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Thread: Went back to the pond at work Saturday...

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Location
    Jackson, MI
    Posts
    515

    Default Went back to the pond at work Saturday...

    Got out early from work on Saturday, so I grabbed my 8wt and hit up the pond again. This time, I'm glad I grabbed it, as the wind was typical Okie strong.

    Started out with a deer hair bass bug, but didn't get any takers. Switched over to a little popper to see if any of the sunnies wanted to play. Let the rig drift a little to long on a dead drift with the wind, and my furled leader and flouro tippet submerged. As I brought it in to make another cast, the pole loaded up on something nice and heavy. It felt like a dead weight, no movement, but it was tracking off to the left very, VERY slowly. I thought it was a good-sized stick, snagged somewhere on the side. Finally, it broke the surface, and it wasn't a stick! Got something to add to the "weird catch with a fly rod" file:



    First time I've caught a Snapping Turtle since I was a kid! This was a really upset Snapper! It stuck that long neck out at least once, maybe twice, trying to bend around and bite my popper. Ain't no way, no how, that I'm sticking my hand anywhere near the business end of that thing! Luckily, the popper pulled loose a couple seconds later. There isn't anything in here for scale (I ain't sticking my foot anywhere near it either!), but it was about 12" across the shell.

    I did a little casting, and several minutes later, made a really nice, tight, cast within inches of the cattails. It set there for just a second or two when "something" made a really splashy grab for the bug and took off hard to my right. I even got a glimpse of it, and it looked like a Bass. It shook its head, ran, pulled, and finally hit the top. T'wernt no Bass, but a BIG Hybrid Sunnie! Gotta love them things:


  2. #2
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Location
    West of the East and east of the West
    Posts
    450

    Default

    Nice! I fished some new water over the weekend (local urban pond/lake) and caught two small bass and about 15 chiggars!
    There have never in history been so many opportunities to do so many things that aren't worth doing. - William Gaddis

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Piedmont, S.C.
    Posts
    191

    Default

    Very good detailed report . It's great to catch the different offerings a pond has to offer a fisherman. The snapper had to be a sight to see when he broke the water with that long neck run out looking to bite what ever had him! LOL, I don't think I would have put any part of my body near him either. Congrats on the hybrid gill catch, nice looking fish and thanks for posting the pics.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    NE Gwinnett Co., GA
    Posts
    5,946

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    Snappers are remarkably quick, especially for a slow animal. Years ago, I discovered one in my yard and after playing with him using a broom handle I captured him in a plastic milk crate. I was going to take him over to a small stream and release him there. I went in my house for a few minute and came out to find the turtle had climbed out of the crate and disappeared.
    Want to hear God laugh? Tell him Your plans!!!

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Location
    Jackson, MI
    Posts
    515

    Default

    My first experience with a Snapping Turtle was when I walked in on an Alligator Snapper at my favorite hole in the local creek when I was 7 or 8. As soon as I saw it, it did a 180 and bee-lined for the water, just a few feet away. It did this in a flash!

    10 minutes later, it took my bait. I thought I was snagged, then, managed to see it when I lifted it up off the bottom a bit. I dropped my rod to point straight at it, and pulled back until the line popped. I ran like the dickens. It took me over a month to work up the courage to fish that hole again.

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