And caught this.........

So....did you get the hook out?

WOW!

Nope. He was pretty mad. We opted to cut the line! My buddy and I both had him by the tail and could not drag him out! Wanted to put a leash on him and see if he would carry our gear back to the house. He would not cooperate.

I would of passed out!

Good lord that is one huge turtle!!! How big was he?

Live action!!! You shoulda called the Turtle Man.

Really not sure. Couldn't get him all the way out of the river. Tried like hell! I would guess well over 50lbs. My buddy wears a size 12 shoe. That's the only comparison that I can make, as it is close to it's head in the pic. I will say that looking at the pics, it seemed much bigger that the pics are portraying. It took me about 10 minutes to get it to the bank and I hooked it maybe 15yds away from the bank. Thought I had a tree until the tree started pulling back!

Better question-what if he caught you.

Probably come back with a few less fingers, Ouch!!!

You would be changing you name to Stubby.

This led my mind to wonder how long these critters live.....................

The Facts
Snapping turtles are the largest turtles found in nature, weighing up to 200 pounds at maturity. These turtles continue to grow with age. They average 26 inches in length, but have been measured at 31 inches. Their characteristic snapping beak makes them more dangerous than any other turtle, especially considering their size.

Lifespan
Like their marine cousins, snapping turtles live long lives if they're undisturbed. Eggs incubate for three to four months, and babies emerge fully developed, but small at 5 to 10 inches long. They reach breeding age at 11 to 12 years, and can live anywhere from 50 to 100 years, with an average of 75 years.



Read more: What Is the Lifespan of a Snapping Turtle? | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_6385517_lifespan-snapping-turtle_.html#ixzz1jXH2erUr

I would need a new pair of drawers and some new fingers.

My dad caught one of these on a trotline years ago and killed it. He took it home and placed it on an anthill in the cow pasture. He then put a big washtub over it. I don't recall how long he waited but eventually the ants ate all of the flesh and he was left with a huge clean shell.

there is one at the aquarium at fair park that is 75 years old and looks like this ones papa, big turtle though.

Just one of the hazzards of noodling I guess.

That's a huge turtle... beat the fight was great.

You might want to double check your sources on the largest turtles. I don't think snapping turtles are in the top ten in terms of size. Leatherbacks approach 2,000lbs when fully grown.

I thought noodling was defined as hand fishing. When I saw that turtle I had serious doubts about your sanity, lol. I saw it was caught on a line, much safer. That's a dandy turtle. Caught one years ago on a jug line that we put on a scale. Topped out over 130 pounds.

WOW< where did you catch this monster at......

Trinity River in Arlington.

If your noodling and grab that.you don't catch him He catches you and most likely eats your hand for dinner.

I was pulling his tail and lifting him out of the water at the same time and he would not budge. I weigh close to 200 so I'm guessing he weighed atleast 150 and was strong as hell. I think he could easily snap an ankle or wrist

This cat dead lifts 500 too!

This is exactly why noodling is crazy. That alligator snapper is prob at least 85 to 100 lbs. Where is this at?

Well you probably would not have to worry about it happening twice because that sucker would take your arm.

U can tell its way old by its beak and face is worn and It's color. they're brown when younger.

Been noodling many times and have been bit by those guy 3 time but never that big. Wow that would be a game changer... I always were gloves but that size is a stub maker. Fun stuff.........

I have a great spot for you to try! Two weeks ago we got one up that was not too much smaller than this one.

Stick 2 Rod&Reel fishing

It would be your last noodling trip? Had a good friends dad used to fish for them with stump lines at Toledo. Never ate one that big, but they taste like 'chicken'. LOL. They used to sell them off the side of the road back home - live out of the back of truck.

Caught one in a pond when i was a kid,about half that size and it bit the end of my rod handle off.Caught it on chicken livers fishing for catfish.We were in a 10 ft jon boat and had the bright idea to bring it in the boat with us.That was a mistake,when snapping turtles are cornered they become unpleasant and will charge you with mouth open and hissing.This can scare a 12 yr old so i started poking at him to keep him on his side of the jon boat,yes it was his side at this point!!When he bit the rod handle off we bailed out letting him have the entire boat,Dad heard all the noise and came to save us.Didnt know you could grab them by the tail and if held correctly they can't bite you.Sorry for the long story but your post brought back some cool memories.And thats why I use a rod and reel,not my hands!!!

That has to be the biggest snapping turtle I have ever seen! I caught on half that size last year and that was a pain to reel in! There power is incredible and there speed to snap at you is so frightening. Nice pics!

Shedd Aquarium in Chicago had a HUGE alligator snapping turtle. It weighed 249 pounds and was loaned out to another aquarium for breeding. All it did was lay in the bottom of its tank, only moving to come up for air and food. Fort Worth zoo used to keep a couple of them behind their aquarium. One was around 50 pounds and the other around 75.