Mousie, what are those bait bags made from? Looks like those plastic sleeves that people put around small trees so that the string trimmer doesn't knick the bark. I usually use hardware cloth bait holders, but those would work well and wouldn't scratch skin so easily.

Oh, I can answer that one.
That isn't plastic as big snappers would shred plastic as they will cloth and (most)netting 'bait bags'.
Hardware cloth is (although metal)is too soft and when cut, will have wire ends that will nick and cut your hands if you're not careful.
The material used is metal leaf guard cut and folded, then rung.
The ends turned down prevent wear and tear on one's hands.
Even big snappers can not damage them.

LT

Lt, where can I find that stuff, other than online? Do you know of any retail stores that carry it?

wolfdog91 here is pic of the ones of the traps I sale. dave 318-464-4819

Love seeing that! LOL

Ok turtle trappers, what I am about to post is something that I just started a thread on, incase there were any carp fishermen on here that wouldn't see it if I only posted it on this turtle thread....even though the people on this thread are probably the ones that can answer it. Here goes...


I would like to get some carp for turtle bait. I don't have any hoop nets left at the moment, I only have wire net traps for fish. I have a few friends that bow fish and get carp when they go, but I don't know when they'll be going again, so I'd like to get the carp myself.

I used to have quite a few carp in my pond, and a flag gill net would catch me plenty. The pond is being drained, so the pond isn't an option. The place that I have access to for catching them at the moment is a small bayou and a fairly large bayou.

I guess my options are limited to hook and line at the moment (unless anyone has had luck catching carp in remesh net traps). So...does anyone catch carp? What do you suggest I use, trotlines? I've caught them on trotlines, but has anyone had good luck with limb lines for carp?

Also, what do you recommend for bait? I have some vanilla extract, and I have some biscuit dough. Is biscuit dough a decent bait for them? What about candy like tootsie rolls, does anyone use something like that for bait?

Any and all tips will be appreciated. I've never targeted carp on hook and line, but I would think that I need a small hook. Would I find them in the same types of places that I'd set lines for catfish?

Thank you!

im no expert on fishing by any means but i can tell you that carp can be caught on worms (night crawlers) and canned corn just to name a few. chumming seems to work quite well when using corn. carp dough balls i have used made from plain ol wheaties ceral and some other kind that smelled like strawberries. Lt makes a pretty good one made from molasses corn meal and vanilla. his is some say the best one out there. Lt is friends with a few bow fishermen who can on a good night fill up a freezer! spearing where legal would work well in the spawning season. carp flesh makes a good bait but there are better fish to use. any fresh oily fish will work well. notice i said two things. oily and fresh! very important! the thing about carp is that their flesh is very soft and the oil gland is actually in the head! the scalp is what most will use as their bait for turtle traps. they use the scalp over the flesh because the scalp puts out oil for several days or more and cant be eaten as opposed to the carps flesh which in real warm water will spoil almost overnight. if your bait floats it is almost too spoiled for snappers and soft shell turtles. this is not to say that those two species of turtles wouldnt try to eat spoiled fish but the odds are against it. it takes quite a bit of fish to run a commercial turtle operation as anyone who has ever tried it will tell you. trout is a great choice if you know anyone who catches them ask them to save the (rest of the) fish after they fillet them. or a market that sells fish may have some go bad. Our season here in ohio will open july 1st and by september 15th the water will be cooling down enough that the turtles will stop feeding for the season. in fact their last meals will normally be plant material instead of meat or fish. the season will continue to stay open of course but it isnt cost effective to run a operation when the temps start dropping at night. sorry if i got off track.

mousie

Thanks, Mousie. I talked to a buddy of mine that said his pond has some carp in it, and the water is supposed to be pretty clear. Might make a trip out there this weekend with a borrowed bowfishing rig and another friend that bowfishes to try to shoot a few. I'd have to get quite a few carp to have enough bait, and that's not even trapping commercially. If I caught 10 carp, I'd be out of bait in no time. The more I think about how much time it's going to take to shoot or catch some carp, the more I think I'm better off just going throw a cast net to catch pogies (menhaden) and mullet. They'll be small, but they'll work just fine in a bait holder. Have any of you ever used Ladyfish for bait? Those things are really greasy, and I know they're great bait for sharks. Ole snapper would probably enjoy some ladyfish roast.

I know it would take a whole heck of a lot of bait for a commercial turtle trapper. I went through two 40lb boxes of shad this spring, and that was only in recreational turtle traps, fish nets, and fish lines. I sure didn't use it sparingly, that's why I'm almost out.

Back to the carp though...I've never tried catching them on a rod and reel. I definitely understand why people like to fish for them. Hooking one of those things probably feels like you have an Orca on the other end of the line!

count on using about 1 to 2 lbs of fish per trap per day. if you figure it that way you ll have about the amount you ll need.
on the subject of bow fishing i heard a guy give this advice. aim low. then lower your aim below that. light on the water confuses your eyes to how low that fish actually is.

mousie

Thanks Mr.beaver foot ! Do you make your our own netting or just buy it ?

pretty sure he hand makes them

ok wolfdog. here you go for whatever its worth. here is what a turtle will see. throat is in the middle on this end. the escape valve (ring) is on the opposite end.

mousie

a trapping rig doesnt have to be pretty. it just has to get the job done. right?

Thanks y'all for the pics ! They explained a lot ! See I was making mine real wide like the one in a fish hoop net .

just make sure the throats are tight or you might end up losing turtles

I've been using left over coon carcass for bait that I couldn't sell this winter. Works great !

hoho beaver and groundhog are often used by hookers up here. i dont run hooks only hoop nets as we have a 13" restriction law here in ohio and there isnt any way to safely release a small throat caught turtle. hoop nets will out produce hooks anyway. its just a fact. everything being equal a man with hooks cant out produce another with hoop nets in the same water. it just wont happen.

Yea, I don't fool with hooks and have better uses for beaver than turtle bait. We have 12 " law here.

X2 !!!