MyFishFinder Forum
MFF US Northeast => Vermont => Topic started by: loves2fish on Aug 02, 2012, 07:49 PM
-
ok so ive been wanting to go turtle fishing for a long time and i have heard of jug fishing for snapping turtles i really want some advice on how to catch them can anybody provide some pointers on how to catch them
-
I catch them by accident bass fishing all the time. They will hit a shiner for sure and seem to love wacky worms as well as other soft plastics. For me id go out and find the turtle and cast to it.
Heres a few. There not little
(https://www.myfishfinder.com/fishing_forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi961.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fae95%2Fmyfish%2Ff3fd01ab.jpg&hash=414f47aa356cec837c6e2645967b1756)
(https://www.myfishfinder.com/fishing_forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi961.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fae95%2Fmyfish%2F1dbc7f90.jpg&hash=d18c09221abca4aef6e77d60aa621213)
(https://www.myfishfinder.com/fishing_forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi961.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fae95%2Fmyfish%2F4c37492b.jpg&hash=9ef1ce74babbe5b0bebd63bafb67dd40)
-
wow that looks like a good one ive caught a few i was wondering about setting out jug lines and coming back a few days for them
-
I didnt mention anything about that because i dont know the laws and what not. Im pretty sure in ma. Its illegal to use unattended lines. I just gave you a few methods that would also work. Hope it works out for you.
-
thanks im from vermont and i dont believe there is a season on snapping turtles im going to try a variety of methods any tips are greatly appreaciated as well as locations
-
I have used a large, round bobber with a chunk of bluegill tail on it. Set the bait shallow - like six inches or less. Toss it towards a turtle you have spotted and reel it right in and stop! Twitch if necesary to get attention. I have caught my fair share on limb lines, trot lines and rod & reel.
As said above - CHECK LOCAL LAWS. No need to get in trouble. Cleaning one is another story but getting them in the boat and back to shore can be fun too. Go prepared. Where are you going to put a 25+lb snapping turtle in your boat???
-
Jug Lines are NOT legal in VT.
"Angling: Fishing by means of hook and line in hand or attached to a rod, or by casting or trolling artificial flies, lures or baited hooks, provided that the person angling does not take fish through the ice, from the ice or from any object supported by the ice. A person may take fish only by using not more than two lines of which he or she has immediate control. Each line may not have more than two baited hooks, or three artificial flies or two lures with or without bait."
http://www.eregulations.com/vermont/general-fishing-information/
-
ok thanks for the tips everybody i guess jug lines are out lol i thought they might be illegal in vt but didnt see them mentioned in detail also i noticed that nearly every state but vt has regulations on snapping turtles.
-
I've never heard of fishing for turtles. I wouldn't want to get the hook out of that mouth! Do you eat them?
-
i have never eaten them before ive heard they can be made into stew or deep fried and eaten that way i cant wait to try em out anybody ever eaten one and know where the best meat is
-
I catch them by accident bass fishing all the time. They will hit a shiner for sure and seem to love wacky worms as well as other soft plastics. For me id go out and find the turtle and cast to it.
Heres a few. There not little
(https://www.myfishfinder.com/fishing_forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi961.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fae95%2Fmyfish%2Ff3fd01ab.jpg&hash=414f47aa356cec837c6e2645967b1756)
(https://www.myfishfinder.com/fishing_forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi961.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fae95%2Fmyfish%2F1dbc7f90.jpg&hash=d18c09221abca4aef6e77d60aa621213)
(https://www.myfishfinder.com/fishing_forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi961.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fae95%2Fmyfish%2F4c37492b.jpg&hash=9ef1ce74babbe5b0bebd63bafb67dd40)
How's you get the hook out without getting bit? ;D
-
I cut the line or if u give him slack he can claw the hook out. They usually unhook themlselves there mouths are basically bone so there just wedged in until he gets slack line.
-
i've caught them over the years and they usually swallow the hooks making it hard for them to release the hook
-
We get them all the time on rod and reel all you need is fresh blood.
I pick up road kill if I can't get anything else.
If you have allot of turtles in a pond it wont take long to have one hooked with a dead bird for bait.
-
So, are guys eating them? I can't imagine they'd be a good fight for sport fishing?
-
im going to try eating them
-
i have never eaten them before ive heard they can be made into stew or deep fried and eaten that way i cant wait to try em out anybody ever eaten one and know where the best meat is
What we always regarded as the "best" meat was also the most difficult to get to. Once the turtle is completely dressed out, (not the easiest of tasks), there is a layer of white meat located under the vertebrae in the upper shell. It's not a very big piece of meat, say around 2" wide by 6" long. You will need a pair of sidecuts to cut it out.
Cleaning, or dressing a turtle will make you appreciate the ease by which we fillet fish.
