I was out at my usual pond fishing a tube around a tree, and wow. I had a small bass hit my tube and set the hook like I normally do, and thought I had him. (normally I fish braid or fluoro, today I was using mono.) I drug that fish around for a good twenty or thirty seconds. He started to run for another tree and when I pulled to turn him, the tube shot back at me. The hook hadn't even been touched. He just grabbed the back end of the tube, and used me as a carnival ride. A bit frustrated (it was the second time today I didn't set my hook correctly) but none the less enthusiastic I continued to fish this tree. About my fourth cast to it, the line yanks I don't mean a lil tap tap, I mean it yanked like a human was pulling on it. Not to make the same mistake again I swung up on that rod like a angry gorilla. For a good ten minutes I fought this thing. It was like I had hooked a swordfish, only on a pond. I figured I had just got a new PB bass, until it got within four feet of shore. I caught the biggest snapping turtle I have ever seen. This beast was every bit of two feet from front of shell to back of shell, and had a head like a base ball. Man was Mr turtle mad. As I was trying to figure out how to retrieve my bait, we were eyeballing each other. I swear that turtle was saying come on big boy lip me like a bass. You know you want to. I'm sitting here thinking, wish I had my gun or a dang big stick. I reached for my camera to get a photo, and the line slackened enough that he popped the lure out of his mouth an swam off. Man was that a dang rush. Normally I woulda been bummed that it wasn't the huge fish I had originally thought it was, but hey I caught a giant snapping turtle.

I think I catch one It's coming home with me!! Either I'm going to try and cook it or find someone that knows how. I heard turtle has like 11 different flavors? I caught 2 big ones. 1 on wacky and the biggest had to be close to full size on a minnow. both American snappers. Never hook an Alligator snapper yet but have tried to remove one out the road before. By the time I was done my stick wasn't a stick no more. Boy was he mad and are I was trying to do was help. First thing I tried to do was reach down and grab him big mistakes snap at me and my brother heard them jaws from inside the car. He was probably close to 2- 2 1/2 feet tail to head.

Back to you post. I like your write up, nicely done. Did you still fish the lure or was it ruin? Sucks you couldn't get a photo. Congrats on the turtle PB!!!

The lure was actually still in good shape. Had to retie, but I kept fishing it. I thought for sure that tube would have been destroyed. The durability really shocked me. Back when I was a kid my buddy and I found a alligator snapping turtle in the creek by the house. He wasnt but about a foot maybe foot in a half long. That was the meanest turtle I've ever met. We found some metal grate and shoed him on it with some pipe. We were trying to bring him home, don't really remember why now. Probably to try and keep him as a pet. Anyway, I slipped and the turtle fell off the grate. Dang thing about took a chunk outta of me. Haven't been that close to one again until yesterday.

Wow I bet that had to be painful. Luckily I've not been bite yet. The last one I caught that I mention on wacky was an American snapper but I caught him from the boat. Got him at the boat he might be 2-2 1/2 long and was think about putting him in boat till line snapped. After that I was thinking to myself yea how your going to get him out?? After since the Alligator gator snap at me I won't touch them again. I don't know how to handle them so I won't try to pretend I do again, lol. Here's the one I caught on wacky.

That is quite the nice sized turtle. I really have no idea how to handle them either. Best idea I had was to club it or shoot it. Maybe if I'm lucky I can catch another one when I go fish in a few.

That is quite the nice sized turtle. I really have no idea how to handle them either. Best idea I had was to club it or shoot it. Maybe if I'm lucky I can catch another one when I go fish in a few.

You ever ate turtle?? I haven't but want to. I know I have people around here tell me they are people that's willing to buy them? Not sure who but might check around to see if true?

Dude I'm not even lying. I caught a smaller one today. Still over a foot in length. Once I figure out how to put pictures from my phone on here I'll get them up.

I have never tried turtle before. I hear its supposed to be good though. As for people buying them. I would imagine they Chinese restraints and employees would pay for them. It's supposed to be a delicacy in their home country. Heavens knows they buy the mess out of carp.

I've hookede a few of them and still haven't figured how to handle them if they don't spit the bait thremselves..... I just cut & re-tie, they are nasty as hell.....

I've hookede a few of them and still haven't figured how to handle them if they don't spit the bait thremselves..... I just cut & re-tie, they are nasty as hell.....

The one I caught today just barely got the knuckle on my pinkie. Dang thing hurt like hell. Just kinda grazed against it. Left three little marks on it. Here I was trying to help him out by removing the spinnerbait from his mouth and head. (thats right a spinnerbait, only thing I have ever caught on one.) And the dang thing tried to bite me. Had my brother in law not been holding him down, he very well might have gotten me good. Then again the pair of Calcutta pliers in his mouth, may have helped also. I got the remains of the spinner bait out of him, and then he doesn't want to go back in the water. Dang thing sat there hissing and snapping at us. We eventually persuaded him to get back in the pond though. Had it not been for the braided line I was using, I dare say He would have gotten away long before I got him up on the bank.

Again, I should have photos of him up sometime tommorow.

Extremely dangerous animals.

Their head can strike out over a foot from their shell.

Once locked on to you they will not let go.

Cut the line!

Do not fool around with a snapping turtle.

Let it go and keep on fishing...at another spot!!!!

The one I caught today just barely got the knuckle on my pinkie. Dang thing hurt like hell. Just kinda grazed against it. Left three little marks on it. Here I was trying to help him out by removing the spinnerbait from his mouth and head. (thats right a spinnerbait, only thing I have ever caught on one.) And the dang thing tried to bite me. Had my brother in law not been holding him down, he very well might have gotten me good. Then again the pair of Calcutta pliers in his mouth, may have helped also. I got the remains of the spinner bait out of him, and then he doesn't want to go back in the water. Dang thing sat there hissing and snapping at us. We eventually persuaded him to get back in the pond though. Had it not been for the braided line I was using, I dare say He would have gotten away long before I got him up on the bank.

Again, I should have photos of him up sometime tommorow.

Another close call. Wow did you get lucky. Wow that's the first I heard for Spinnerbait.

Here's a picture of the one I actually managed to land. I'll have another up in a bit.