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.