15 lber on 4 lb test

[NJ219bands]

Went ultralight carping in flooded 78 degree Robert G Martin Lake this evening on a hot, sunny day with a strong southwest wind during a wildfire advisory. Air temp was 91 degrees. Threw out a can of corn 🌽 for chum then caught and released 2 bluegills, 8 brown bullheads including a double and a 15 lb snapping turtle 🐢 with ShopRite extra crispy canned whole kernel corn on 4 lb test line. Landed 1,300 fish this year and 3 turtles. Saw Canada geese, mallards, double crested cormorants, great blue heron, great egrets, and lots of crows. Took pics.

[Broad Bill]

Two questions, how do you land snapping turtles with 2 and 4 lb. test which have mouths that can take a person's finger off? Quite a feat. Second question is what do you do with them after you catch them?

[bulletbob]

78 degree lake temp?.... In mid April??.

Nice snap... People say they make great eating, but I wouldn't know where to start as far as cleaning.. I just let them go... They probably eat a lot of dead nasty stuff anyway...

[NJ219bands]

Originally Posted by Broad Bill

Two questions, how do you land snapping turtles with 2 and 4 lb. test which have mouths that can take a person's finger off? Quite a feat. Second question is what do you do with them after you catch them?

Most snappers that haven’t been hooked before don’t know what’s happening when I reel them in and don’t fight. The lake is always very murky so I lead them away from me and grab their tail after I wade out as far as I can go with knee boots. The big ones that have been hooked before are very difficult to land. They make long runs and sometimes hold on to the bottom. If they see me they snap their jaws a lot. I don’t know anyone who wants snappers so I release them in a different location. It’s probably better to cut the line instead of handling them. I caught and relocated 23, 21 and 15 lb snapping turtles 🐢 this year and very fortunate to still have 10 fingers.

[Mark B.]

I have had Snapper Soup in South Jersey. I remember that one ingredient was sherry. I wasn't impressed by it. NJ does not test Snappers for toxins. Other states have. The flesh is clean. The organs contain toxins.