Every time I throw out some bait (no matter what type) a turtle ends up taking it, what do y'all think I should try?

Snapper soup. Try a spinner or some kind of moving bait. Cat,s are predators Maby a live minow.

Bobber, that will prevent 99.99 percent of turtles from taking the bait.

I have had 2+ foot long snapping turtles chase my spinnerbaits.  They like willow leaf blades the best.

I don't know, I think I'd try fishing some place else.

I agree with finding a new spot. Turtles will chase almost anything as if to play or eat. You never know until they grab on.

YOU NET A TURTLE MAKE TURTLE SOUP, MY BROTHER IN LAW IN MEXICO DID THAT ALL THE TIME WHEN HE CAUGHT ONE

The only sure-fire cure I know of to keep turtles off your line is to fish where there aren't any! Tom

Catfish clonker...call the cats in.

Also, think about it like this.  If there were any really large catfish in the spot you were fishing, there wouldn't be a big turtle problem in the first place.  Big catfish will eat anything, including turtles.

Find some deeper water and then fish on the bottem.

Fish the bubbly, swirly water of the dam. I've never caught a turtle there.

If you have a boat, go to the middle of the river.

I find that a 22 rifle works wonders

for the catfish or the turtle?

LOL's

Have u ever hoooked one of theys critters?

Posted By bassmasterbk on 19 Sep 2010 05:32 PM
Have u ever hoooked one of theys critters?

I was fishing off a pier last summer.  The day was a real scorcher!  The heat was repulsive (no shade what-so-ever ).  Some guy that was fishing next to me suddenly yelled for his wife to get the net.  I was assuming he had a really big bass, but instead he pulled in about a two and a half foot long turtle.   He was lucky that he didn't have to manually unhook the turtle, the hook just popped out of it's mouth!

Ya i cant imagin geting the hook out of he swollowed it!

I've never caught a turtle with the whole hook swallowed. I'd imagine the turtle will be a SHELL OUT OF LUCK!

LOL's.

When I lived in GA I used to catch turtles all the time on the Flint River between Fort Valley and Reynalds. It does get annoying but as others said, make turtle soup. Its pretty tasty lol

i was going for bluegills once and u hooked a snaping turtle if it dident bend my hook i would have had to manualy unhook it

One time I saw some guy dump dead bait minnows over a pier.  Before long the turtles gobbled them all up!

Best bet, fish where they aren't.  I have had them eat minows when crappie fishing and poppers when bass fishing.  And they will eat your bait off jug lines.  But it seems they like non-moving or slow moving baits best.  If your fishing with a rod/reel try drifting not anchoring, it may help.

You may also be able to avoid turtles by fishing in fast flowing water (like rivers).  I've never seen a turtle there.  If you venture into backwaters, however, you may see some turtles.

Must be a lot of small fish where you are fishing. Turtles usually go after smaller or injured fish (keep an eye on your stringer when fishing water where turtles are). Make a lot of turtle soup. Try fried turtle if you catch em big enough. Cull out the little sun perch and smaller fish when you catch them.

Posted By dbarnett1 on 16 Nov 2010 03:50 PM
Must be a lot of small fish where you are fishing. Turtles usually go after smaller or injured fish (keep an eye on your stringer when fishing water where turtles are). Make a lot of turtle soup. Try fried turtle if you catch em big enough. Cull out the little sun perch and smaller fish when you catch them.

Wouldn't small fish be the prey for whatever you're fishing for?

Posted By fisherfanatic on 04 Oct 2010 03:54 PM
You may also be able to avoid turtles by fishing in fast flowing water (like rivers).  I've never seen a turtle there.  If you venture into backwaters, however, you may see some turtles.

I've tried the fast flowing water before and it didn't work out for me.  Sometimes the turtles will just crawl along the bottom of the river clawing their way to your bait.  Caught my biggest softshell turtle ever that way and my smallest one too.  I will say, that there's a lot less turtles that will be doing that.  Never cuaght an aligator snapping turtle in fast water before, although I've had them sneaked up to my fish stringer in fast water trying to steal an easy meal.

Posted By fisherfanatic on 16 Nov 2010 04:06 PM

Posted By dbarnett1 on 16 Nov 2010 03:50 PM
Must be a lot of small fish where you are fishing. Turtles usually go after smaller or injured fish (keep an eye on your stringer when fishing water where turtles are). Make a lot of turtle soup. Try fried turtle if you catch em big enough. Cull out the little sun perch and smaller fish when you catch them.

Wouldn't small fish be the prey for whatever you're fishing for?

Yep they sure are.  This is a situation that really doesn't have a "good" readily available answer. Turtles can be quite a problem.  Like a lot of things in this ole world, there are some things you have to give up to get others.  I have had this turtle prob before myself.  It kind of reminds me of an old joke involving finding a corner in a silo.  You just keep going in circles. What ever gets rid of the turtles also gets rid of the fish. In my experiences with them, I have either just learned to put up with them or move on to a different spot.