# Snapping turtle



## Alaskariverrat (Mar 13, 2006)

Today was back at the Chagrin attempting to find one more steelhead. There were lots of BIG carp swimming around and lots and lots of bass jumping and rolling. NOt sure how to get them to bite. I am estimating a couple of the carp as over 35 inches. I caught three today with the biggest being 24 inches. Also found an 18 inch male steelhead swimming to shore on its side near death. It had a hole in it from either a gun shot or arrow or a hawk talon. Not sure. 

Right before I was ready to go I looked on shore because I saw movement. It was a huge turtle moving on shore. I quickly set my rod down and grabbed it on its shell. The turtle was deceptively heavy. It was thrashing, kicking, and attempting to bite me. I put it in my fishing net and went to fetch my camera. I took several photos of it in the net and measured it. Its shell was 30.25 inches by 21.5 inches. This is not including the head nor tail. It had a pre-existing crack that had fused back in place. I also weighed the turtle in the net -- it topped out my Berkley scale which only goes to 50 lbs. I suspect the turtle weighed close to 70 to 80 lbs or more. After about five minutes of me toying with it I let it free. Are snapping turtles this big around here -- do people eat them? I will send the photos tomorrow.


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## peple of the perch (Sep 13, 2004)

thats a big turtle. some people eat turtles but u have to find out with ones r the kind u can keep


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## joel_fishes (Apr 26, 2004)

I wouldn't eat anything that old. Something that big has been around a long time and has seen the good and bad times of pollution in Erie.

Joel


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

Turtle are good eating but one that size I would not have nay idea how it would taste. I wold have done what you did nad released it. I have eaten many turtles before but one that old deserves to stay out there in my mind.

By the way, I have never seen any turtles that even come close to that size. The largest that I have dealt with were in the 25-30# range.

I hope your pictures turn out and if so hopefully you post them here for us to see.


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## River Dweller20 (May 24, 2005)

Alligator snapping turtles further down south get big like that, but I have never heard of a snapping turtle in this part of the country getting that big. The average ones I see are 10-12 pounds, but I have caught 20-25 pounders before. Even though they are kind of a nuisance for ponds, I think they're really cool. I was watching a show on either the Discovery Channel or Animal Planet and they tested the bite force of certain animals and the alligator snapper was second in the psi of it's bite to a nile croccodile. This beat, a lion, a hyenha, a great white shark, and several other animals. Watch your fingers!


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

Good point River Dweller! One that size would take fingers if he got the chance. And don't underestimate their reach and quickness. That is a mistake you could really pay the price for.


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## Shortdrift (Apr 5, 2004)

I caught one in Canada about 40 years ago that was 55 pounds. He tried to crawl out of the boat so I used the oar to push him back. He took a wedge bite out of that oar like it was cheese! Those big snappers could probably remove a hand at the wrist and fingers would be like nothing.

We get migratory male snappers in the front lake each Spring about this time as they are looking for females. They end up eating the ducklings which we have a problem with. I have caught several in the last couple years with the largest being 28 pounds. Going to purchase some chichen gizzards todat and set some lines.


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## River Dweller20 (May 24, 2005)

bkr43050 said:


> Good point River Dweller! One that size would take fingers if he got the chance. And don't underestimate their reach and quickness. That is a mistake you could really pay the price for.


Yeah, they are quick. One I caught about 25 pounds last summer, well I reeled it in and my father reached down to cut the line and it, no kidding, jumped off of its front legs, stretched out his neck, and almost got him. Nasty dude!


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## gonefishing8807 (Dec 5, 2005)

my dad did stuff with bulldozers and other machinory(sp) as his hobby/2nd job and one time a guy wanted him to clean out his pond after it had been drain and my dad was bulldozing the bottom and push a HUGE snapper out a a hole it had dug he said it had to wiegh 100 pounds and my dad isnt a weak guy by any means didnt have any measured ments of it because my dad didnt want to get bite so he just moved it out of the way and went back to work and never saw it again.


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## Sir Gallon Hat (Sep 1, 2005)

Biggest one I've ever seen, even bigger than the southern Ohio ones, was over at the north chagrin reservation's oxbow. This monster was the size of a small tortouse. First I saw its head come out and thought it might have been a large beaver at first, then it began to crawl up into the reeds beside me.He must've been 34 inches long. I didn't wait around to scrutinize. Pretty much packed up my tackle in 10 seconds and high-tailed it outta there 

Any idea how long these things live?


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## archman (Apr 30, 2004)

I saw one on the Cuyahoga on Sunday that might have been that big, too. It scared the crap out of me.


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## peple of the perch (Sep 13, 2004)

i got a small snapper yesterdaay while fishing a pond


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

Sir Gallon Hat said:


> Any idea how long these things live?


 I read something recently that said they could live 50+ years.


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## peple of the perch (Sep 13, 2004)

there r some turtles that can live a hundred years


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## Alaskariverrat (Mar 13, 2006)

Wow -- lots of responses -- I have not read all the responses, yet. But will do so this evening. Here is a photo at: http://www.ohiogamefishing.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=13913&size=big&sort=1&cat=500 

To get a scale my fishing nets net are one inch squares. The turtle tore up my net with its claws and biting and when I tried to pick it up in the bent it in half. I am in the market for a new fishing net. I do think this turtle was over 50 lbs but I am skeptical about it being over 70 given the photo. I guess I am not sure, but I will tell my grandkids that it was 300lbs  

I have a photo where I am holding the turtle up but it gives away the location. I do suspect it is very old and would like to let it live as long as possible and spread its genes. 

