Posted on 06/26/2022 6:36:36 PM PDT by texas booster
The turtle weighed around 200 lbs and was likely over a 100 years old, angler Justin Broomhall estimated.
The Longview, Texas resident hooked a massive alligator snapping turtle on Father's Day, the biggest he's ever seen. "My dad was like 'Holy smokes, look at the size of that!'" Broomhall said. "My three-year-old son started panicking. He thought it was a dinosaur and kept saying, 'Let it go. Let it go. Put it back!'"
Broomhall was using dough bait in hopes of reeling in a catfish, he said. However, "from [the turtle] being so old and going blind, he's using his smell to find bait," he said. "I guess he felt it, thinking it was some other dead fish and he ate it."
When Broomhall reached behind the turtle's head and grabbed his shell to hoist the turtle, he noticed the hook was still in its mouth.
"So I just slid off in the water with him and grabbed him by his back leg and grabbed him by his tail," Broomhall said, explaining how they were able to bring the beast in and remove the hook. "My dad pulled me back on land, and I pulled him up about halfway out of the water, and then we threw a rope around his head and flipped him over on his back."
(Excerpt) Read more at chron.com ...
Perhaps not the first time he said that!
It walked to the Chopawamsic creek as it forms a shallow lake leading into the Potomac River and nobody tried to get in its way. Looked like a dinosaur.
Murder Turtle! Run For Your Life!!
damn 😮 Won’t catch me swimming in those waters.
“One of the reasons you do not swim in Texas lakes and rivers”
______
And especially not skinny-dipping!
“A buddy of mine tells me alligator snappers are good eating.”
++++++
They are definitely good eating. In the country during the spring, if you see two pick-up trucks stopped and looking at something in the middle of the road, they are probably discussing who saw the turtle first, and who gets to take it home to throw in a cooking pot (big iron pot over a hot fire until the shell comes off easily). It takes some work and a bit of time to cook into a turtle mull but well worth the effort.
BING...BING...BING...BING....
You WON BIG with that one!!!! We are laughing out loud here on the farm!!!
People gave him the right of way and were smart to do so.
thanks for the story.
Lol
Enjoy. I’m kinda bummed that my State won’t let me bring one in.
Boy that’s ugly and it looks like it would smell horrible. Ick.
Not “200 lbs”, though. No way that guy could lift and hold “200 lbs” of live, squirming snapper...
I’m surprised one of those back feet didn’t rip up that guy’s leg — the way he was holding it!
I’ve caught big ones, but that is the biggest I’ve ever seen. YIKES!
(BTW, the smaller ones make excellent turtle & dumplings.)
TXnMA (now back “nTX”)
Should have killed it
They are protected.
Elevation and colder water temps.
Are they endangered? some species should die out imho. A creature like that can do massive damage to other marine life. Is it native to those waters? (just thinking out loud) We have snappers around here and if I see one I kill it. No it’s not the ‘alligator’ type but still damaging.
They’re native and protected.
And best not to fool with!
I bet they are already there.
I’m so glad this nice fellow did what he did. Good thing he’s a big strong guy.
He will snap your leg off!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.