# When turtles? attack......



## BottomBouncer (Jan 20, 2005)

I can only assume it was a turtle..... Okay, so a group of duck swim away from shore when I walk by...I'm fishing and watching them to avoid knocking one out with my moss frog. This duck seemingly gets sucked under and doesn't come back up.....not a baby duck.....I see a few bubbles every now and then..........no duck. There are some :B in there.......but I'd have to assume it was a turtle  

However, moments later I start seeing some tailing action within feet......I cast and spook something the made it look like someone launched a torpedo. The fins didn't have that orange/tan look that carp have......more of a dark, almost black color.


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## flathunter (Apr 5, 2004)

I dont know about turtles attacking ducks..However I did see a softshell turtle chase a 250-lb man, right dip?


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## Fishingislife (May 20, 2004)

turtle or a muskie?


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## bronzebackyac (Apr 19, 2005)

50 lb flathead?


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## spiff (Jun 3, 2004)

I read a historical book on the Ohio river and Cincinnati describing life in the mid-1800s. In it they talked about fishing for flatheads with dead chickens and cats on huge hooks under jugs in the rapids (back when there were rapids)... Flathead...


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## williambauman (Apr 11, 2005)

I'd bet a dollar to a doughnut that it was a big old catfish. :B


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## RWBlue (Feb 20, 2005)

Where? I want to catch a fish or aligator that can take out a duck.


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## Rod&Reel (Jun 4, 2005)

RWBlue said:


> Where? I want to catch a fish or aligator that can take out a duck.


Alligators aren't native to Ohio. If and I repeat IF you ever see one in the wild here in Ohio, it was a pet that either was released or escaped.


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## BottomBouncer (Jan 20, 2005)

I just stood there and watched. I've seen ducks go under and pop back up, or those birds that swim around under water and pop up like 20 yards from where they went under. This was a regular duck. Just floatin' with his buds and went straight under. Seriously......I stood there for about five minutes or so....thinking it would pop back up........never did, just a few bubbles here and there in the general area of about a hula hoop. There's rumors of large fish in there......but c'mon  :F


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## Thommes (Jun 6, 2005)

I knew I was using the wrong bait....


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## Rod&Reel (Jun 4, 2005)

I know LM bass are known for snatching ducks, but not adults just the babys. I have no clue what could have taken a adult duck outside of large cats, northern pike, and muskie.


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## dfoxfish (Apr 13, 2004)

i'd bet my last dollar it was a BIG kitty! :B


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## BottomBouncer (Jan 20, 2005)

Are you messin' with me or what  

Some of the guys talk about there being flatties in there that people have brought in......who knows........maybe one night I'll take some big goldfish....or a helicopter


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## easternflyfisher (Mar 27, 2005)

when i lived in AZ, at this big lake(roughly 1200 acres) if you watched the ducks in the middle of the lake at night youd see one go under, then see fins like a shark! it was amazing to watch this cat take out the ducks.


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## jdoz80 (Mar 17, 2005)

I bet it was a pike I have seen on the discovery channel were one took out a racoon


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## BottomBouncer (Jan 20, 2005)

i could see a musky.........but it would have to be huge....and the duck made no noise, just gone!


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## RiverRat (Apr 5, 2004)

BB....ducks, musk rats, small young beavers....all food for big ole flatheads...not uncommon at all.

Only other thing would be a musky, but i think there would have been more of an explosion on the water...a big flathead would just suck that duck down and be done with it.

Also, there are no PIKE in this area, unless you want to talk PICKERAL..but they dont get big enough to take on even a small baby duck around Columbus.

I think a turtle would grab part of the duck and try to pull it under, but i think again there would be more thrashing and flapping if this was the predator that struck.

IMO,
Scott


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## Banker (Jun 7, 2005)

"BB....ducks, musk rats, small young beavers....all food for big ole flatheads..."

....uuhhh....forget it....probably not good to get kicked off after just a month.....


