Lately I have been catching more turtles than catfish. Has anyone found a bait that catches catfish and minimizes the turtle bite?
Any suggestions?

cut the heads off all the turtles or move to another spot ... is what i do ... i killed 11 turtles in a spot in about a week or so but after that i caught lotsa blues & even a couple 20# flats there

Danny Kings punchbait... turtles tend to stay away from it, unless there are extremely hungry softshells around... Channels and blues love it!

I strongly disagree with this statement. It is not right for anyone to go around killing a fish or a turtle just to be killing it, because they don't like where they are at. This is the type of mentality that lead the country to the endanger species act also. Just move someplace where they are not as thick. But please do not kill them if you happen to catch one.

I wish I could do them in, but they give me the willies. Someones gotta do it.

We don't catch many turtles on the SECRET-7 catfish bait but we lots of catfish!

I don't understand why turtles won't bother it....but they don't!

P.S. Neither do the stinkin G A R........YEA!!!!

Just move to a different spot.

this is the type of mentality that makes some animals eat their young

Yes. I bet those turtles will be in big trouble if a few fishermen kill those little bait robbers. Put a hundred turtle killers on every lake in the state and I bet you barely dent em. Turtle problems? I say sharpen up.

I stab snappin turtles in the head. I don't think you can hurt the turtle population. We can go to the tank and shoot every single turtle in the head. 2 days later theres a bunch more turtles!

Anyway, Danny Kings works good. Turtles wont eat it.

You say Gar won't eat secret 7? I really got to get some then. As soon as I get paid!

Turtles don't seem to bother with live bait...up here anyway.

'course it's going to cut down on the channel bite. I don't have any Blue experience to comment on that, but the flatheads sure love them!

I agree with Mike though. In MN where nothing is legal we have a "wanton waste" law. If one isn't going to use it don't kill it. This law was a change in thinking from a decade or so ago when it was against the law to put rough fish back into the water. Many carp were left on the banks of lakes and rivers. If it's part of the ecosystem and we aren't going to use it...put it back.

The Secret Seven sounds like a good way to go...but I'm a little disappointed that it won't catch gar! LOL!

I fish with my 4 year old daughter who thinks it is neat to see the turtles that close up. So I will not kill them. I like the spot because it has blues and channels.

Thanks for the suggestions.

I will try Danny Kings and live bait this weekend. I will eventually order some Secret 7.

I will let you know how it goes.

Thanks Again.

soap if your jug or trot lineing

Every bait I've used has caught turtles of some sort. Softshells and red-eared sliders will go for punchbait. The big snapping turtles will take a live perch. Minnows will catch any of 'em. Cutbait will catch any of 'em. Well...I say catch...often they'll just steal it.