![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Now I am doing 2,500 to 3,000 traps a year,” he says. “I went from 40 traps a year to 100 to 300 traps a year. He does all the woodworking in his father’s barn, and the finishing work and final assembly in his basement in Worcester, Mass. Mike DeVillers, of Indian Hill Ice Traps, has manufactured about 15,000 tip-ups since he started in 1998. Butler Traps fold up with a snugness achievable with a carpenter’s workbench certitude. His design blends the features of antique traps he inherited with his own preferences. “I love icefishing, and I was like, ‘What can I do to make money?'” A sideline in the trap trade followed. “I found a set of my great-grandfather’s old traps, and I had a set that was my father’s,” he says. He started making traps for sale in 2008, when he was briefly out of work during the worst of the housing slump and needed an alternate source of income. Butler’s own story matches the close-to-the-earth feel his tip-ups emanate. These traps are unique-the grain on each is unlike any other’s, and the wood has a rich tone. He sent traps made from his neighbor’s aged cherry tree it had been freshly felled and milled. My sons and I ordered a set of his tip-ups last year. Then there is Butler Ice Fishing Traps ( 1 /ButlerIceFishingTraps), made by Oliver Butler. Its upright is poly UHMW and the base slats are local white ash the poly’s water resistance prevents ice buildup at the waterline, which makes picking up and stowing the equipment at nightfall easier. Max Traps ( 4 ), offers a hybrid tip-up that mixes new technology with old. (Jack Traps offers a clip, much like a downrigger clip, that prevents lively bait from pulling line off the spool, but retains the free-spool feature that allows a running fish to feel no resistance after the strike). Heritage Traps ( 2 ) feature a simple drag on their reel, which some anglers like for keeping large baits from tripping the flag. Indian Hill Ice Traps ( ) are a muscular match, with heavy powder-coated spools, high-visibility flags, and a design that reduces the number of wind flags. Take Jack Traps ( ), which possess a sturdiness and finish that rivals that of fine Mission furniture a set of these will probably last deep into the next century-unless you back over one with your truck. Check with your local fish and wildlife agency before using a fish trap, but if it's legal to use them, traps are very easy to make. Many tip-ups display design touches that reveal a trap-maker’s particular hand. Fish traps are used to catch a variety of aquatic species throughout the world, including shellfish such as shrimp and lobster from oceans and crawfish and catfish from lakes and streams. ![]()
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