# Slow day Redfishing, But did manage to bring home an 83lber



## NICHOLAS (Oct 18, 2007)

Well the redfish just weren't bitting for me In Blackwater Bay so I directed my attention elsewhere. Big boy weighed in @83lbs!


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## jewfish (Dec 4, 2007)

I guess I can safely assume you weren't noodling for that one.


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## timman (Oct 3, 2007)

Just out of curiosity, what in the world do you do with that?????


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## reelfinatical (Sep 30, 2007)

HOLY CH*T! That's a whole lot of turtle soup!  ...I assume you eat it??


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## Brant Peacher (Oct 4, 2007)

Geez Nick! Thats a beast. That looks just like the one I saw in the back corner of catfish basin a few weeks ago.

Brant Peacher

Tackle Rep


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## NICHOLAS (Oct 18, 2007)

Yep turtle soup, good friend Kevin's recipe.





Brant its funny you say that.... Which corner did you see him in...


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## Corpsman (Oct 3, 2007)

Wow. That is a beast.


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## AUBuilder (Sep 27, 2007)

Man that's a mean lookin snappin turtle there. Used to see them every now and then down in Tampa. How'd you manage to corral that beast?


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## Geronimo (Oct 2, 2007)

> *NICHOLAS (4/6/2008)*Yep turtle soup, good friend Kevin's recipe.
> 
> 
> Brant its funny you say that.... Which corner did you see him in...


Next time take a picture andlet him go. There's no telling how old that thing was. If you need soup that bad I'll buy you a chicken or some neck bones.


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## MikeG (Oct 5, 2007)

You were well within your legal rights to harvest him, but i personally wouldnt. It takes several years for one to reach sexual maturity and most states list them as endangered or threatened species. Florida has them as a species of concern. I'm with Geronimo, hell just go buy some soup. I wouldnt want to clean that nasty critter. I have captured hundreds of those as a kid, several as large as that one and some as small as a hatchling, but could not bring myself to kill one.


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## Geronimo (Oct 2, 2007)

I might have sounded a little harsh but I hate to see those loggerheads killed. I caught a huge one on Escambia a few years back and Icouldn't help but think of how long he had been swimming those waters. If you want to eat turtles, eat softshells. They're a lot more plentiful.


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## Brant Peacher (Oct 4, 2007)

Back left corner in the creek mouth


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## PaleRed (Oct 2, 2007)

I would love for someone to be able to post a picture on this forum without having people all over them because the fish they killed was too big, or you kept to many. Obviously you can have an opinion, and I'm not saying I don't agreebut this is getting ridiculous. 

Never had turtle soup. Is it any good?


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## Fish Happens (Oct 21, 2007)

Good lord what a Turtle! Seriously, how in the world did you catch that thing?


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## Flounderpounder (Oct 3, 2007)

It was right after I saw one of those monsters that I quit skinnydippin'!!!!!!


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## JD7.62 (Feb 13, 2008)

I am a collector of rare fresh water predatory fish as well as these turtles. I will be down the weekend of the 18th of this month. If some one can get me an alligator snapper over fifty pounds I will pay them $150! Go catching!


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## SolarFlare (Oct 3, 2007)

I've hesitated to respond, andI don't want tosound like an _enviro whacko_....I can understand the excitement of catching a turtle of this size. I wouldn't want to get close to that monster and it took alarge pair of"cajones" to wrestle that beast apparantly alivefor a boat ride, and then to a truckfor sure!

However, If it was caught inBig Catthen I have seen this turle many times over the past few years; I've always taken time to stop, watch, maybe sit and drink a beer;and basically enjoyhim for a few minutes. :toast

I would think that he/shewas a very rare turtle that has survived probably a couple of decades or more of predators and development, quite a task!!

I hope if we find any more in this catagory, we can take a coupleof proud pics, :takephoto,and then let the beasts return to their habitat so maybe our grand-kids get a chance to enjoy them as well.

Hope the redishing is better the next time, they taste lot better than anold turtle!:crying



> *Brant Peacher (4/7/2008)*Back left corner in the creek mouth


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## JD7.62 (Feb 13, 2008)

This is a tough call. If a fellow is with-in his legal right to harvest an animal then he can do what ever he pleases.

However, one can not compare this to a monster fish. This animal was way more then a couple decades old...probably around 75-100 years old. They also take a LONG time to mature compared to fish.

The amazing thing, unlike a huge 6year old buck or a 75# 3 year old dolphin that is nearing the end of its life, this particular turtle has the potential to out live the young man that caught her.

