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snakecharmer
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I've been in on a couple of "turtle feeds". We would catch them using treble hooks baited with chicken liver on backwater bays of the Minnesota River. They were a mess to clean, but good eating.
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Beemer01
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Years ago I was literally face to face with one over by the Paulsen Mime off the Kek - his shell had to have been 23" across. Ranger later told me he was probably >75 years old.... and this was 35 years ago.
Mean Cuss too. (The Snapper, not the Ranger)
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eglath
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while I don't have an "action" shot, this was the aftermath on Finger Lake in July 2005:
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Trygve
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We don't have that many.
Please, don't kill snapping turtles.
Get those other smaller ones, they're all over the place.
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fishfinder2
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Has anybody ever tried catching and eating those snapping turtles that come and try to take the fish that you have on the stringer. My buddy thinks we should try to catch them and eat them. I guess they are suppose to taste pretty good. Has anybody ever tried this or does anybody know how to filet a turtle? I'm just throwing this idea out there I don't even know if I want to attempt it.
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johntaylor
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I've eaten plenty of them. The "smaller" greenhead turtles are not good to eat but snappers are really good. Remove the head, both shells, and claws. remove guts and boil the remaining parts, (including the tail) until the meat falls away from the bones. Quite a bit of work but worth it to me. Enjoy!
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Trygve
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Painted Turtles.
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mr.barley
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One of the guys in our group last year grabbed his bad boy while he was nipping at our stringer. We let him go so he could taunt other campers in the future.  
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Bromel
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Just make sure to follow the regulations. There is a possession limit of 3 snapping turtles and their shell must be longer than 12 inches. You can't take any snapping turtles during May or June.
FROM MINNESOTA FISHING REGULATIONS FOR 2007
Turtles: Resident licensed anglers and children under 16 may take, possess, and transport turtles for personal use. Western painted, snapping, and spiny softshell turtles are the only harvestable species and may be taken by angling or by hand. Harvest by explosives, drugs, poisons, lime, and other harmful substances is prohibited. Harvest by traps, nets, or other equipment requires an additional turtle license. A separate DNR license is required to collect turtle eggs from natural nests or to purchase or sell turtles, except that retail customers do not need a license and residents under age 18 may take, possess, rent or sell up to 25 turtles for use in a non-profit turtle race.
• The snapping turtle possession limit is 3. Minimum size limit is 12" in shell length. Snapping turtles may not be taken during May and June.
• Spiny softshell minimum size limit is 12" in shell length. Spiny
softshells may not be taken June 1-July 15.
• Western painted turtle maximum size limit is 5.5" in shell length,
except that those used in turtle races may be of any length greater
than 4".
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adam
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Here is a good read on snappers - snapper story
A 11 inch snapper is 25 years old.
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moose plums
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Snappers grow slowly and live to be very old. I once saw a show on PBS about this turtle hunter in the south and he quit harvesting turtles when he discovered arrowheads and musket balls imbedded in some of their shells.
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Dodger
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Came across a big one on the portage around Pipestone Falls. Sitting right on the trail. Had to move him out of the way before we would pass. They have quite a disposition. June 06. Dodger.
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Arkansas Man
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Once while fishing topwater on Lake Fork in Texas using my favorite topwater lure (a bone colored magnum pop R) I had a huge round shadow move slowly up under my lure... I kept moving it closer to the boat and finally recognized what it was... a huge snapping turtle... it had to weigh over 100 lbs, and it's shell was over 2 ft long!! Luckily I pulled the bait away from it or I would have never got it back! They grow large in Texas! The Biggest I have seen in the BWCA would probably weigh in at about 35 lbs! Still big enough to eat a nice walleye off a stringer!
Bruce
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jdevries
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You mean like this? This old boy was pretty pesky. We finally tied the stringer up in some rapids, assuming he wouldn't go up the swift moving water to get at them. That worked well, I went back for the fish a while later to find an eagle munching on them. Sorry, no picture of that.
Jim
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Arkansas Man
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You talking about one of these guys? I have no desire to catch, clean or cook one of them... I'll stick to fish!
Bruce
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Dennisal
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We have a local bar that has turtle fry's the third Thursday of each month. Really yummy.. Some pieces tastes like chicken, but also tastes of beef, pork, and fish are present..
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moose plums
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They say there are 7 types of meat on a turtle. Whatever that means I've cleaned one and to me it's not worth the trouble.
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