I've always cut up the ground hogs I shoot for bait and just about any decent sized creek will be good for turtles

 

Any time I try trapping ponds usually end up catching catfish before a turtle will get to it

 

Or bass

 

I second the groundhog suggestion i myself have never set turtle lines but my grandpa who caught a lot of turtles in his day swore by groundhog meat as bait.

 

pretty much any meat will work, a bluegill is your best option.... in order to prevent the catfish bite ... I use a 8/0 hook or larger...instead of any kind of fishing line whatsoever… I just use about 3 foot length small chain...attach it to a limb on the shore ...it does not have to be thrown 20 feet out in the lake.

 

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Does it matter if the bait is floating or at the bottom?.. also how many lines do you end up setting?

 

i just use a bluegill... I stab it a couple times so that it sinks to the bottom ...just make sure that the bluegill is "freshly " dead... as in... caught that day , put on the turtle hook, killed and put out there. and make sure that the place you connect the chain to at the shoreline ,make sure the chain is not visible or easy to get to by a raccoon...you will lose your bait every single time if it's accessible by *****. the entire line cannot be underwater though

As for your other questions... get the ODNR book and read your regs man...

 

 

Yea read the regs and every thing.. just trying to get some basic tips. Thanks

 

ok... myself, i just take one large turtle a year, just to make soup... so i don't get to crazy with it, i set out 3 or 4 lines

 

Ok.. thanks again for the info.. yea I have four out now and had some bait snipped at and others with no takers.. trial and error..

 

I used Beef Liver. Stays on the hook well.

Ok.. thanks again for the info.. yea I have four out now and had some bait snipped at and others with no takers.. trial and error..

Liver.

 

The best turtle bait by far is dog fish. If you can't get those, carp work fine. I don't use hooks because you can't purge them because they get infected and you also catch sub legal turtles which shouldn't be released with a hook in their throat.

 

Done very well with stew meat. It is difficult to get off the hook

 

This brings back memories of the Great White turtle thread from years ago....

 

I think most of us enjoyed the white turtle thread, LOL.
sherman