Wanted to show some pic
s of our first trap check. 2 snappers, 1 soft shell and 4 painted. Used a combination of bluegill and beaver (ongoing beaver job) as bait. Thanks Kirk for the help! Client said most of the problem was associated with the painted turtles hitting his grandkid's jug lines.

Yes, these are pigeon traps. I use them as transfer cages. Caught the turtles in 30" Memphis net and twine traps.

Look like that Memphis trap net loaded up . Wonder if snappers eat painter turtles . I know painters love fresh fish

what is the best turtle trap on the market? I use a 330

You want to catch them live or dead?

I want to catch them alive so i can clean them out for a few days. about 90% of the catches in a duke 330 are alive! I guess I could use jugs too,but I just like to see how different contraptions work>

Yes, that was the best haul of the job. Only caught 4 more after that picture was taken, but 2 were very large snappers.

What would you call a "very large snapper ? "

LT I would call these large snappers 3 of them weighed over 30 lbs live weight, we cleaned 12 after the first week of ohios second turtle season andgot 110 pounds of meat. That handsome devil holding the turtle is coonsmasher220

Well yes, we here REALLY appreciate your handsomeness, and your turtle harvest attire. The blue slippers, are they the trend in turtle harvesting attire? Inquiring minds need to know.

You'll have to ask coonsmasher220. LOL mine are the much fatter legs wearing the brown water sandals in the bottom pic.

Nice. do you ever catch any big ones? lol

chicken fat ( backs and necks) is almost as good as oily fish

the one that destroyed a wire cage day before yesterday

Nice catch I use smelt

I tend to leave the larger females out there just for the eggs they are laying this is kina why I hit the possums and coons and greys so hard here I have watched the waterfowl ( mostly ducks) and turtles comeback here the last 7-8 years

Trout's too good of a fish to use for bait lol.
But let me get this right, the guy's hiring you to catch painted turtles because his grandson keeps catching them....????

IMO, trout is the one of the best , if NOT the best fish you can use for turtles.
It is a very oily fish...and the "oil slick" it puts on the surface is what draws the turtles for a long distance.

No one says you have to go buy fresh trout to use as bait. Scraps from the fish market, dead fish at a hatchery, etc. can all be used.
Not everyone lives where trout live, but fish markets do exist most places.
Krogers, a national chain, sells them throughout the summer.

Carp, which live about everywhere, makes a pretty fair bait as well.

Chicken can also be used, especially the skin/fat, as that is what makes the "oil slick."
I know this because I make chicken oil and it's what I use.

Skip Jack, a type of herring, works very well as it is oily, with a strong fish smell.
It is used as a BLUE CATFISH bait...and I think it actually may have another name...anyone know ?


The LOCATION of the bait is just as important as what you use...just like any kind of trapping.

if you can come up with menhaden or bluefish they are quiet oily as well they are mostly found on the coast speckled trout is good too but too good for turtle a lot better for me

Thats the only thing we ever called them is skip jack.if u dont catch a catfish with skip jack just go home .

if you are in need of a turtle trap I make and sale these turtle traps. DAVE 318-464-4819