Thread: You just never know what you're gonna catch on a Bandit

Originally Posted by Danny Lang

Is a soft shell a snapper?

I think so…. Although we really did not get face to face. He had kind of a needle/snout of a nose. The back hook was in the side of his head and the front was in the web of his front foot. I have a real long pair of needle nose pliers… I just got hold of the nearest hook and jerked with determination! I was either getting my crank back or breaking it.


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Originally Posted by happycaster58

Looks like a soft shelled turtle. They can really swim with those large webbed feet but don't have much of a bite! Old dude wasn't playing around- he was hungry!

I agree they don’t have the bite of a snapper but if one gets your finger just right it probably won’t ever look the same.
That beak is sharp.


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I watched my grandpa and dad clean one a while back. Had to be in the later 40s. Don't remember where they got it.

interesting for sure , softshells are ridiculous fast turtles on land and in the water even more so , we have raised several and the speed they can reach in the water is mind boggling , easily fast as fish and pretty darn aggressive when hungry , very cool story

trolling cranks, I'm catching good sized largemouth and huge catfish too

I once saw a guy snag a small snapping turtle. He was gonna cut the line and and be done with it but a nearby asian guy said he wanted it to eat. He cut the turtle head off and gave the buy back his bait. He then thru the turtle in a cooler and said he was going to have a good meal tonight.

Originally Posted by Grainraiser

I once saw a guy snag a small snapping turtle. He was gonna cut the line and and be done with it but a nearby asian guy said he wanted it to eat. He cut the turtle head off and gave the buy back his bait. He then thru the turtle in a cooler and said he was going to have a good meal tonight.

west of town here there used to be a fella who bought all the turtles you brought him , was shipping them to asia is what i was told
ate snapper soup many moons ago pretty often , kinda of like roast beef flavored in a french wine sauce type scenario , was VERY tasty

Caught a turtle on a spinnerbait once while Bass fishing . Thing about pulling hooks through the water you may snag anything .