re: what is the best way to catch snapping turtles

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Said, as a kid he tried but never had luck. Based on the info I got though, Neg Lake is where we need to be.

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that's what I was thinking too


and it' "Old Lake" now

W, I'm known for being VERY observant. From our emails, I've been tickled by how observant of things you are. In some instances, more than me.

Here's one for ya. I cleaned one of the turtles yesterday since I'm running out of vacancy. I cleaned one that had swallowed a hook and I couldn't remove it.

I was interested in seeing what would happen. I've heard bass and gators have stomach acid that will dissolve them. He was going to "pass" it. It had made it through to the final tract. Not sure if it would've fit through his azz but it made it that far.

When I killed him I examined his mouth to try to get better insight on hook type/size. I plan to do the same with the big one. I can't use the bullet to kill them when I do this and why it's noteworthy.

This pic is not the best but next time you clean one, check it out and I'd be interested in hearing your take. I'll withhold mine until you do so you won't be biased by my opinion.

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Kicking some major arse now!
Now I'm really motivated!

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My dad used to tell me, "When you work, WORK. When you want to play, don't try to work."

You lost focus a bit this weekend. That pew say will do that, it's ok. But now get ur azz back in the trenches and go get 'em!

If worse comes to worse my wife is going to Houston this weekend- you may have to come meet me.

I caught those in a cow pond against a bayou btw.

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Hell I had never heard any names so imagine how shocked I was to hear him say that TWICE and there were some brothers behind us, I swear. Of course you know he didn't use the word I did either.

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I'm not surprised at all, there's 4 lakes total out there then the bayou runs along the back side and a few hundred acres of rice fields that's currently flooded

I've been lurking on this thread for a while, hesitant to post because I am a selfish individual and don't like to help people catch something I enjoy persuing more than anything (sex included). Since you boys have pretty much everything covered, I'll add my piece.

If you are in a place that is conducive for nets, they usually will catch 4x more turtles than hooks IF you set the nets right. You have to "make" the turtle go in the net, just like you make a fox/coon/cat step on a leg trap. Brush it in well on all sides so that the only way to the bait is at the throat of the net.

I fish hooks as well, and since switching to a 8/0 circle hook I have not lost a turtle on a line. They will get hooked in the corner of the mouth just like a red snapper.

I like to keep my turtles alive for a couple days before killing them. I put them in a tub or ice chest full of ice, and keep them as cold as possible without killing them. They'll crap out all kinds of stuff, and the guts won't stink as much when you're cleaning them.

The ice bath also makes them a lot easier to handle. They slow down and end up being pretty easy to let the kids pose with. It's a good way to teach the kids about turtles.

When they are in their ice-induced stupor, you can either grab the bottom lip with a pair of pliers, or hook, and stretch his neck out to chop it off. If you throw him back in the ice for a couple hours before skinning he will not be as tense and be easier to skin.

Lastly, my occupation has allowed me many years to research and converse with other scientists about the habits and biology of alligator snapping turtles. Don't let anyone tell you "oh that turtle is a dinosaur, you shouldn't kill it." The fact is, most alligator snapping turtles grow to around 30 pounds in their first 5-7 years. After that the growth slows slightly. A 100 lb turtle very well may be 100 years old, but 30-50 years is more likely. People in Louisiana have hunted turtles for hundreds of years, and only been regulated here in the last half-century. The fact so many people have been successful catching them lately is a testament to the species' deceivingly high population. Keep on cooking 'em.

good info right there, thanx ten

i've only put out 4 lines since i started this thread, mainly bc i cant find a good spot close enough to the house, but i ended up catching one, but i like seein the pics of the ones yall are catching... good stuff

I target pretty much just alligator snappers. I'll take a common snapper any day, but they don't really make my sticker peck out like a big ole alligator snapper.

Regarding the hooks, I should have said I haven't had an instance where I had a turtle on a line and lost him since I swapped hooks. I used to have a problem with the big ones bending my hooks. I would find where a big snapper had taken a hook and bent it up like a cowboy hat bill. They can't bend that circle hook like that. I've tried some smaller hooks that are designed to allow the turtle to swallow them, but then you have a problem of the line running through his mouth. I've had a couple chew through a line (#24 coated).

I usually don't keep a turtle under 10 lbs, so my ratio might be different than most. That being said, I probably clean more males than females.

Now softshells are a different story. Almost all of them I clean are females, as the males don't really get big enough for me to bother fooling with.

I don't keep them because I want them to grow up. The same reason I don't shoot 1.5 yr-old deer and jakes. As long as you aren't using SS hooks they should be fine. I've found all kinds of stuff in their stomachs: Acorns, big chunks of wood, pieces of metal, shell pieces of other turtles (best I could tell), plastic, and other things. They'll eat anything I think. Something like that would be extinct if they didn't have the capability of processing all that crap. Like I said earlier, I hook them in the mouth with circle hooks now, so I don't have a problem with that. That being said, I catch 80% of mine in nets these days.