Quote Originally Posted by ottawafm View Post
I don't think this will work, and ill tell ya why.
Birds aren't like fish. They don't swallow their food and run. They will pick it up and walk with it as they fight with it. When they're convinced it's dead then they'll swallow it.
I tried this technique with worms and fishing line and it didn't work. Now you might try this to get them to trigger a trap but won't work like with fishing.
Works with seagulls, using smelt ...as the Lake Michigan fisherman will tell ya.
Not on purpose.....but Skyrats can be PITA.
Bait up you rig,.. toss it out and the gulls just wait for it......

20 years ago netting smelt in the spring was a big deal.....seine net and light, at night.

Guy still do it for eating....and freezing them for bait.

Smelt have been really cut down by planted lake trout, and salmon