My son wanted to go fishing yesterday, and with the wind howling like it was, I decided to take him to a local community fishing lake. We found a protected spot, and settled down to float fish for small channel cats. He was actually smoking me on the catches (he caught 5 before I got my first) and got another one online. The fish was moving around kind quick and my son was bringing it in fine, then suddenly it acted like it hung up on something. I asked for the pole to try to get it un-hung for him, and noticed I could get it to move up just a bit, when suddenly it started yanking and moving slowly. What ever was on there weighed a lot, felt like a 25-35 lbs fish but not running like one. I had to take my time getting it to the bank as we only had 8 lb line, but as it came up, I saw that it was just a small catfish, maybe 14 inches long. I was kinda puzzled...

THEN I realized the truth of the situation: Clamped down on the poor channelcat right above the tail was the biggest alligator snapping turtle I have ever seen. It was at least 15" wide, 24" long and had a head the size of a beer can. I was so shocked I totally forgot to grab a cell pic. When my ten year old son saw the fish/turtle, he started yelling at the turtle "let go of my catfish!", he was mad! I pulled a bit more and got them both up to the very edge of the water, and after 30 seconds or so of us yelling at it, the turtle finally let go. I was still in shock, but my kiddo was soo happy to be able to finally get his fish in. The catfish had a huge bite mark that basically covered the whole anal fin to the tail. We decided to throw the poor kitty back in.

This has to be one of my strangest catches ever. Anyone even hear something like this happening?

I fear snapping turtles more than snakes when wade fishing. Those things look nasty.


Reggie

i had snappers eat my fish on the stringer before

Snappers have given me trouble my entire life.

thats one hungry turtle......... he needed to die!

Haven't had snapping turtle problems yet, but last night a water snake got into our (open--stupid us) cooler of shad...it was having itself a feast! My boyfriend stuck his hand in there too and felt the snake before he saw it. Luckily it wasn't a moccasin, he would have already been bitten!

Alligator Snapping turtles are protected in Texas.

The Common Snapping Turtle may be kept or killed.

I've also had fish eaten on the stringer by snapping turtles. They didn't want to turn loose either.

yessir breambuster........... i would claim self-defense!!!!!!!

if'n i remember right , they're only protected on public waters
might be wrong....mebbe
.