Snapping turtle infestation, Anyone else notice?

ttt

Snapping turtles don't bother bass and infestation is the wrong word to use on these beautiful creatures.

Considering it take decades for snapping turtles to grow to a decent size and Your saying their are a lot don’t you think they have been there all along. They don’t grow out of thin air over night. Also snapping turtles have a rather small range and alway hibernate with about 5’ of the same spot their whole life. Snapping turtle have nothing to do with your bass catch rates at all. Mostly they are scavengers.

So many reasons you could be seeing less bass. Some lakes they just got off the beds and are in deeper water sulking. Hard to catch these fish. Possibly the area has been over fished and not enough catch and release. Or possibly there was a big winter kill. I can name dozens of reasons bass population fluctuate or people can not catch them and zero involve any type of turtle.

It takes 15 to 20 years for a snapping turtle to reach sexual maturity.

Approximately 90 percent of their diet consists of dead animal and plant matter.

It is estimated that it takes about 1500 eggs, and 59 years to even have a chance of replacing themselves in their population.

As such, I think that this "huge increase" you're seeing and the "lower bass catch rates" have to do with other reasons.

The reasons for the above include the messed up weather we've experienced over the last month, the overharvest of fish from the spots that you fish, an increase in the number of predators such as mink, herons, cormorants, loons, or muskies in the areas you're fishing, or even your inability to catch bass as they might not be where you're looking for them.

Those could be any of the reasons...I just don't see the snapping turtle having as great an impact on the bass fishery as you believe it could.

U all hit the nail on the head here. They take long to grow, they're not investing anything and they are scavengers first and foremost.
Unfortunately thier name "snapping turtle" gives them a bad name as people have a misconception that they are these deadly killers that destroy lakes and I wouldnt doubt they people have been killing them for this reason.

I never knew that u were allowed to fish for them before but they should have stopped that a long time ago if that's true.

How big are the turtles you are seeing?

Also Bass are late this year, they haven't gone any where they just spawned late.

Re the 'beautiful non-evasive creature' called a snapping turtle. Are you guys part of PETA?
Not sure where you are getting your info but I have fished many, many lakes that contain snapping turtles for the last 50 years and I can ASSURE you that YES, they DO eat bass, as well as perch, etc. or whatever fish they can get their 'hands' on. Yes, they tend to prefer easy meals such as wounded or younger frish, as well as those on a stringer! ( this has happened to me more than once).

I am going by first hand experience of 50 years of fishing and seeing the destruction to fish these creatures do first hand. So yes, I would agree that the changes in turtle regs could possibly have a direct impact on fish populations such as bass.

Where are you getting your info? They're native to Ontario.

https://www.ontario.ca/page/snapping-turtle

And yes, they'll steal fish off your stringer if you're not careful but if it's happened to you more than once, well that's on you.

Yes yes blame the turtles for being a crappy angler...good job!!

Idk man, I've caught nothing but dinks so far this year. Must be the damn turtles.

I blame Trudeau... The fish are all wearing masks this year ...#covid😷😷

I think snapping turtle is the right name for them. My father told me a story this year, this would be 50-60 years ago, catching turtles to eat (Yeah can honestly say I've never seen a turtle and been like damn wouldn't mind tasting that) Anyway long story short After the turtle is harvested I assume the head has been removed from the body for a few hours, my grandfather decides he wants the hook back, he reached in there to grab the hook, damn head of the snapping turtle bit down on his finger. I guess he pretty much tried everything to pry that head open and he couldn't get it to open I don't know how long it was on his finger but long enough until he thought of the idea to grab a stick and jab the head of the snapping turtle stuck to his finger, damn head released it's grip on my grandfather's finger and bit down on the stick.

Glad to hear there's lots of snappers around. I haven't noticed many in the last few years, I was getting a bit concerned for them.

That's a shocker to me since all species of turtles having beeb having a hard go for the last couple of decades,

Like the OP, yes I have seen them take bass of boats on a stringer.....lesson learned

I now take care of 3 snappers at my cottage, meaning that I make sure their annual nesting site is in tip top shape and then we kind of feed then regularily while at the cottage...One is for sure more than 50 years old and is a welcome sight anytime

I can assure you they have had a zero impact on the fishery there

Really? I've seen tons of turtles in every pond, lake and river I've fished in the past few years. Not saying they're over populated or anything but there certainly seems to be a healthy number of them.