Alligator Snapping Turtle?

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12-04-2019, 08:15 PM
GREENFISH

Alligator Snapping Turtle?

Ok, I know some of you just rolled your eyes at this, but hear me out.
Probably 20 years ago I fished the big Tuesday night bass tournaments at Taylorsville for a couple of seasons. So we fished every Tuesday evening for like half the year.
During one of these spring tournaments with the water very murky from recent rains we saw something I’d never seen before. At first I thought it was the top of flathead on the surface. It was very near the boat and as looked closer I realized it was not a fish at all. It was the head of an enormous turtle! I could see the top of its shell behind its head, but most of the shell was hidden under the muddy water. The head was honestly the size of a large dinner plate!! Absolutely huge. It soon disappeared below the surface.
A few minutes later in the same small cove, another one appeared. This one was maybe 3/4 the size of the first, but still gigantic.
Has anyone else ever seen these around the lakes in Kentucky? I know we are at the far northern spectrum on the geological range of this species and there are likely very few numbers around. My assumption is it was spawning season and that had these turtles searching for a mate.

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12-04-2019, 11:26 PM
Wormin

Cedar is full of them. You can find them in the shallow water in the back of the creeks in the spring, look for schools of bluegill and there a alligator snapping turtle close bye.
12-05-2019, 01:16 PM
artcarney_agr

Yep, I see them often. My sister caught a baby one on the shore at KY Lake many years ago and kept it as a pet for a few weeks, named it "Spike" due to the spikes on it's back, it was later set free back into KY Lake after mom got tired of having to take care of it.

The nature station in LBL has some monsters living there for visitors to see.

You might want to google "The Turtle Man" of Ky, Ernie Brown, the guy can find snapping turtles just about anywhere in KY. For a few bucks he'll come to your cattle pond and show you how to catch them, there for a while he was doing bachelor parties where he'd take the groom and groomsmen out turtle hunting.
12-05-2019, 06:37 PM
GREENFISH

So to be clear, we are talking about alligator snapping turtles here? The ones I saw were likely pushing 175 to 200 pounds. Not regular snapping turtles

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12-05-2019, 08:36 PM
Wormin

Yes the one's that I'm talk about are, Cedar has both snapping and alligator snapping turtles. The ones that are around the schools of bluegill would push the 100lb mark snapping turtle do not get that big.
12-05-2019, 08:50 PM
GREENFISH

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wormin

Yes the one's that I'm talk about are, Cedar has both snapping and alligator snapping turtles. The ones that are around the schools of bluegill would push the 100lb mark snapping turtle do not get that big.

Ok. Awesome! They are incredible creatures for sure!

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12-06-2019, 06:12 PM
M R Dux

Ask Rickie and Jere about the one Rickie pulled up from the depths of KY Lake on a Pico crank a couple of years ago. It was in my boat and I thought he was pulling up a stump. I didn't see it break water then my line but they said it was the size of my then 140 Suzuki cowling. Foul hooked in the leg.
12-06-2019, 07:36 PM
GREENFISH

Quote:

Originally Posted by M R Dux

Ask Rickie and Jere about the one Rickie pulled up from the depths of KY Lake on a Pico crank a couple of years ago. It was in my boat and I thought he was pulling up a stump. I didn't see it break water then my line but they said it was the size of my then 140 Suzuki cowling. Foul hooked in the leg.

That’s incredible!! I bet the big one of the two I saw was similar in size. Simply impressive

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