Fish Bottle Trap

How to Make a Fish Bottle Trap

This was one of the first things I remember building as a child and the knowledge has stayed with me all my life. This small fish trap is easy to make and very cheap too, making it the perfect project to start off with.

For full written instructions visit our main site.

List of materials:
 
- An empty 2 litre drink bottle
- A craft knife* (a pair of scissors will do the same job)
- Some string*

 

(Optional)

- A piece of A4 paper*
- Some sticky tape*
- A marker pen*
- A small screwdriver*

Preparing the Bottle

Firstly you need to prepare your bottle by removing the label, cap and plastic collar. It would be a good idea to swill out the bottle with water to clean it if you haven't already. Once the bottle is ready you can proceed to cut off the top. I wrap a piece of paper around the bottle attached with sticky tape to give a guide when I'm cutting (see video).

Making the Holes

Now take the bottom of you bottle and using the tip of your scissors or screwdriver, make small holes on the dimples. This will allow water to freely flow through the fish trap bottle. Take the top of your fish trap and insert it into the body of the bottle. Then using the same technique used to make the holes in the bottom, proceed to make holes through the walls at the top.You may want to mark where your holes will go while the trap is assembled and then dismantle it to make piercing the holes easier. These holes will allow us to put our string through and secure the top.

Add the Handle

Take your string and thread through the holes you made in the top of your fish trap. Tie two simple double knots either side. These knots are used to lock the door so to speak. So make sure these are secure, but also that you can undo them to retrieve your fish. If you can't undo them then simply cut the string.

Once they are tied you should have a handle to carry the fish trap and a means of securing it when in the water.

You are now ready to catch small fish for food, as bait or even as a pet. You could also use this trap to just observe the fish and when your ready, let them go.

Try experimenting with different bait types inside the bottle fish trap. One thing you could do is use fishing wire instead of string. This will make it harder for fish to see.

Whether you use fishing wire or string, give yourself a long enough piece so that your anchor is far enough away from the entrance. For an anchor I would just use a sturdy stick, stuck into the ground then loop your handle over that.

Once you've finished with the fish bottle trap, you can simply put it in the recycling bin.