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## BottomBouncer (Jan 20, 2005)

RR.......this is the same pond with that carp I'm targeting. Another guy that fishes there frequently has seen guys catch flatheads there. The guy that fishes for them always releases them back for another day. 

I might have to get my TLD Star out with a big ole' koi :F 


Duck? Gone. Just bubbles......... Followed by something large tailing, me casting and spooking it and a large wake. Sorry to repeat......but it was amazing to me


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## acklac7 (May 31, 2004)

RiverRat said:


> BB....ducks, musk rats, small young beavers....all food for big ole flatheads...not uncommon at all.


Banker I dunno if you were trying to insinuate that R.R. was full of fairy tails but indeed he is right....TOP predators such as the flathead and muskellunge (and bass...if there big enough) will often consume mammals for food.....I believe Spiff might have been reading "Fishes of Ohio"....It does mention how chickens and baby cats...(like kittens...NOT fish..lol) were commonly used as bait.

On another note...I was came across a post on a catfishing forum a while back....A number of people agreed that the reason MONSTER flatheads are rarely caught is due to the fact that they eat huge "dinners" only a few times per week... Even if you could find a way to rig up a 15lb carp to fish for a 70lb flathead, you would still have to find him when he's hungry....There is no doubht in my mind that a monster flathead would grab a duck for one of his "dinners"...easy picken's.....

Look at these flatheads....I bet any one of them could take an adult duck (maybe 2) no problem!


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## acklac7 (May 31, 2004)

RiverRat said:


> Also, there are no PIKE in this area, unless you want to talk PICKERAL..but they dont get big enough to take on even a small baby duck around Columbus.


It is a mystery to many (even the ODNR) but apparently there is a native population of Northern Pike above O'shay...Search the forum...there is some good info on where/when to find them.


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## leckig (May 11, 2005)

Are there N. Pikes at Alum? Friend of mine tells he got one on the spillway there, 8-pounder. I have to see the picture - he has some.


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## Banker (Jun 7, 2005)

99.9% sure it was a musky. I too though wonder if there is a pike or two swimming around in alum...wouldn't surprise me....


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## BottomBouncer (Jan 20, 2005)

I wonder why pike are not stocked anywhere in Ohio?


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## Rod&Reel (Jun 4, 2005)

BottomBouncer said:


> I wonder why pike are not stocked anywhere in Ohio?


You and me both. I would love to fish for them. I don't know about stocking, but they are in northern Ohio.


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## Banker (Jun 7, 2005)

I would guess bc ohio is not an ideal place for them. it's too warm in the summers.


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## brandonjh00 (Nov 2, 2004)

You can catch them up in cleveland area, I caught a few in the rivers in the fall while fishing for steelheads. They must come down from Canada, maybe if they keep swimming downstream, they'll make it to Columbus! 

And then again, maybe I'll catch the state record bass at Alum in the middle of the afternoon on a weekend, off of a 40' boat with twin 250's trolling at full speed using an inline spinner!


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## Banker (Jun 7, 2005)

A.J. (acklac7),

I was not insinuating that. Get your mind *in* the gutter and reread...

banker


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## brandonjh00 (Nov 2, 2004)

I've heard that there used to be divers that would clear debris from the o'shea dam until a few years ago because the divers went down, saw the size of the catfish feeding by the dam, and wouldn't get back in, left without pay.


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## Rod&Reel (Jun 4, 2005)

brandonjh00 said:


> I've heard that there used to be divers that would clear debris from the o'shea dam until a few years ago because the divers went down, saw the size of the catfish feeding by the dam, and wouldn't get back in, left without pay.


I personnally ignore those storys. I have heard the same exact story about divers at Hoover. Divers go down, one feels a rush of water movement from behind. Turns around to a fish with a mouth big enough to walk in. Swan to surface, got out and wouldn't get back in ect. ect. ect. Also heard the same storys about the Ohio river. I see it like this. If these storys were true, then WE would be on their menu and we would have proof by now and not just folk tells. To each their own if anybody really believes these storys, but I choose not to. I would even go as far as saying if these storys were true, then a small boat (like a yak) would look like food at the surface and be hit by now. After all, that would make them as big if not bigger than sharks and we know that we are on the sharks menu. Just look at the poor 14 year old girl that was just killed by a bull shark and a few days later a boy was attacked about 80 miles from first attack.


