There's plenty of opinions...here's mine. If you're on shallow spots, flats work great. Jettys, eel grass beds, rocks, shoreline, shopping carts

, sunken boats

, etc...easy for the bug to enter a flat trap, then pull your trap up quick and steady. They'll either hold on to the netting and come up for the ride or they kick around trying to escape. The faster you pull, the better your chances of them not shooting out during the haul up.
If you're in deeper water, maybe 20' and more, I definitely prefer conicals. Someone mentioned it in another post. There's nothing better than feeling the thump of a larger bug trying to exit a conical, but they actually get caught up in the fold of the net. I've got to think bugs shoot out of flat traps fairly easily as they are pulled from any depth...Jim
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