# Turtle Line Live Action



## TurtleJugger (Jun 2, 2013)

The last few days have been crazy. The plan this week was to start my turtle line. My friend Wes and I started the first day if turtle season,July 1st. First we Went to a private pond I knew would produce bluegills and sunfish and caught bait for the jugs and bank lines. We set out lines at a local marsh and threw jugs out at a country pond. That evening we checked our lines with no success but had two channel cats on juggs.











It was a lot of fun chasing those jugs down in a Jon boat. The next day we checked the lines again and caught three more channel cats on the jugs. Took the Jon boat out Stonelick and caught more bait for the next few days.











Today we went out this morning to check the lines. the weather was great and we had a good feeling about the day. Checked the first set of lines only to discover empty hooks and a tore up line. Snapper must have been on the line and got off during the night. We jumped in the Jon boat and paddled through the pads and black water to the next set of bank lines. We pull the boat up and notice a bank line bouncing around over the water. In excitement we pull the turtle up and it was the biggest turtle I've ever delt with. A huge snapper pushing 40 pounds was on the other end of the line and fighting hard. He digs into the mud and snaps a 60lb steel leAder. I was heart broken and had a sinking feeling In my gut. That would have been the biggest turtle to date for me. Bummed out we checked the next line. my buddy Wes started pulling the line in and brings up a barely legal snapper at 13 1/2 in. 









After all the excitement we headed home and I got ready for work. We hit up a add on craigslist about free snapping turtles and was picked to come out and take the turtle out of the guys ponds. We threw jugs out this morning and got a phone call a few hours ago telling me that one of the jugs were bouncing. My buddy drives there and checks it out. He pulled this little guy out.









We plan to relocate him away from the home owners private pond. This year has started out good but hoping we get into the snappers soon. Really killed me to lose that tank today but hopefully I'll have him by the end of the summer! 

Just a FYI I will remove snapping turtles from private ponds for free. Hit me up and I'll remove any unwanted snappers.


----------



## canoe carp killer (Apr 2, 2014)

What do u do with them when u catch them?


----------



## TurtleJugger (Jun 2, 2013)

We fry or stew them. We eat then lol. I checked the lines again today with no luck. I think this cold spell is affecting their movement. 

I have some videos up on Facebook about how I do my lines ect. Check em out. I'm Zach Coriell on Facebook.


----------



## canoe carp killer (Apr 2, 2014)

I don't have Facebook but I would live to see a video of how u clean them and what the process is. I've wanted to try cooking it myself for a while now now and never have


----------



## TurtleJugger (Jun 2, 2013)

There is awesome videos on YouTube on how to clean them


----------



## greghal (Aug 22, 2013)

Looks like alot of fun TJ nice turtles and nice cats. Every time I cleaned turtles I usually cut myself with the fillet knife., but they sure are good to eat. I don't know how something so smelly can taste so good, kind of like hogs lol.


----------



## leftfordead88 (Oct 22, 2007)

Nice pictures man! I too have been setting bank lines since the 1st but haven't gotten anything yet this year. Been using steak and fish heads. 
I just pulled my lines from a certain area because some low life's decided to cut my lines so they could fish in that specific spot And to top it off they left all their trash there , which wasn't there the day before when I went and rebated. ( bc I took a trash bag and cleaned up the entire area a couple days prior ) but, that's hamilton for ya. 

I'm going to set all new lines in a creek tomm. So hopefully I'll have some in the purge tank soon.


----------



## TurtleJugger (Jun 2, 2013)

Keep at it! I use my Jon boat to get around where I set my bank lines so I'm not worried much about thieves. People don't respect anyone anymore. There is no sportsmanship in people today except a few. Every time I go to my spots on the lake there is always new trash. 

Hey who else on here runs set lines or juggs?


----------



## leftfordead88 (Oct 22, 2007)

TurtleJugger said:


> Keep at it! I use my Jon boat to get around where I set my bank lines so I'm not worried much about thieves. People don't respect anyone anymore. There is no sportsmanship in people today except a few. Every time I go to my spots on the lake there is always new trash.
> 
> Hey who else on here runs set lines or juggs?