Tough choices all around. I would have either let her go or took her home with me to pamper her for the rest of my life to leave her to my grand-children! 

I wouldnt mind sampling her much smaller great,great,great,great,great grand-turtles! :hungry


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## mdrobe2 (Oct 12, 2007)

I had turtle soup one time but every time I tried to get a bite the turtle would go under...


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## Death From Above (Sep 28, 2007)

Just like turtles, most the groupers we catch are slow growing and have the potential to out live us.....but nobody seems to have a problem throwing them in the fish box. 

What's so special about this turtle?


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## NICHOLAS (Oct 18, 2007)

This is the exact response I expecting by posting this here. Its seems most posts i make bring mixed emotions. This turtle was old there is no doubt, he was missing several toes and had scars all over him. When I brought him to a friend who has dealt with them all his life he told me this one looked like it was on his last leg. It was one of many in that area that I have seen, but one of the biggest. I suppose taking a smaller one would not have any different of a response. Aren't you all after the biggest most mature fish or animal etc. and let the little ones go? The biggest mature fish you can catch the biggest mature buck you can kill. What is the diffrence between this and a big mature alligator? I have seen several alligatore kills posted here with no negative replies.


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## SolarFlare (Oct 3, 2007)

> *Death From Above (4/9/2008)*Just like turtles, most the groupers we catch are slow growing and have the potential to out live us.....but nobody seems to have a problem throwing them in the fish box.
> 
> What's so special about this turtle?


I posed that question to Thomas before he hit the soup pot, he _growled_ some very nasty things and invited you to come visit him with your hands extended and he'd be happy to show you 1st hand (so to speak) what is so special about him!

:nonono


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## captwesrozier (Sep 28, 2007)

Nicholas...there are 4 groups of people on this forum...those who are happy for you...those who are ok with you...those who are not ok with you...those who are mad at you.

When you post you will score minimum 25% approval...you will never get 100% approval! So just post and move on and do not sweat it. 25% of us enjoyed the post!

Now me personally i would have let him go. What i think about you...if you harvested him for eating outstanding! If you killed him for pleasure only shame on you! But like i said above what i think should not matter to you as long as you are with in the LAW!

tight lines!


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## yucarenow (Oct 3, 2007)

that's one ugly beast..congrats on the catch



i think i'd fear for my toes in blackwater if i was swimming:crying


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## NICHOLAS (Oct 18, 2007)

Thanks for the break down Capt Wes, i think you hit it right on. In my mind he was not wasted the meat is in the pressure cooker, the shell will be cleaned up/ clear coated this weekend,and the skull bleached, all to be on display at my home


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## JEC (Oct 2, 2007)

I think I will stick to Campbells soup. I would of maybe caught the turtle, and took a few photos:takephoto Then let it go, But good catch if thats your thing.


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## tidetou (Oct 3, 2007)

That's a nice one. :bowdown


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## onoahi (Oct 5, 2007)

Count me in the 25% impressed and the 25% sad to see it die, but great turtle!

What kind of awful hissing and moaning sounds did that beast make? I'd rather run across a 6' shark than that thing anyday. Nice work.


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## pappastratos (Oct 9, 2007)

NICHOLAS,, when do we come eat ??? Fried turtle makes a good sandwich !! congrats on catch, I do not touch them !!! I am glad these guysdo not feel about fish like they do turtles, or we would be eating catfish all the time,,,by the way, gator is good too !!!


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## Curtisimo81 (Nov 10, 2007)

Well I will have to say that is one of the biggest turtles i have ever seen. As far as was it right to kill him and eat him, I'm not one that will tell you weather you were right or wrong. You are within regulations as far as i know so... As far as me i probably would have just took pictures and released him b/c i would have been amazed that he had made it that far. But thats just my opinion


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## wirenut (Sep 30, 2007)

Turtle the other white meat atleast some of it.:clap


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## SolarFlare (Oct 3, 2007)

> *JD7.62 (4/9/2008)*I am a collector of rare fresh water predatory fish as well as these turtles. I will be down the weekend of the 18th of this month. If some one can get me an alligator snapper over fifty pounds I will pay them $150! Go catching!


*After some research, it has become clear that this offer is illegal, commercial harvest or harvest for profit is specifically prohibited, I believe it is a felony!*

:nonono :nonono


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## reelthrill (Oct 3, 2007)

Snapper turtle soup is delicious. I make it about twice a year. The snapping turtle has several different flavors of meat in it which makes it so good. 
Cambell's soup company used to used snapper turtle as the stock for most of their soups but had to stop when they were depleting the population. The population has since come back strong, especially since so few or kept. Good job Nick.


