As a new guy to trapping I am hooked. I'm dying for fall to arrive already.

So in keeping with the trapping theme I'm going to trap snapping turtles this summer.

Any advice, tricks, tips, etc...?

Of course I'll have to build a few traps. So any advice tricks, or tips about them is also appreciated.

Check out some of wolfdog's old posts. He had some on making traps and such. Maybe there is some thing there that will help.

I like to set in quiet sloughs/oxbows. Beaver ponds are usually great places.



I build my own. The quickest and easiest ones that I’ve built are made with concrete reinforcement wire. I make them 24”x24”x42”. I take 8 feet of mesh, fold it on the corners and then attach the two edges. I sew a throat in with webbing, but wire throats can make good throats too.


One of my favorite turtle traps is made entirely of crab trap wire, but there’s a good chance you don’t have any, and they take up a lot of space anyway.


The best traps/nets for carrying a lot are the D hoop nets like beaverfoot sells imo

Just cause they are turtles, keep your same trapping principles...know what the wind is doing and what the current is doing. Turtles have good sniffers and oily fish does the best for bait.

Respect the turtles as they can give ya a nasty bite if you're not paying attention.

Newt has a good video on snappers, Turtles by the Ton.

Get heavy trotline, tie heavy hook on trotline, bait with chunk of fish or hotdog, tie line to tree or stake and throw a few feet off the bank, catches turtles easy

Be safe. Don't get bit.

I sell PA.legal turtle traps.Also buy LEGAL (commercail license)cought turtles from all states.

snareone.com

Thanks everyone, I appreciate all of your comments.

If you're on facebook, check out : American Turtler
If that won't set you straight on using hoop nets, nothing will !

Thanks LT, going to go check that out now.

If you have access to farm ponds jugs are pretty easy to catch em with. Milk jug with two foot of line and a treble hook with some chicken liver.

Ohio has a size limit on snapping turtles.
You can't safely release a turtle that is throat caught and under sized. Cutting the line and expecting a hook to 'rust out' is a joke.
Ever skin out a turtle with it's throat infected from a rusty hook ? You should've just killed the turtle.
That said, you'll never out perform using a hoop net using hooks, regardless of how many you set.

I support selective harvest !

Understood LT.

Tomahawk makes a good repeating Turtle Trap, available in one door and two door. Use some salted ground fish in a nylon stocking and save your nose from the stink this summer. I catch my biggest turtles in the Tomahawk model, but also like the mesh net hooped turtle traps. Both allow you to let turtles go if you wish. Thank you LT Grey for sharing as hooks are not cool for turtles.

Fresh fish will out perform salted fish or tainted fish.
Panny hose won't hold up, as a bait holder.
Leaf guard screens, cut to size and rang into a sleeve will offer a bait holder , even a big snapper can't get the bait out of.

I use Skip Jack Herring, common carp as a second choice. Most professional turtle trappers just use the cap of a carp's head, as that's where the oil gland is and it doesn't rot

These are the wire nets I use.

Nice looking wire nets wolfdog.


I see you got on some snappers too. Way more meat than those sliders!


Good job!

Yes Wolfdog, those are some nice looking traps. I don't have a lot of money to spend so I was either going to just buy 1 trap to play with this summer or make one or two from plans that I've found on the internet.

thank you kindly ! Still goaa bet before I'm at your level though lol. THEBIG1 if your interested in make them like I did heres a video I did on the throats. Sorry j never got around to explaining how to the the covering but hope it helps. Sorry though it's a bit on the long winded side lol

Wolfdog, thank you Brother! I began watching it but will be sure to sit down and watch it completely soon. I love doing things myself when it's not an impossible task.