Turtle - Man

2ndHand

5 year old buck +
Looks like I have a small snapper in my pond ( looks to be about 12" across the shell). Besides calling Turtle man, what's the best way to get rid of it? Trap it or just shoot it? Would a .22 do the job?
 
.22 in the head will work. Or use a circle hook tied to wire or heavy duty line baited with a piece of bluegill or meat should do the job. Tie the line to a tree or a stick in the ground on the pond edge.
 
Why the desire to get rid of it? Eating the fish in the pond?
 
Why the desire to get rid of it? Eating the fish in the pond?

Eating fish and my son doesn't want to swim with the snapper.
 
.22 in the head will work. Or use a circle hook tied to wire or heavy duty line baited with a piece of bluegill or meat should do the job. Tie the line to a tree or a stick in the ground on the pond edge.

Thanks for the reply Ogemaone - If I try the circle hook, how far out into the pond should I place it?

Thanks!
 
Thanks for the reply Ogemaone - If I try the circle hook, how far out into the pond should I place it?

Thanks!
I would put the bait where you see the turtle the most, it doesn't take them long to find it
 
When I have caught them, I usually have 8-10 feet of line out from the shore.
 
I would put the bait where you see the turtle the most, it doesn't take them long to find it

Sounds good - I have a pretty good idea where it appear to hang out. Thanks!
 
Ok, if nobody else is gonna ask, I'll do it. Are you gonna eat it? I don't have the foggiest when it comes to dressing a turtle, but the older folks in my family swear it's good eatin.
 
Ok, if nobody else is gonna ask, I'll do it. Are you gonna eat it? I don't have the foggiest when it comes to dressing a turtle, but the older folks in my family swear it's good eatin.
I have cleaned them and ate them when i was young, but only a couple types we would eat.
soft shell(illegal to keep now) and loggerhead( aligator snapper i think)
 
Treble hooks on a trot line seem to catch them to you might want to use a stainless leader with a swivel to get them
 
Ok, if nobody else is gonna ask, I'll do it. Are you gonna eat it? I don't have the foggiest when it comes to dressing a turtle, but the older folks in my family swear it's good eatin.

Not planning on eating it - just would like it gone. My dad told me they taste good too - like chicken - I'll stick with chicken...;)
 
I saved the shell from the last one I caught. Figured it would make a nice decoration for the cabin.image.jpg
 
I saved the shell from the last one I caught. Figured it would make a nice decoration for the cabin.View attachment 1490

That's a nice shell. What's the size & did you polish or spray a clear coat on it? Thanks!
 
It's about 16". I sprayed several coats of polyurethane on it inside and out. It's quite the chore getting everything cleaned out of the inside. I spent about a hour scrubbing the moss off the shell to get it clean. The kids thought it was a cool project.
 
Looks like it is right at 16 inches. :rolleyes: In WI slot is 12-16 inches.
 
It's about 16". I sprayed several coats of polyurethane on it inside and out. It's quite the chore getting everything cleaned out of the inside. I spent about a hour scrubbing the moss off the shell to get it clean. The kids thought it was a cool project.

Nice job - it looks nice...;)

Did you use a circle hook to catch it? How do you place the trap in relation to the bait? Thanks for your help!
 
I used a circle hook. I attached the hook to a 24" steel leader and tie it to around 10 feet of braided nylon fishing line. I tie it to a tree and throw it in the water. I usually try to use a 3-4" bluegill. You don't want to much line out or you risk the turtle getting snagged under water. I caught that one in my pond. Same as you, kids didn't want it in there for swimming plus I didn't want it to eat fish.
 
You can also tie the line to a milk jug and throw it out in the pond.
 
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