 with sardines. 
I connected on 3 of my 4 today(2nd day out) and the fourth had just about been cleaned out but not triggered. I used half of a large marshmallow bellow the trigger, sprinkled some dry cat food on top, then a couple mini marshmallows to top it off. Sprayed several squirts of fish oil in and around the trap....it worked for me. If you have a Dollar Tree near you go shopping there for bait supplies.
