I have started buying some used #3 coils, I have been putting music wire springs on em along with baseplates and center swivels. People are telling me I need to 4 coilem. I cant understand why, I have been ctchin cats for years in 1 3/4 #2 coil and long spring and #3 longsprings. The only ones I ever lost were my fault for not makinem step on the pan right, resulting in a toe catch and not because the traps werent strong enough. I have some 4 coiled bridgers I use for otter sometimes and think the extra strength is good here but why for bobcats, I just wanted some other opinions.

In my opinion 4 coiling cat traps is a waste of time and money. If you had to deal with freeze thaw conditions, 4 coiling may be helpful to break through the crust. But otherwise you dont really gain anything. Actually your already on the right path. For trapping in the south where the cats are a little smaller and you dont have to deal with snow, I wouldnt use #3's. Cats are not hard to hold in a trap. And you can force them to step where ever you want them to, so you may be able to get by with #2s eaily. I would stick with the smaller traps.

Thanx,Phutch. Most of the people urging me to 4 coil my traps live and trap where theres lots of ice and snow. Like I said I had been catchin em for years in 13/4 and 2 without 4 coiling. I only use the #3 in beaver swamps,where a fox is unlikely. Thanks again

4 coiling traps is for the trap to come up faster threw the ground weather your getting frezzing conditions or not. I run all my traps 4 coiled. It also provides alot more holding power

Four coiling can make a trap react faster and can be a factor if you have added extra weight to the trap jaws, as in laminating them. As for "provides a lot more holding power", it does not. The lever configuration and the angle at which it meets the closing jaw has significantly greater impact on the holding power of a trap as does four-coiling it.

I just got done "fixing" a number of Bridger #5 coils that were giving me problems in not holding beaver. The springs had grown weaker on the trap, and that indeed was part of the problem. But I fixed that problem not by replacing the springs, or adding stronger springs, I fixed it by changing the jaw configuration. I'll try to make a post on this.

I use a few four-coiled traps, but I don't find four-coiling at all necessary to make a standard traps function adequately. If they didn't work with two coils, manufacturers wouldn't be able to sell them that way.

-- Hal

I will give you a test to prove my point on more holding power. Take your hand and put it in a non 4 coiled trap and let the jaws up easy. Then do the same thing in a 4 coiled trap and in the 4 coiled trap you will notice there is a big increase in pressure. You want to do this with someone with you so they can let the springs up on your hand and let the trap off.

Even if a 4 coiled trap is stronger. You dont need a 4 coiled #3 to hold a cat. In some cases if you are dealing with freeze thaw or maybe heavy clay soil/mud it may be a slight help. But I trap in cold,snow,freezing rain etc. I have never felt that a 4 coiled trap would have caught a cat that my run of the mill 2 coiled traps would. I am not saying they dont have a place.I am just saying you dont need a 4 coiled #3 for 99% of cat trapping. Certainly not for additional holing power.

A better test is to get a piece of flat lath, or a narrow thin board, clamp it between the trap jaws, and pull it out. Putting your hands in a trap deliberately is silly.

-- Hal

Thank you gentlemen, I have some 4 coiled traps, I dont know if they hold any better,seems like they should. Ill keep em for beaver and otter. I think im gonna stick with the plain old double coil, They will hold any cats I catch,unlessits a single toe catch then nothin aint gonna hold him. The biggest I ever caught was bout 38 lbs. in a #2 LS.

I believe what most were getting at is that you probably don't need 4 coils to catch cats consistantly, but.......i definitely don't think its over kill, so if you have some #3's 4 coiled, i wouldn't pass up a set just becasue you've tagged them for beaver and otter. you can still use them and IMO its not an over sized unethical trap.