-
i cant wait to catch them so your saying that i need more than one turtle to make a meal
-
Remember to let them sit in clean water for 24hrs. It cleans them out.
-
alive or dead ?
-
alive or dead ?
Alive. a garbage can works fine
-
i need to find a spot that is abundant in snapping turtles in vermont
-
Remember to let them sit in clean water for 24hrs. It cleans them out.
You are right... Drill a hole or two or more a foot from the top of the can.. Wire a hose so it runs clean cold water on slow for 24 hrs or even longer the better..
Watch some of these videos.... ;D
http://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=toolbar-instant&hl=en&ion=1&qscrl=1&nord=1&rlz=1T4GGHP_enUS459US459#hl=en&gs_nf=1&cp=20&gs_id=k&xhr=t&q=how+to+clean+a+snapping+turtle&pf=p&qscrl=1&nord=1&rlz=1T4GGHP_enUS459US459&biw=960&bih=463&sclient=psy-ab&oq=how+to+clean+a+snapp&gs_l=&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&fp=4038d5e34019968f&ion=1 (http://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=toolbar-instant&hl=en&ion=1&qscrl=1&nord=1&rlz=1T4GGHP_enUS459US459#hl=en&gs_nf=1&cp=20&gs_id=k&xhr=t&q=how+to+clean+a+snapping+turtle&pf=p&qscrl=1&nord=1&rlz=1T4GGHP_enUS459US459&biw=960&bih=463&sclient=psy-ab&oq=how+to+clean+a+snapp&gs_l=&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&fp=4038d5e34019968f&ion=1)
-
does anybody know where there is an abundent or maybe overpopulated population of turtles
-
http://www.ask.com/web?q=snapping%20turtle%20recipes&askid=7bb0f26b-0739-45ad-8b9d-95ea543d4330-0-us_gsb&kv=sdb&dqi=how%20to%20cook%20a%20snapping%20turtle&qsrc=999&o=11193&l=dir (http://www.ask.com/web?q=snapping%20turtle%20recipes&askid=7bb0f26b-0739-45ad-8b9d-95ea543d4330-0-us_gsb&kv=sdb&dqi=how%20to%20cook%20a%20snapping%20turtle&qsrc=999&o=11193&l=dir)
-
i have never eaten them before ive heard they can be made into stew or deep fried and eaten that way i cant wait to try em out anybody ever eaten one and know where the best meat is
It's all good but the back meat is the best. Use a garden hose and a hose clamp to expand the skin away from the meat before you clean them, it will save you a ton of time and make the cleaning go real quick. Wish we had some around here, they make great eating.
-
i want to thank everybody for the advice and tips
-
Im a turtle fan... =(
-
im not going to kill them for the sake of killing but to eat
-
Air compressor and make a turtle balloon,saw it on Andrew Zimmern on the travel channel.
-
theres a pond i fish alot that has at least a dozen huge snappers. thats mostly where i accidentally catch them. its not uncommon to see 2 25lb+ snappers sunbathing together on the rocks there.
-
but its in mass though isnt it
-
yes it is. i find more of them in small bodies of water than large. there may be more in the large bodies but they could be anywhere. try checking weedy places. they like to sit in them here and i usually find them 10 or shallower.
-
thanks for the tips i know a couple of farm ponds that arent very deep and arent very big but i bet are crawling with turtles. any tips on how to draw them in ?
-
You're getting all pumped and psyched to catch a big snapper, but bear in mind, not to be a buzz-kill, one wrong move or mistake when handling one, and you're going to the hospital without that finger, hand, or toe. They are not a docile animal. They will attack. Their jaws are like the jaws of life, and they don't let go. I have seen a snapper break a shovel handle. Be careful.
If I really needed to get a snapper, I'd lean more towards the .22 instead of a fishing pole.
-
When we catch a turtle, we place it in a galvanized horse watering trough for a week. Run about 3-4" of water in it, and change the water daily. Turtles are nasty critters, you want to give them some time to clean themselves out before you butcher them. Be sure the trough, or trash can, or whatever, is in the shade, and do not place it too close to the house.....the sound of turtle claws scraping against galvanized metal all night will drive you nuts.
We also use the water hose in the body cavity trick... (after beheading of course).... it really does make the process easier.
-
My son has been having a blast catching them this summer I set lines. Cut bluegill has worked well. Here are a couple of nice ones.
(https://www.myfishfinder.com/fishing_forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv160%2Fjdibble4726%2Fdeaf6314.jpg&hash=b0cbccd63e75255ec2d6d30ad0e6d791)
-
When i was in VT north hartland dam had quite a few big snappers as well as deweys pond in quechee and silver lake over in barnard. I dont know where you are in VT.