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## acklac7 (May 31, 2004)

Lol banker....I didn't catch it...sorry...sometimes I get 2 serious I guess (sorry If I came off wrong)....Small young " ".....what a choice of words... .............BTW I think I saw you canoe-ing today....You have a (white?) canoe w/ a trolling motor?....Pretty sure it was you.


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## Banker (Jun 7, 2005)

you didn't come off wrong at all...just thought you missed it. BTW I enjoyed the historical picture you provided. Crazy how much things have changed in just 150 years("your job for today will be to go out and catch humongous flatheads"). Did not fish today. My canoe is green and has a small trolling motor (when we use it)attached to a cut off 2X4 with C clamps (not that you're gonna notice that from a distance). If anyone here thinks they see me please stop over. Usually fish with my brother. Other than Pete Yeh who I ran into on the scioto one day, I have not met any other OGF's. I'd like to put some faces to the names and make some new friends. Places you might run into me with the canoe would be Alum(though I think I'm puttin alum on hold for a while have not done well there the last 2-3 times), Hoover (only fished it once so far but did pretty good and plan to hit it up more), O Shay or the Scioto (probably without the motor). Other than that I wade the olentangy up north. I do plan to be checking out new areas too. Also got a pond I fish but its unfishable right now - completely covered with weeds. Haven't tried late evening/night bassin it yet though. Got a couple weedless frogs ready to go(its loaded with frogs).


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## FUENTEJPS (May 19, 2005)

Rod&Reel said:


> I personnally ignore those storys. I have heard the same exact story about divers at Hoover. Divers go down, one feels a rush of water movement from behind. Turns around to a fish with a mouth big enough to walk in. Swan to surface, got out and wouldn't get back in ect. ect. ect. Also heard the same storys about the Ohio river. I see it like this. If these storys were true, then WE would be on their menu and we would have proof by now and not just folk tells. To each their own if anybody really believes these storys, but I choose not to. I would even go as far as saying if these storys were true, then a small boat (like a yak) would look like food at the surface and be hit by now. After all, that would make them as big if not bigger than sharks and we know that we are on the sharks menu. Just look at the poor 14 year old girl that was just killed by a bull shark and a few days later a boy was attacked about 80 miles from first attack.


i heard that same story bout clendening, the divers seeing big flattys on the ledges toward bottom of the dam.


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## mojo (Apr 12, 2004)

the dnr did a large stocking of northern pike in 91 and 92 throughout most lakes and reservoirs in ohio but they stopped after 2 years because of low survival. Too warm. Every now and then they still pop up but natural reproduction of those original fish is believed to be very low. There are some in the rivers up here, i've caught them in the ottawa, swan creek, and there is an "ok" population in the maumee. I've pulled some out of erie as well. One thing that never made sense to me is why are there so many pike in michigan lakes just a few miles north of here? I know a man made lake has some large differences to the natural kettle lakes of that area but i wouldn't think the temps are different enough to cause such a change in survival.


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## brandonjh00 (Nov 2, 2004)

saw this fliiping through an old magazine today....thought you might like it.....


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## MLAROSA (May 20, 2004)

I've seen a similar picture regarding a huge flathead attempting to eat a volleyball.

I actually believe I saw the picture on this site, sometime ago.

A couple summers ago Dad and I got really into catching turtles. Once in awhile we would come to a pond that was covered with feathers, with the assumption that a turtle got ahold of a duck. I would have to agree, that if a turtle was the one who ate your duck, there would have been a great deal of thrashing and fighting going on. Whatever ate your duck, had to have had a mouth big enough to swallow the prey, or else there would have been a rather large fight.


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