First read the first post in this topic:

http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1299975720/2#2

Jumpcut to this afternoon at almost the same location. Set hook on an ultimate bluegill bite, I get this back:

The ultimate bluegill looks like an ultimate piranha now.

I contacted Matt, and this is what he said.

"Hi Maiti I have seen this before and I am posative I know what caused it. You had a turtle bite the face of the lure off. That type of clean half cilcle cut can only come from something cutting into it and I have seen several that look just like yours. Guys have actualy seen turtles bite them like that."

This turtle has already made me lose 40 bucks, and I'm a poor man. I want revenge!

I used to catch turtles to sell them to people who made turtle soup. If you can set lines get some chicken liver or chunks of bluegill or carp and put them on a good sized treble hook and strong line and just set it out in the area and check back the next day. If you can't put out set lines, try the same approach but with a rod and reel while you're bass fishing. Chances are you'll catch the offender and make sure he's chewed his last swimbait  .

Thats pretty funny yet interesting. Never heard of that happening before. Sorry you are out 40 bucks

It sucks that that happened, but if I were you I wouldn't cut my losses with the bait just yet. If it still has the same swimming action as before, you can probably continue to use it and catch fish with it. Have you used it at all since the accident to see if it still swims correctly?

If you, and the other fishermen on that water, are lucky, it will swallow that chunk of plastic and it will block its intestines. You may have killed the beast without knowing it.

On the other hand, it may look more like an injured bluegill and net you more fish.  Paint its mouth red, and give it a try. 

It sucks that that happened, but if I were you I wouldn't cut my losses with the bait just yet. If it still has the same swimming action as before, you can probably continue to use it and catch fish with it. Have you used it at all since the accident to see if it still swims correctly?

It swims on its side, probably due to its present non-aerodynamic nature. It doesn't even sit properly on the bottom, it just flops on its side.

If you, and the other fishermen on that water, are lucky, it will swallow that chunk of plastic and it will block its intestines. You may have killed the beast without knowing it.

On the other hand, it may look more like an injured bluegill and net you more fish. Paint its mouth red, and give it a try.

It hasn't got a mouth at all, and it doesn't sit on the bottom like it's supposed to, just flops over; and swims on its side. I got a couple of old really beat up trout baits. I'll try to cut off the mouth from one of them and glue it to this one, and see how it works out.

That turtle already ate one of my original soft bluegills. If that didn't kill him, I wonder if this little piece of plastic will.

I'm sure there's more than one turtle in the lake.

Swimming on its side just makes it look more wounded and helpless if you think about it. Every time I've come across a dying shad it was flopping on its side struggling in the water. Same with bluegill. Then there's baits like the power tackle lateral perch...

Try fishing it on its side and see what happens first! 

I am sure it could have been a turtle...but when you start to think about that must have been just a little turtle to daintily nibble off the nose. 

A rat once told me that pizza is their only weakness....

I don't think killing the turtle, or anything else for that matter, will solve any problems for you. I would chalk it up to one of those things that happen and keep on fishin.

I am sure it could have been a turtle...but when you start to think about that must have been just a little turtle to daintily nibble off the nose.

Have you ever watched a turtle eat? It's pretty cool. They don't suck in their food like a fish, they just bite off whatever they can fit in their mouth and hopefully it'll cripple their prey enough that it can't swim away. If they can't bite all the way through it right away, they'll use their front claws to help tear it and push the rest of the prey away from their mouth.

My girl...

I am sure it could have been a turtle...but when you start to think about that must have been just a little turtle to daintily nibble off the nose.

Have you ever watched a turtle eat? It's pretty cool. They don't suck in their food like a fish, they just bite off whatever they can fit in their mouth and hopefully it'll cripple their prey enough that it can't swim away. If they can't bite all the way through it right away, they'll use their front claws to help tear it and push the rest of the prey away from their mouth.

My girl...

Yes, and actually I am almost terrified to swim in some waters with the big snappers i have hooked out of them.  Turtles really are pretty voracious- They are the one reason you will not see me sticking my hands in any underwater holes.   

I don't think killing the turtle, or anything else for that matter, will solve any problems for you. I would chalk it up to one of those things that happen and keep on fishin.

Just to clarify, the original post was made in half jest, half frustration.

I was just PO-ed that this happened on the third cast with the new bait.