Yeah man I should take my kayak out to lay them and check them. But I do keep them out of easy access spots as to not get in other peoples ways. But I guess certain people are going to do what they want to anyways. Wasn't there a thread on here not to long ago about someone saying " legal or not, they cut all bank lines and trot lines.)?? yeah. People like that .


----------



## TurtleJugger (Jun 2, 2013)

If I ever see anyone cutting my lines,it's a call to the game warden for sure. I had to call the game warden over the winter about someone shooting possums in my traps. Had a dude set off all my traps then threw my bait in the creek. He didn't steal anything but made it clear he didn't like trapping. Some people don't understand what it is to be a backwoods man.


----------



## Ant (Mar 27, 2013)

been a while since I set any turtle lines.I love turtle.How do you do youre tags for the lines?I may get some out this summer.


----------



## TurtleJugger (Jun 2, 2013)

I made plastic tags with my information on them for trapping and turtle seasons. I just tape the tags on the line


----------



## leftfordead88 (Oct 22, 2007)

I write my name and address on duct tape with a sharpie and fold it in half over my lines


----------



## oldstinkyguy (Mar 28, 2010)

TurtleJugger said:


> . In excitement we pull the turtle up and it was the biggest turtle I've ever delt with. A huge snapper pushing 40 pounds was on the other end of the line and fighting hard. He digs into the mud and snaps a 60lb steel leAder.


Long time ago, I caught a big snapper out of a pond, tied the line to an oarlock on my jon boat and loaded it into my truck. Well with it tied and having no give the turtle straightened out the hook and bailed out of the back of the truck going 60 down the highway.


----------



## TurtleJugger (Jun 2, 2013)

Holy crap! I heard they can climb truck beds. That was the biggest snapping turtle I've ever seen with my own eyes. Do you still go after turtles OSG?


----------



## leftfordead88 (Oct 22, 2007)

Checked my lines this morning , small snapper which I obviously released and nice 15 incher. Also caught a bullhead which I cut up and Rebaited with.


----------



## leftfordead88 (Oct 22, 2007)

http://cdn.imageserver.c-m-
g.us/ohiogamefishing_com/8/261075/11653-1404823718.jpg
http://cdn.imageserver.c-m-
g.us/ohiogamefishing_com/8/261075/11653-1404823739.jpg


----------



## leftfordead88 (Oct 22, 2007)




----------



## oldstinkyguy (Mar 28, 2010)

TurtleJugger said:


> Do you still go after turtles OSG?


No. I probably would if I had more time. This working thing is a drag. I like turtles for the same reason I like big catfish. They both have that prehistoric monster kind of thing going on.


----------



## TurtleJugger (Jun 2, 2013)

Wow nice catch! Good job! 

Yeah they look like dinosaurs and I always thought they looked like sea dragons.


----------



## deltaoscar (Apr 4, 2009)

About how much meat do you get off a 15" turtle. A pound or two?


----------



## Bandy (Mar 30, 2014)

Nice! 
Sucks to lose a big one like that. Stay at dude. 
Some monsters in Stonelick to be sure.


----------



## chadwimc (Jun 27, 2007)

I use pool floats for catfish and turles. I put an address label on them with clear packing tape for I.D.

Snapping turtles can be tough to clean...


----------



## BigDave (Jun 3, 2004)

deltaoscar said:


> About how much meat do you get off a 15" turtle. A pound or two?


No more like 10 - 12#. A 15" turtle will weigh 20-25#


----------



## leftfordead88 (Oct 22, 2007)

Got another huge snapper this morning in a river slough, pics coming soon, bigger than the one yesterday. Holy crap this thing took me 30 min to get in


----------



## leftfordead88 (Oct 22, 2007)

Here is the pics,, the one in my right hand had an almost 16 inch carapace and was wider and heavier than the 15 incher. Boy was that thing angry at me, I was in my waders in this river slough up to my waste in muck trying to force it out. Neither one of us were going out without a fight.


