WHat do you think of the 1 1/2 B&L Stoploss?

[RdFx]

 As a muskrat trap?  List your experiences  here if you have used this trap.

[tfyksen]

Lee,

I only use a few B&L stoploss on my rat line. So my experience with this trap is limited.  My favorite spot for them is on shoreline feed beds and rat toilets.  I like them at these locations because they have a larger catch area and more holding power for those incidental coons at such spots.  As far as wring outs are concerned I have had very few. 

Teal

[Macthediver]

Lee
I only had a few of the B&L stoplosses most of the ones I had were Vics. This last fall I got rid of most all my mix of stoplosses. I replaced them with Duke #1 guarded traps. It's not that I didn't like my few B&Ls and I did keep one to go with my odd trap pile. My big reason for going to all Duke. I bought some when they first came out. I like how they work and I wanted to standardize all my stoplosses. So now I have all one type guarded trap no more mix and match.
So far I like my Dukes just fine. I'm told by some I can expect weak springs in a year or two. I really doubt that, but then only time will tell with anything new.

Mac

[ncmountainman]

I really like them, but then I always was a Blake & Lamb man. I wish they would go back in business again. I still use B&L Shureholds in both #1 and #1 1/2 size. Victors and #1 Northwoods coil stoploss too.

[MChewk]

My problem wity all stoplosses is coon. It seems whenever I make a rat set with a stoploss trap coon are caught and the light jaws and the coons big feet screw up the jaws...gap open. B@L traps are especially light....have gotten away from stoplosses and gone to #11s

[RdFx]

  The problem i have with 1  1/2 B&L stoplosses is just that losses.  It is a great coon trap just as the nbr one is.  On the nbr ones the coons sometimes take the small pan off.   I dont use delay pin at all... I was very surprised on the 1 1/2s ability to hold coon and equally if not more surprised  of the losses with the 1  1/2 B&L .  I exchanged the 1 1/2s with nbr 1 B&L and losses stopped immediately.. to my  relief.

[Bogmaster]

 Lee,did the #1 1/2 Blake and Lamb stoploss have the same type of stoploss as the #1 only larger?
 Tom

[MChewk]

Tom, I believe the #1 1/2 had the narrower spring...different from the #1 B@L ls stoploss. I believe there were two models?/

[ncmountainman]

Tom, MChewk is correct. The new style 1 1/2 shurehold B&L had a narrow guard. Some runs of the new style #1s did also. All the old style B&L stoploss had wide guards and were a superior trap that had not only super strong springs but also a larger post pan w/rivet. E.J. Dailey once had the Blake & Lamb factory make him up some old style 2 1/2 longsprings into stoploss for beaver. I still use some of the #1 old style shureholds on mink and rats. They are very good strong traps. The new style traps do have the disadvantage of a humped cross and clamp on pan that can be torn off. I had an otter tear the pan off of a  new style #1 B&L longspring last season.
David

[RdFx]

Tom ; yes the 1 1/2s B&Ls had same type of stoploss as the nbr ones.  This is first year i used them and  was surprised at problems but likewise surprised how they held coon without loses also.   One particular  1 1/2  B&L took five  coon at a pocket set all coon were over 25 #s , two were 32 and 35 #s.  Tough customers for sure as trap site was very flattened out and just kept producing.

[Bogmaster]

 Reason I asked,I have used about every #1 stoploss ever made.I bought several dozen #1 1/2 Northwoods stoploss,which I thought was modeled after the B and L #1 1/2.
 I got rid of the whole bunch,the stoploss spring actually went over smaller rats and female mink without touching them.Alright for the larger ones but worthless on smaller ones.
 All my stoploss,are and have been #1s ever since.
 Tom

[MChewk]

Wonder if a guy could laminate those thin jaws to reduce coon feet damage to the TRAP JAWS?

[RdFx]

MC , im not having any  damage in  the 1 1/2 B&L  causing any coon loses.  Granted the jaws in the nbr ones are thin but  then dont use THOSE traps if targeting coon.  IF you are experiencing too much damage and having loses; put those traps on drowners if possible and if not then use differant type of trap.  When you are building something you use the right tool for the job and same applys when trapping.

