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Huge Snapper

Gern186

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
10,171
201
NW Ohio Tundra
Last week I was doing some bridge work. Something caught my eye under the water that didn't look quite right laying next to a large boulder...




I recognize it as a huge snapping turtle just resting under the water along the shoreline. I had a steel rake with me in the truck so I carefully backed out and went and got the rake without him seeing me. I snuck back down the bank and came in from behind him quietly...got the rake tines on the other side of him and carefully pulled him closer to me and up and out of the water...it was a struggle but I finally got ahold of his tail while balancing him on the rake...carried him up the steep bank and up to the road and put him in the truck...he was not happy!




Took him home and weighed him....28 lbs ! Biggest one we have ever caught previously was 26lbs. He will make some good eating very soon.

 

Buckmaster

Senior Member
14,362
191
Portage
Cool. Do you grind up the meat? How do you prepare it?

Turtles have 7 different kinds of meat. So you try to separate them all for best flavor differential. Like 7 different women...per say. Turtles have backstraps TOO!
 
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Redhunter1012

Senior Member
Supporting Member
We had buddy's that used to get contracts to clean city and county ditches. They would get a shitload of snappers every year. They'd purge them in barrels and clean them and freeze them. Then we would have the "Roctober" Turtle fest at our house. We would have it smoked, grilled, fried, in veggie soup, chowder, gumbo, jerky. Sounds like a Forrest Gump promo