Unique trick to catch 'giant' fish on the river

A trap is a familiar tool for catching fish in rivers and canals in the West. Just a few dozen poles, a few nets and a few dozen meters of net are enough to make a trap and freely catch catfish.

According to locals, the trap is made quite simply, and placed permanently on the river. Therefore, it is important to know how to choose the location to build the trap and... wait patiently.

The traps are specially designed so that fish can only enter but not exit (Photo: Chuc Ly).

To make a fish trap, the craftsman first chooses old bamboo trees, about the size of an arm, to make stakes. Each stake is 3-4m long or depending on the depth of the water, so that when driven into the river bottom, the stake still protrudes 1-1.5m above the water surface. Then, choose a section of the river with good terrain and not too strong water flow.

After the stakes are driven in, the fish trap maker will spread a net or a trap along the stake bank. This is done so that the fish do not cross the pile bank but follow it to the point where the net is set. The stakes are made in two rows in a spiral shape, and the net is spread along the two rows of stakes to form a “maze”, or some people make it in a V shape, so that the fish cannot jump out. At the narrowest point of the two edges of the net, the fish trap maker will spread a net or place a basket (a tool to hold fish), so that the fish can jump in and still survive.

People use nets to catch fish from a basket at the end of the trap (Photo: Chuc Ly).

According to Mr. Truong Nhat Dang (Ward 1, Ca Mau City, Ca Mau Province), his family often catches a lot of fish in the canal from a trap placed there. On rainy days when they visit the trap, there are even more fish.

“A few days ago, my family caught a large school of catfish. There were a lot of fish and it took almost no effort. Some of them weighed nearly 5kg and were up to 1m long,” Dang shared.

The "giant" fish were caught from Dang's family's trap (Photo: Chuc Ly).

Many people have earned a good income from making fish traps on the river. During the rainy months, when the water level in the canals rises, people catch a lot of fish. The fish trap business is very leisurely, “playing” but “earning real money” and never losing money.

According to danviet