[ncmountainman]

Tom, I totally agree with what you are saying about the #1 stoploss. While I do consider the 1 1/2 B&L Shurehold type stoploss to be a good mink and muskrat trap, if or when I get into the big marsh areas I will be having a large number of good #1 stoploss along with 110s and a few larger traps for the otter sets and other things too good to pass up. I was pleased to see what you did with helping improve the Duke stoploss. To me thats a big step in the right direction for helping keep the good designs of the past along with new improvements. We really need to see more of that kind of work done. I dont believe Sleepy Creek has a stoploss version of their #1 longspring trap yet. To me a wide B&L type guard would make that a very good trap.
David

[ncmountainman]

Tom brought up a very good point about some of the 1 1/2 stoploss traps having too big of a guard for some of the mink and muskrats. I believe the problems with designing a guard for the 1 1/2 that is not too big for the smaller animals are a result of the limitations of working with that size of trap. I did once have a female mink get through the narrow guard on a 1 1/2 new style B&L. I have for a long time thought that there was room for improvement in the not so standard, IMO in many cases outdated standard trap sizes. Back when the 1 3/4 trap became popular there was more talk along those lines. I have always wondered why we did not have a 1 1/4 size trap both in coilspring and longspring. I believe that size of longspring stoploss made like the #1 B&L would be great for mink and rats and do better on the coons since it would get more of a pad catch on them.
David

[bblwi]

I am a stuck in the mud and like uniformity lilke Matchdriver does. I have been debating getting a bunch of the new style Duke #1 stoploss for a couple of years now. The reason I don't is I have
12 dozen 1 Victor roundpan stoploss traps. I like the uniformity. I have a dozen pans on hand and I have caught over a couple dozen coons every year in 1 stoplosses. I do have sprung traps and I am adjusting my pans and dogs to have a bit more tension. I do believe I have been letting them get too light.

I also have 4 dozen B&L 1.5 longspring stoploss. 3 dozen narrow guard and 1 dozen wide guard. I bought these used and was skeptical about the narrow guards. I used them this fall. I had outstanding catch success with thes traps. The fewest sprung traps of all. I am thinking my pan tension was tighter. I like them on larger feed beds, houses etcl where I want more of a kill area and they protect a bigger area better. I thought about selling them but now I will keep them. I will switch the chains around to the spring end to make setting easier. They are heavier and bulky but in a conoe it's not so bad.
I don't like them for coons at all, just like I don't like single longs either. I caught two in them and they were held tight but due to the large opening and the spring there was more leg damage than I like to see.
I don't use the release pin on any of the models and have not done so for 20 plus years.  Out of the 249 rats I caught this year I would estimate that 240 of them were in stoploss traps and maybe 40-50 in the 1.5 B&Ls

Bryce

[MChewk]

Guys I'm not saying that I get damage from the stoploss jaws....I'm saying the 'coons feet are big and tough enough to "gap" the jaws open. Good trap...tenacious once on any animals paw.
Anyone else experience what I'm describing? About an 1/16th to 1/8th gap from where the coon was caught and its foot bent the light steel in the jaws??

[bblwi]

My first stoploss traps were purchased in 1981 ( 2 dozen) I don't have any that have bent of gapped jaws from catching coons. I will add that I catch 95% of those coons in the front foot and usually by the toes. I use about 3-4 foot of chain and cable on stakes in the marshes and cattails and drags on the creeks and rivers. I try not to have any solid or non giving staking or drags if I can avoid it.

This year I had the most 1 and 2 toe losses (coons) in my stoploss traps. Don't know exactly why, but I was setting  a few more in heavier cattail cover and they were wrapped tighter and closer to the trap.

For me it might be my very light pan tension that is not having me lose as many and or the gaps. I get more toe catches and probably more sprung traps too and I am betting from rats too.
Bryce