Design a ray trap

[wonword]

Here is a quick edit for the tube. It is also essential, unlike the others, that this be made of a solid material that traffics the scent to certain places via the current, meaning the only mesh area would be the area that lets the current in to take the scent. This also eliminates springs, and spring action doors which would not only probably hurt some of their tails (whiptail rays have uber long tails), but im sure with a spring loaded trap it would go off mulitiple times because of the current alone or wouldnt go off at all as a ray probably buts down hardly pressure in the water.

 

[skylineiz]

mate thats a great idea! and are the flaps at the enterance , do they close if they slide along it? so they only way they can get out, is if they go dead straight without touching any of the flaps?

 

[DavidW]

Wonword: interesting design with some good ideas but I wonder if it is practical from a price, construction or transportation p.o.v..
Remember, this has to be CHEAP
PRactical
Simple

Keep the thoughts coming, obviously I am itching to give away my $100

 

[wonword]

mate thats a great idea! and are the flaps at the enterance , do they close if they slide along it? so they only way they can get out, is if they go dead straight without touching any of the flaps?

exactly, they dont have to close all the way even but the flaps would make the ray have to swim exactly parellel and straight out to actually get out, which "could" happen but is very very very unlikely. The chances are that a ray will swim up the sides and along the bottom, but not swim parallel to the bottom in the middle through the slit right in between the flaps.



Davidm I could so this being done VERY cheaply. The first one might be a little pricier, but all I see as building material is plexiglass, wood/plywood and a smaller piece of mesh. The harderst part for sure would be getting the bends on the front hood right either with plexiglass or plywood. But the box would be easy as hell to make and transport and assemble on site with screws and a philips screwdriver.

 

[ajb1971]

I was thinking going PVC; cheap, easy to get, easy to set up and break down, light, when broken down---it is easy to transport.

BOX - PVC pipe, T-fittings, Three-way corner fittings, Elbow fittings
DOOR - PVC pipe, T-fitting, Four-way connecter, Elbow fittings
I used red below to show fittings
Door connected and hindged by zip-ties, bottom middle of the door will have a fourway connecter with a pipe extending pass the bottom of the box to prevent the door from opening outward.

Box and door wrapped in mesh or netting sepperately.

the ray enters in the front able to push the light weight door in, once in, the door closes with gravity and center pipe(could be filled with ample amount of sand to weigh it down a little) on the bottom of the door, prevents the ray from pushing it outward.

Though the design is simple, it would be cheaper than plexi, lighter than plexi, wood, or metal. It would also be simple to pack up on boats, easy to assemble on site, light enough to pull up and lift out of the water, then easy to break down.

 

[wonword]

Ok, im not saying this to be an a-hole or to put someone else down for $100 (im a broke college student, but I think the person with the best design deserves to win straight up). Ok, that being said and I hope i cause no ill feelings.

I think too many people are failing to design a trap from the stand point of being underwater with a current. For instance, ajb1971, while your drawings look good and PVC pipe would be a great material to use. Your door is all driven by gravity. There are alot of forces working against gravity in an underwater scenario, especially the rivers current. If you have that swing door faving the current, I have no doubt in my mind that the current would lift any hinge that a ray could, and also it would be brng the scent of the food the wrong way. If its not facing the current, then the ray has to work against alot of force to open the door .. .. and it doesnt even know it opens in the first place, so its pressing hard on something it doesnt know opens against a current. If it gets in, thats one determined ray.

 

[keepinfish]

Ok, im not saying this to be an a-hole or to put someone else down for $100 (im a broke college student, but I think the person with the best design deserves to win straight up). Ok, that being said and I hope i cause no ill feelings.

I think too many people are failing to design a trap from the stand point of being underwater with a current. For instance, ajb1971, while your drawings look good and PVC pipe would be a great material to use. Your door is all driven by gravity. There are alot of forces working against gravity in an underwater scenario, especially the rivers current. If you have that swing door faving the current, I have no doubt in my mind that the current would lift any hinge that a ray could, and also it would be brng the scent of the food the wrong way. If its not facing the current, then the ray has to work against alot of force to open the door .. .. and it doesnt even know it opens in the first place, so its pressing hard on something it doesnt know opens against a current. If it gets in, thats one determined ray.

rays are very determined. I would imagine that it would not be in raging rapids, probably in slightly calmer water????

I think these are all great ideas!

 

[ajb1971]

why does it have to be pushed by the current, turn it so the current pushes against the door to help hold it shut, this would also leed the ray, by scent trail, right to the door enterance, with out the ray having to figure how to get in to the food.
Desired ammounts of sand can also be filled into the bottom pipes of the door to get it weighted down, along with adding sand to the pipes of the box to keep it weighted down.
Plus the current isn't gonna be like white waters where traps would be placed.
And with it being covered with netting or mesh, even a fairly strong current would flow through.
Teaching fisherman to set 'em up and understand it would also would be easier.
Don't over look simplicity!

---also, I don't want the $100.00, if Dave likes my idea, I'd suggest him to give the money to one of the poor collecters/fishermen.

Or you can have it.

It's an idea I kicked around because I hate thought of rays getting hooked or spared.

 

[wonword]

rays are very determined. I would imagine that it would not be in raging rapids, probably in slightly calmer water????

I think these are all great ideas!

Yeah, they are a pretty determined fish. I have kept one in the past. Im just saying taking into consideration the varying sizes of rays and determination of rays. I have seen some very active determined small rays, very lazy non-aggressive big rays, etc. Once again, im not saying its a bad idea at all. Just trying to improve upon it. Even in waters that seem fairly calm, when im river fishing my bait will move along the bottom even with a number of lead sinkers. Think how much drag each of these traps will be producing againts the current at the BOTTOM of the river.

In case anybody was wondering, I kind of based my design of two things i have alot of experience with. The Sputnik pigeon trap when I used to fly high flying tippler pigeons (this trap is not for trapping ferals, but to trap your own birds in your own loft after they land and are done flying) and the other major basis was a regular small minnow trap . .. they can find there way in but can rarely get out the cone shaped hole.

 

[wonword]

why does it have to be pushed by the current, turn it so the current pushes against the door to help hold it shut, this would also leed the ray, by scent trail, right to the door enterance, with out the ray having to figure how to get in to the food.
Desired ammounts of sand can also be filled into the bottom pipes of the door to get it weighted down, along with adding sand to the pipes of the box to keep it weighted down.
Plus the current isn't gonna be like white waters where traps would be placed.
It with it being covered with netting or mesh, even a fairly strong current would flow through.
Teaching fisherman to set 'em up and understand it would also would be easier.

Check out the last couple sentences of post #36, thats what I think would happen if it wasnt facing the current. Then the current would be facing the back of the door and the ray would have to work against the current. I know its not whitewater like, but think of how even a slow current can move large sunken logs and such that i myself have trouble moving. Rivers, slow or fast are very powerful beasts, and there most powerful point it seems like is near the bottom.