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## how2fish (Jan 21, 2008)

Congrats ! I'd have never fooled with that monster and I understand the feeling of letting it live ( I have an old Grey's sporting mag that has a pic of a snapper that was est age at over 200 years old) it was massive well over 100lbs, but I always feel a little sad when I take a mature buck, but I still pull the trigger! I wouldn't have fooled with that turtlesimply because I've never hunted,trapped, caught ect turtles and would have NO idea how to clean or cook one...but as you do and are going to use the meat, shell ect congrats again !! I have less use for folks that purely "trophy" hunt.. here in Georgia a couple of years ago a game warden found 5 large bucks in a dumpster the heads were all that was taken..and while its "legal" it ain't right..we have a state wide "Hunters for the Hungry" program so the meat was just wasted..:clap


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## FL CAJUN (Sep 28, 2007)

Sad....take a picture and let him go.....

Clem


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## captwesrozier (Sep 28, 2007)

Nicholas....here is the break down...

those happy for you...35%

those ok with...46%

those not ok with...12%

those really disappointed...7%

so as you can see you had a postive of 81% on your harvest of a really big turtle....so keep posting never mind what the critics say!

tight lines!


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## SolarFlare (Oct 3, 2007)

> *captwesrozier (4/11/2008)*Nicholas....here is the break down...
> 
> those happy for you...35%
> 
> ...




Wes,I see you are working hard tonight and honing your math skills oke...curious, what catagory did you figure forme in that eqation?


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## Reel Twiztid (Apr 8, 2008)

Nicholas, Cool loggerhead! It's a bign':clap Don't feel bad...you are within your rights:usaflag. Even though there are a lot of us that probably wouldn't have harvested it. 

But then again...there's a lot of us thatdoesn't have the time because we're to busy hacking on other folks. Some of us may have had time to have harvested ole Thomas, but only when we took the time to unwrap our arms from around that tree and only after we got done feeding those starving folks in Countries we have no ideal where they even are. :crying

It's amazing how someone can get their glory stolen by ridicule from others.:baby

Cool Loggerhead! :letsdrink

*RIP Thomas*:sleeping


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## ChrisH2O (Oct 4, 2007)

Should have let him go....Sad toseehe spent has last remainingdays of his life (as your expert said) in a soup bowl. :reallycrying


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## captwesrozier (Sep 28, 2007)

Bay pirate

got you in the really disappointed group...but i could move you to the not ok groupoke (all in good fun)

tight lines


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## Ranger Rick (Sep 29, 2007)

I didn't grow up "in this neck o' the woods" so I'm trying to understand something here.The specimen looks like a snapping turtle, but it is referred to as a loggerhead in a couple of posts and I'm (almost?) certain it's not a loggerhead musk turtle. Is this an alias or am I incorrect altogether?

Also, I guess I'll give my $0.02. If it is not against the law, there is nothing wrong withtaking it. If someone doesn't like the rules, do what is necessary to change them.Just because I would notkill it - for whatever reasons I might have - it doesn'tmake it wrong for someone else to do it. (it is illegal to sell themthough)And it shouldn't subject them to having to hear my opinion just because it is different thantheirs.

Unfortunately, everyone seems to want the world to know their opinion on everything. It's a sign of the times...but don't forget 'weed hopper',"*better to keep your mouth shut and let everyone think you're an idiot, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt*".

Have a great day forum mates!


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## MikeG (Oct 5, 2007)

Nicholas, I dont know where Capt Wes put me in the stats. Let me clarify something. You caught this turtle legally . I'm not mad at anyone who keeps one for food purposes. I simply stated that I have caught several of them this big over the years and I personally wouldnt want to kill it. I kinda like them. For turtle soup he's a nice one. Good Catch!


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## seapro (Oct 3, 2007)

Thats a huge snapper, congrats on the catch.


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## JD7.62 (Feb 13, 2008)

After some research I'm not sure if harvesting an alligator snapping turtle is legal....period. Can any one tell me for sure? If they are legal I would like to catch one.


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## Death From Above (Sep 28, 2007)

> *JD7.62 (4/12/2008)*After some research I'm not sure if harvesting an alligator snapping turtle is legal....period. Can any one tell me for sure? If they are legal I would like to catch one.


