I think it's a snapper but I'm not sure. We don't have a lot of turtles around here.

Yes Sir, that is a snapping turtle.

They are a bugger to clean, but worth the effort, as they are delicious.



Charlie

I've only caught a few in my life, but yes, that's a snapping turtle.

I caught one about 15 pounds on a Zebco spincast outfit when I was 7 or 8. That was exciting.

Pete

Thanks, Charlie. I stuck a stick under it's nose to see if it would bite but it didn't make an attempt. Might be lethargic with the cool day we're having here. Never thought of eating it.

I grew up in the area and never saw a turtle when I was a kid. Didn't even know we had them for the longest time.

I am kinda thinking that's a alligator snapper which is protected here. Might check to be sure.

A ten inch brook trout is quite a workout for a Zebco (202?), I can't imagine anything much bigger.
Thank you all for the input.

It's a common snapping turtle

I caught the very first snapping turtle I ever caught on a Zebco spincast too, at the same age, in a pond near Hardin, Ohio. My grandfather bought the pole for me the day before and I practiced casting in his back yard. He made a target for me to cast into with a loop of garden hose. When I pulled the turtle out of the water, it pushed back and broke the tip off of my pole. My grandfather later fixed my pole with shrink tubing.

I intentionally caught the turtle, because it was eating my bluegill off my stringer and I wanted to give it to my other grandfather, who caught and ate a lot of turtles. After the tip broke off. I dragged the turtle further up the shore, with my 15 pound, yellow monofillament line. The hook straightened up and the turtle came off and I did not know how to grab it. I tried wrapping the line around it's neck, but it kept pulling out and made it back into the water.

Keith

I just pulled out of a plce beaver trapping, I caught 7 snappers there, got home yesterday and one was laying eggs in my lawn. I dressed on off a few years ago that was full of muskrat fur, and they get a lot of young ducks also.

Female snapper out to lay eggs (females have shorter, smaller diameter tails than males)

Yep a lot of them out and about here right now today I went by a place where there were 5/6 hit on the road

All the ones I have seen so far this year have all been about the same size that being 12 to 14 inches or so

yeah, dead all over the road, and theyre an "endangered species" in Minnesota, according to the DNR. ridiculous.

if you plan on eating throw it in a barrel or stock tank 4-5 days to purge all the nasty stuff out of its system. I let them sit till the water stays clear change nasty water daily at first. Catching them in the winter is easier no purging needed. when the ice is 3/4" thick and clear walk around a pond on a sunny day they lay tight against the bank to sun. generally on the south side