GEDC0086

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Comment by Michael on June 17, 2012 at 9:08pm

Plenty of monsters in the local river system I fish. Have caught a few while bottom fishing rotten meat for catfish. Was fishing the local river for trout last year when a water rat was crossing the river and a snapping turtle shot its face, head, and mouth like a bullet to grab the rat!

Comment by Leo Nguyen on June 17, 2012 at 6:05pm

Hm..surprise you didn't turn it into turtle soup, or kabob. Mmmmm...

Comment by Allen Morgan on June 17, 2012 at 1:48pm

Drag them up onto the bank.  Flip them over with a stick.  Pin the turtle on it's back with your foot.  Using a long de-hooking tool, remove the hook.  Flip the thing upright and let it go.

Of course, there were a few turtles that I've caught over the years that got released with the hook still in them.  They just did NOT want my forceps anywhere near their mouth.

Now, something like that, I'd deal with one of two ways:

1)  Cut the line and let it go.

2)  .357 to the head, into the cooler, and process for gumbo.  Here in OK, you're allowed to keep 6 turtles/day, as long as they aren't protected.

Comment by Frank Ribble on June 17, 2012 at 9:22am

CAUGHT & RELEASED THIS TURTLE THIS WEEK. HE HAD A VERY BAD ATTITUDE. LIKES EATING CREEK CHUBS. TRIED TO USE HIS CLAWS TO GET OFF BUT I HAD A STEEL LEADER & A 4/0 OCTOPUS HOOK. WHAT IS THE CORRECT METHOD FOR LANDING A TURTLE? I LIKE MY FINGERS.