JD7.62....I'll take you with me to a couple of marsheswhere I flounder during the summer. We can get a whole boat load of alligator turtle in all sizes.I'll stick the flatties while you scoop up the turtles. I've gotta bang-stick we can use on the big boys.


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## Wharf Rat (Sep 27, 2007)

I would have kept it and domesticated it and put a little bridle on him and a muzzle of course and ride him around in my yard.


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## SolarFlare (Oct 3, 2007)

> *Ranger Rick (4/11/2008)*I didn't grow up "in this neck o' the woods" so I'm trying to understand something here.The specimen looks like a snapping turtle, but it is referred to as a loggerhead in a couple of posts and I'm (almost?) certain it's not a loggerhead musk turtle. Is this an alias or am I incorrect altogether?
> 
> Also, I guess I'll give my $0.02. If it is not against the law, there is nothing wrong withtaking it. If someone doesn't like the rules, do what is necessary to change them.Just because I would notkill it - for whatever reasons I might have - it doesn'tmake it wrong for someone else to do it. (it is illegal to sell themthough)And it shouldn't subject them to having to hear my opinion just because it is different thantheirs.
> 
> ...


*It is, whoops, WASan Alligator Snapping Turtle, the loggerhead stuff kinda goes along with your quote!*


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## Ranger Rick (Sep 29, 2007)

BP - thanks for the confirmation.

*Turtle regulations* (FWC's General Provisions for Taking, Possession and Sale of Reptiles)<P class=Body>(6) Freshwater turtles may be taken as prescribed in Rules 68A-23.012 and 68A-23.003, F.A.C., and manually or by baited hooks, bow, dip nets, traps so designed that any freshwater fish taken therein may escape, or by spearing only during daylight hours. The taking of turtles by bucket traps, snares, or shooting with firearms is prohibited. *No person shall buy, sell, or possess for sale any alligator snapping turtle* (Macroclemys temmincki), box turtle (Terrapene carolina), Barbour's map turtle (Graptemys barbouri), Escambia River map turtle (Graptemys ernsti), diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin), river cooter (Pseudemys concinna), or loggerhead musk turtle (Sternotherus minor), or parts thereof. *(Meaning you canharvest for personal use)*<U>No person shall possess more than</U> two Barbour's map turtles, two Escambia River map turtles, two diamondback terrapins, two river cooters, two box turtles, two loggerhead musk turtles, or <U>one alligator snapping turtle</U> unless authorized by permit from the executive director as provided in Rules 68A-5.004, 68A-9.002, and 68A-27.002, F.A.C. River cooters may not be taken from 15 April to 31 July.<P class=Body>(7) No softshell turtles (Apalone spp.) or their eggs may be taken from the wild during the period 1 May to 31 July.<P class=Body>(8) No person shall possess more than 50 eggs taken from the wild in the aggregate of species of freshwater turtle native to Florida except as authorized by permit from the Executive Director as provided in Rules 68A-5.004, 68A-9.002, and 68A-27.002, F.A.C. Eggs of those turtle species enumerated in 68A-25.002(6), F.A.C., are subject to the same possession limits as apply for those turtles. The purchase or sale of turtle eggs taken from the wild is prohibited.<P class=Body>(9) No person shall buy, sell, take or possess any gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus), or any part thereof, unless authorized by permit from the executive director as provided in Rules 68A-5.004, 68A-9.002, and 68A-27.002, F.A.C.<P class=Body>(10) Possession of gopher tortoises may be authorized by permit from the executive director when the owner can demonstrate that such tortoise(s) was (were) legally acquired and possessed before July 1, 1988.<P class=Body>(11) No person shall possess any turtle or tortoise on which paint has been applied to its shell or body parts, provided that water-soluble, non-toxic identifying marking may be used in turtle racing contests.<P class=Body>


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## legalhookin (Oct 4, 2007)

It like capt. wes said for the groups, myself, like to see posts, congrates for you experience, feel bad that such a large and out of the ordinary animal had to die especially since it seems that other people got enjoymentfrom it living it apears from previous posts. But i will not speak poorly of you since the animal was not waisted and used souly as a trouphy. Thank you for the post never seen a snapping turtle that big, and as asked earlier, how did you catch it?


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## Lynchmob (Oct 2, 2007)

Well put Ranger Rick.


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## 7M (Jan 5, 2008)

NICE ONE, is that an aligator snapper? Probably toobig to be a common snapper. I was thinking that aligator snappers were protected in some states but I could be wrong, anybody know for sure?


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## 7M (Jan 5, 2008)

OOPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks Ranger Rick.


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