Lake Winnipesaukee Monster

[Winilyme]

My wife and I went for a swim late this afternoon. Just before I jumped in my wife yelled - "what is that?". I looked to to see a large (I presume a snapper) turtle swimming at the surface of the lake about 10 feet off our dock. Guessing its shell was about 15" front to back. It was swimming parallel to shore heading east to who knows where. We've been here five years and have never seen a turtle in the water where we are. Elsewhere, yes, in quiet marshy areas but we are in the Spindle Point neighborhood, facing the Weirs, with clear and turbulent water. There is no marshland or grassy/muddy calm areas anywhere near us. Not sure where it came from or where it was going.

I do know that this is the time of year that they are laying their eggs and we see them doing that often in our yard in CT. Just seemed strange to see that here in this specific environment. I'm also grateful I didn't jump in right next to that beast. Just the sight of it while swimming would have been enough to land me in intensive care.

Who said there wasn't a Lake Winnipesaukee monster?

[8gv]

I've caught one in the foot while fishing a swampy lake (Eagleville CT) with wifey aboard the canoe.

She just kept chanting "Don't bring it into the boat!"

It was bigger than my car's steering wheel and not too happy.

I donated my Rapala lure to it.

[rick35]

We had a visitor last week. She came up to the house which is about 10 feet above lake level. That's the first time we've seen a snapper where we are. She did a little digging right off our back steps and my wife was concerned about her laying eggs right there. I think she was just nervous. But she had a great smile. Twenty minutes later she was gone.

[rick35]

Here she is heading back to the water. Her shell was 13 inches long. I thought our golden was going to have a nervous breakdown.

[SAB1]

Have seen them several times in 19 mile Bay Area. Have had them crawl up over beach to shady wet areas. They stink when out of the water!

[Descant]

Originally Posted by SAB1

Have seen them several times in 19 mile Bay Area. Have had them crawl up over beach to shady wet areas. They stink when out of the water!

Are they protected? If they stink when out of the water is the turtle soup not good?

[upthesaukee]

When I docked at Parker Marine, they had two that were pretty good sized, at least 12 inches across.

Never worried about them buying a finger off. The whole hand maybe!!!

Dave

[gillygirl]

Originally Posted by Top-Water

Just asking ?

Is it true that they can reach back with thier neck and bite at you if you have them held by the shell. Not sure but I seem to recall that you pick them up by the tail.

Any one know for sure how to handle one for real. (I'll let you go first and demonstrate.)

You pick them up at the front edge and back edge of the shell.


Sent from my iPad using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app

[Hillcountry]

Originally Posted by Descant

Are they protected? If they stink when out of the water is the turtle soup not good?

They don’t “stink” per se, perhaps any mud may have been the odiferous, culprit. I have them in my yard every year laying eggs (beaver swamp on my property line)
I once caught one in the yard as a youth (per order of my dear mother) who wanted me to put it in the trunk of her car whereupon she took it to a local Chinese restaurant.
They were very excited to see it and they offered her $20 which she happily took as they all shouted “tortor soup”!
Biggest one I ever saw was near the Merrimack River in Methuen, MA
I would fish and bow fish for carp in the backwaters along route 110 known as the Lowell/Lawrence Boulevard. The snapper was ensconced in a nasty brush filled section of the backwater and his hiding place was beneath a half sheet of discarded plywood. It’s head had to be 4-5” wide as that was all that was exposed. Try as I might, I couldn’t get it to bite my bait offerings...although I have no idea how I would have been able to haul such a beast up the bank...
Just a little turtle anecdote from my youth (circa late 1950’s)

[Hillcountry]

Originally Posted by Top-Water

@ Hillcountry

Thank you for your story.

When I was a kid before we started coming up the lake (here) I can remember all the aduts get excited about two snapping turtles fighting (probably mating) out in the middle of the lake when I was very little. Not sure why but it promted the male adults to load there guns and dispatch of them. Something I have never forgotten even after 55 - 60 years from my families early days at Northwood Lake.

Ha! Perhaps they liked to go skinny dipping at night and didn’t want to attract any attention to their “turtle baits”

[Patofnaud]

Originally Posted by Winilyme

My wife and I went for a swim late this afternoon. Just before I jumped in my wife yelled - "what is that?". I looked to to see a large (I presume a snapper) turtle swimming at the surface of the lake about 10 feet off our dock. Guessing its shell was about 15" front to back. It was swimming parallel to shore heading east to who knows where. We've been here five years and have never seen a turtle in the water where we are. Elsewhere, yes, in quiet marshy areas but we are in the Spindle Point neighborhood, facing the Weirs, with clear and turbulent water. There is no marshland or grassy/muddy calm areas anywhere near us. Not sure where it came from or where it was going.

I do know that this is the time of year that they are laying their eggs and we see them doing that often in our yard in CT. Just seemed strange to see that here in this specific environment. I'm also grateful I didn't jump in right next to that beast. Just the sight of it while swimming would have been enough to land me in intensive care.

Who said there wasn't a Lake Winnipesaukee monster?

Feel free to name that one "Scagbreaker".

That would be a big 'boom' under the hull.