How to Make Galvanized Shrimp Traps

Shrimp are considered a delicacy and are readily available to catch, providing you have the traps and know-how to get them. Due to the saltwater conditions shrimp live in, using galvanized wire mesh cuts back on salt corrosion to the trap metal mesh. Constructing traps on your own lets you enjoy a project as well as land your own shrimp, saving you grocery costs. If you are just learning how to trap shrimp, make a trap of small to mid-size to advance your skills.

Things You'll Need

  • Galvanized chicken wire mesh
  • 1-inch diameter PVC tubing
  • 8 PVC 1-inch elbows
  • Bench vise
  • Hacksaw
  • Marker and measuring tape
  • Wire cutters
  • Pliers
  • Metal file
  • Zip ties
  • Small mesh ditty-bag
  • Marine rope and floats
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Instructions

  1. Measure, Cut and File

    • 1

      Unroll the galvanized mesh wire on a work bench. Measure and mark out a top and bottom of 2 feet by 3 feet. Measure and mark the sides 12 inches high by 3 feet long.

    • 2

      Clip out the measured walls using the wire cutters. File down the cut ends using the metal file. If you have large spurs or cuts, bend them back using the pliers.

    • 3

      Place the PVC tube into a bench vise and cut out four 3-foot lengths of the tube. Measure and cut another set of four 12-inch lengths. File down the sawed edges of the PVC tubes so they are smooth.

    • 4

      Cut out a 12-inch diameter circle out of the remaining wire mesh. On the inside of the circle, cut out a 3-inch circle. Curl the circle into a cylinder with the narrow and large ends being open.

    Assemble the Trap

    • 5

      Push the elbows onto the ends of the 3-foot PVC tubes, then attach the 12-inch tubes to the opposite ends. Push them all together so you have a rectangle formed from the pieces.

    • 6

      Place the galvanized wire walls around the PVC box and zip-tie it to the tubes. The result is a wire-enclosed box.

    • 7

      Cut out a 6-inch hole on one end of the box. Insert the mesh cylinder so the narrow opening is facing into the box and the large opening surrounds the cut-out circle. Bend the large opening over the cut end of the box and then zip-tie it into position.

    • 8

      Tie the necessary length of marine rope to the top of the trap (your length is dictated by the depth of the water you fish) and slide one or two floats onto the rope.

    • 9

      Fill the mesh ditty-bag with cat food, chicken giblets or beef fat and place it into the center of the box through the trap cylinder opening. Drop the trap into the water and check it every six to eight hours.