How do you catch snapping turtles?

[choschech]

Hi,

I tried to catch snapping turtles at Stearns Pond Friday last week, but returned empty-handed. I used 10/0 and 5/0 hooks with beef as a bait. I cast my lines at four different positions in the north-western part of the pond (west of Harold Parker Rd) on Friday evening. When I checked on them Saturday morning nothing had been caught.

I wonder why I did not catch anything. Was the temperature still too low? Or were the casting sites ill-chosen? (I cast my lines close to sites with shrubs and brushes in the water and placed the hooks around 18 feet from the shore.)

Does anyone have any idea what influenced my lack of success?


Best

choschech

[pikeking]

Try catching a bunch of  suckers or pan fish. Cut them up and put them on a big treble hook. I would put it close to shore and leave it. Don't make any noise or they will stay away. Good luck...

[GrizlyGarou]

Find running water, poke some holes in a can of cat food then tie a string to the can and drop it in the water.  Then, put your hooks down stream from that.  I've seen them go for stringers, too, but I'm not sure I'd want to catch one that way, he nearly flipped the kayak he was fishing from!

Also, it's illegal to leave any hook unattended in Mass.

[pikeking]

It's not illegal to leave a hook unattended in Mass. I asked that question last winter to a local Game Warden and he said it's up to you if you want to leave and trust everyone not to steal your stuff. It might be different for ice fishing, but that is when I asked him.

[GrizlyGarou]

It's not illegal to leave a hook unattended in Mass. I asked that question last winter to a local Game Warden and he said it's up to you if you want to leave and trust everyone not to steal your stuff. It might be different for ice fishing, but that is when I asked him.

You might want to ask a few more EPOs.  It's in the abstracts, no jug, toggle or trot line fishing.  A single line going to something on shore would be a toggle as soon as you walked away from it.  I called a district office a few years back and asked about it for trying to catch snapping turtles, that's who told me about the can of cat food up-stream trick, too.

[pikeking]

I would have the bait on a large fishing rod with heave braided line. That would be one of my 2 rods in the water.

[choschech]

Thanks for all the advice!

@GrizlyGarou: Could you refer me to the regulations you are talking about?

[GrizlyGarou]

Thanks for all the advice!

@GrizlyGarou: Could you refer me to the regulations you are talking about?

It's right in that magazine-looking thing they give you when you buy your license, unless you bought it on-line then you have to go looking for it.  Here's the link.  http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/regulations/abstracts/hunt_fish_abstracts.pdf  They call it page 13, but I'm not sure if they counted the cover page or not.  As far as I know, it's never legal in Mass. to leave a hook unattended in the water, but I'm sure some of the EPOs are going to feel differently about enforcing it than others would, and the fines/penalties for getting caught probably aren't worth a snapping turtle...

[v menzone]

an old timer once told me a piece of red cloth just a 3in by 3in square 6 in from the bait would help attract them.

[LENZ]

why would anyone want to catch a snappin turtle?

burp

lenz

[ma_fisherman]

I was about to ask the same question as lenz.....why are you trying to catch a snapper??  Ive hooked up accidentally while fishing for bullheads with breadballs or bacon but they just kinda drag in, not much battle to em.......and usually they use their claws to rip the line once you get em close to shore.  If your just fishing em for sport thats your biz but realize that some of those bigger snappers are decades old and dont seem to bother n e one.....just my 2 cents....

[The Jigger]

Supposedly they are very good eating.

[Boomer]

When I was younger - some thirty-five years ago - I use to catch snapping turtles every year. You really do not need so much a big hook as you do a strong hook. I have had turtles bite a hook in two! Where legal (I am in Indiana) a chunk of fish can't be beat.

Have you seen turtles in the area you are fishing? Then try there. If you see them on the surface, then you may want to try this: Take a chunk of bluegill on a stout hook and place a big, round, red bobber on your line about three or four inches above the bait. Cast past the turtle then retrieve it back towards the head of the turtle. Twitch it gently. When the turtle dives under near the bait - stop moving the bait. Wait, wait, wait. If the turtle starts to move off with the bait, give line. When you set the hook, do it hard and start reeling. If the turtle gets into the mud . . . then you have a long wait ahead! Good luck . . . and yes, they are good to eat.When you get one, pm me and I will give you a hint on how to skin the critter.

[JDiperrio]

Only reason I would want to catch one of things is to break the state record of 70lbs I think  might be hard

[choschech]

Wow, I wouldn't have expected to get so many replies. Thanks for all your helpful comments!

I do indeed want to catch some turtles for stew.

@Boomer: I'll let you know once I've caught some.