----------



## leftfordead88 (Oct 22, 2007)




----------



## LastShadow (Mar 16, 2013)

nice thread. I have never eaten snapping turtle, but a couple months ago I had never eaten Musky...now I am addicted. Is there a way to clean them so you can cook them whole on the grill? That would be awesome


----------



## Chemlab187 (Apr 29, 2007)

Turtle Balls

[ame="http://youtu.be/jKz8VNwxDso"]http://youtu.be/jKz8VNwxDso[/ame]


----------



## bmiller (Apr 19, 2011)

Turtlin is a whole lot more fun when you're wadin and reachin up under the bank for them. Thats when you get them fresh and not wore out and pissed from fighting the hook and line. We used to set lines all over the place down here then we started noodlin em and its a lot funner


----------



## TurtleJugger (Jun 2, 2013)

Those are some nice turtles. I caught a soft shell turtle today on the line.


----------



## leftfordead88 (Oct 22, 2007)

TurtleJugger said:


> Those are some nice turtles. I caught a soft shell turtle today on the line.



Nice one, god I hate soft shells though, I had a great big one purging out back 3 years ago and that ole boy escaped while I was at work one day and haven't seen it since.


----------



## Ant (Mar 27, 2013)

Was at a friends last night and over some brews decided to throw out some jugs got 3 in about an hour.


----------



## Breakaway (Jun 14, 2006)

That one on the left looks like he's thinkin about your leg. Lol

Sent from my DROID RAZR


----------



## leftfordead88 (Oct 22, 2007)

Breakaway said:


> That one on the left looks like he's thinkin about your leg. Lol
> 
> Sent from my DROID RAZR



http://cdn.imageserver.c-m-
g.us/ohiogamefishing_com/8/261075/11653-1405511263.jpg

He was, but now I'm think about his. Nom nom nom


----------



## leftfordead88 (Oct 22, 2007)




----------



## Bandy (Mar 30, 2014)

bmiller said:


> Turtlin is a whole lot more fun when you're wadin and reachin up under the bank for them. Thats when you get them fresh and not wore out and pissed from fighting the hook and line. We used to set lines all over the place down here then we started noodlin em and its a lot funner


Dude F that noise. I lile my fingers WAAAAAYYY to much for that crap. If your out doin that.......three things
#1 your nuts
#2 youve got massive stones of pure brass.
#3 I'll hold the light


----------



## Recneck (Mar 30, 2014)

Damn! Im new here and wasnt sure of the regulations...i released one that hooked pwrfectly with a circle hook in the corner of the mouth....he woulda been legal...bout 16 inches....


----------



## Recneck (Mar 30, 2014)

What do you do to kilæ em after ya catch em? Chop the head off?


----------



## leftfordead88 (Oct 22, 2007)

Recneck said:


> What do you do to kilæ em after ya catch em? Chop the head off?



Purge them for a week in clean water, chop the head off, claws , then skin and quarter


----------



## TurtleJugger (Jun 2, 2013)

.






























Been away from the forum for awhile. Been busy with work events and family obligations. Been keeping me from all the outdoor activities I love. Well I got back out there the last two weeks. Been gigging frogs and running turtle lines from my Jon boat. Feels good to be posting again and getting back to the swamps. Most of the turtles I've caught this week have been small guys but I did manage a nice keeper snapper. I threw a few top water frogs around the Lillie pads with no luck but looking to do some fishing again real soon. 

Glad to be back


----------



## leftfordead88 (Oct 22, 2007)

Awesome! Glad to have ya back! I might fry up some turtle tonight actually.


----------



## canoe carp killer (Apr 2, 2014)

Check out this video on YouTube:

[ame]http://youtu.be/Cj7xbujuaE8[/ame]

Gonna eat my first turtle in a few days!! I've been changing the water out and seems to be going ok so far.


Sent from my iPhone using Ohub Campfire


----------



## canoe carp killer (Apr 2, 2014)

Also, what is the best way to cook them?


Sent from my iPhone using Ohub Campfire


----------

