Fishing...for turtles haha

[johnboy83]

I saw where the DWR has reported that there are a breeding population of common snapping turtles in the lower weber. They are listing them as a invasive species. Has anyone seen any or know where I can find one other than the weber. I won't fish for them with hook and line. See if I can get a trap online. I'm from back east and really dig them. Wouldn't have the heart to eat them though.
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[dubob]

[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]The law requires that they be killed before they can be transported and/or kept alive in captivity. And you don't want to eat them. So why do you want to catch them???[/#800000][/font]
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[johnboy83]

I just want to get to see one again. I'm not going to transport it anywhere. Odds of actually getting close to one are slim without a trap. They are very spooky when they see people. When I was a kid back east we would run into one from time to time. From what I've been reading they have been here for 15-20 years. To get big, which in my opinion is 20lbs and up, you're talking about a animal that could be 15 to 20 years old or older even. No I'm not going to kill it, sorry.
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]Human toes (or other body appendages) would probably make good bait.

You have already had some significant weight loss but that might help you reach your next plateau (toe).

Dry flies won't get it.
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[johnboy83]

A toe certainly would. Probably better if you chopped it off and let it sit in the sun for a few days though. If anything is as open to food option's as a channel cat it's a snapper.
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]I got some exposure to alligator snappers while I was working in Louisiana. They gots some bigguns down dere in Cajun country. And everybody eats and loves them...when they can get them. But them folks like almost anything with enough spice on it.

My experience is that other turtle species are more likely to snack on the fish on your stringer...or on your digits...than snappers. But if you are wading and happen to disturb one...well...
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[fsh4fun05]

I've scooped them up with nets in Texas but that's still water. They look like mossy rocks in the water. Trying to locate one in moving water would be nearly impossible for me. Drop a trap in a pool and hope someone doesn't steal it.
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[picespursuer]

I caught several in my younger days. I could never even think about eating one because they all stunk so bad. I had friends that ate them.
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