Today. a guy that was fishing told me he saw a "turtle as large a five gallon barrel swimming around." I also saw the turtle again near the shore but it was more cautious. It may be a female wanting to lay eggs on shore. 

A close up photo of the face:
http://www.ohiogamefishing.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=13912&size=big&sort=1&cat=500


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## tmccunn (Mar 21, 2006)

Thats insane. I didnt think you would find any that size on the chagrin. What area of the chagrin did you see run into him?


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## vkutsch (Oct 28, 2005)

River Dweller20 said:


> Yeah, they are quick. One I caught about 25 pounds last summer, well I reeled it in and my father reached down to cut the line and it, no kidding, jumped off of its front legs, stretched out his neck, and almost got him. Nasty dude!


Playing golf in florida, there was a small (10-15lb) aligator snapper crawling across the fairway. After poking at it with a putter (and getting a nice bite mark in the handle) for a little bit, it launched at me COMPLETELY off the ground, about a foot the air, neck stretched out aiming for my crotch- surprised the hell out off me. Never knew turtles could jump! needless to say, we left it alone and were more careful getting balls around water hazards.


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## liquidsoap (Oct 22, 2005)

vkutsch said:


> Playing golf in florida, there was a small (10-15lb) aligator snapper crawling across the fairway. After poking at it with a putter (and getting a nice bite mark in the handle) for a little bit, it launched at me COMPLETELY off the ground, about a foot the air, neck stretched out aiming for my crotch- surprised the hell out off me. Never knew turtles could jump! needless to say, we left it alone and were more careful getting balls around water hazards.



WOW I bet that was fun!

At piedmont in september I was fishing for channel cats with chicken liver under a float. My bobber was standing straight up and went under for about a second I though I was seeing things so I let it go.
About a minute later I see the bobber go side ways and start moving real slow. Then it stayed at a slant. After about 20 minutes of watching it, I yanked, it was a 30+ pound snapping turtle. Only one I ever caught, and I some how managed to get my hook back dont ask how!


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## big fish (Oct 9, 2005)

dang that thing looks mean. well after readin this stuff about snappers im NEVER swimming were i know there in there


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## creekwalker (May 23, 2004)

Alaskariverrat said:


> ...I have a photo where I am holding the turtle up but it gives away the location.


How about touching up the photo and remove the background and post it? I would like to see another picture of it from a little farther away. Looks like a really large one, but still hard to tell from the photos posted.

I grew up in Southern Ohio and used to jug fish for catfish and turtle. Caught quite a few nice ones, but nothing that approached 50lbs. I would estimate 35lbs at the largest I've personally caught.


CW


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## flypilot33 (Feb 9, 2006)

I know some people who eat them and they keep them in a container and don't feed it for a few days then kill it. They say that that cleans it out good. If you do eat it, after you cut the head off watch out, it will still bite your finger off (after cut off) for 24 hours or more sometimes.


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

I have eaten many turtles over the years and used to sell it to a local restaurant as college income several years back. I never took the time to pen them and filter them out. I never had a problem with the taste so I never felt the need to do so.

They will definitely continue to bite by reflex even after the head is severed for a while. However they will not do it for 24 hours or anywhere close to that. Their involuntary movement is much like that of a snake when it has been killed.


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## flypilot33 (Feb 9, 2006)

I personally have seen one that still bit over 24 hours after its head was chopped off. I have many witnesses.


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## cummins_man (May 16, 2006)

Wow, if that's a big net That's a big turtle.

Last year coming out of our pond I saw a turtle the I don't think would fit into our small wheelboro. I don't know what that would have gone 50lb or more I would think.

My uncle years ago had a snapper like that in the back of his pickup. He poked it with a wood broomstick on it's tail and that snapper's head reached all the way back and snapped the handle in two. (it also scared the sh#@ out of me).

You are lucky to have all of your body parts still attached.


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## MBI (Jun 5, 2006)

Looking to trap turtle in Ohio, any good locations with an abundance would be appreciated.


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

By trap I assume you are referring to setting lines? I would suggest that you find a local stream of any size and obtain permission to set lines. I say any size because I am not sure that most folks realize how many nice size turtles can live in a stream not much larger than you what you can jump across. Once you have access concentrate on any areas that have undercut or overhanging banks as well as any logjam areas. These areas provide the residence for the turtles. My dad used to hunt them the crazy way by feeling for the under the banks and brush and pulling them out blindly by hand. Having gone with him so many years I was able to really spot the areas where they lurk. He always wanted me to keep the craft going to the next generation but I preferred the set lines method as I cherish my fingers too much.


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## Dougerus (May 26, 2004)

My grandfather use to tell me stories about guys using that reach under the bank method, they told him they allways go in head first so you are grabbing them from behind. I just don't buy it and have no desire to find the one that backed in there. Was also told the story about a kid that had a foot bitten off by a mean old turttle in the little Muskingham, I saw the shell of that made a nice lawn ornament for many years would say it was as big a a normal wheelbarrow.


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

Dougerus said:


> My grandfather use to tell me stories about guys using that reach under the bank method, they told him they allways go in head first so you are grabbing them from behind. I just don't buy it and have no desire to find the one that backed in there.


 Trust me they don't all pull in the parking spot the same way. My dad pulled several out by the head because he would find their shell with his hand and then feel the nose up on his wrist or forearm. He never lost any fingers and I don't believe he had any more than a couple of small chunks nipped out over the many years of doing it, probably nearly 30 years.


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## cummins_man (May 16, 2006)

Anyone wanting to catch turtles can email me. If you're local to Mantua we can probable work something out so you can trap on my property.


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