Goodbye Rocky and Fish Go Deep

Rocky got a new "Do" last night and he was pretty dry this morning. He had water in the other end of the cooler but stayed up on the little shelf last night. I wanted to paint him as brightly as possible so I could see him fairly well when he's down in the water - and so I could recognize him easily from other turtles that might move into the pond.

He didn't eat anything the whole time I had him out and I just gave up on catching the catfish because I want to get him back in the pond. I did have a suggestion to use shrimp to try to catch the fish and I may try that but I won't be putting it down at the bottom of the pond and leaving it. I don't want to catch Rocky again as he's had enough trouble.

It's been real cool the last couple of days and today when I got down to the pond no one was there waiting for food except for some tiny bluegill. I was told they wouldn't be eating once it got cold but I thought they'd kinda slack off slowly. I did manage to see some larger bass and bluegill out past where the deep part begins and I threw food out there. It was taken but not nearly as eagerly as usual. They sure do slack off and all of a sudden too. It will be warming up a bit tomorrow - we'll see if they return or are gone for good.

I guess once they are gone I'll be shutting this blog down for the winter myself! I don't like being cold either and when the days get gray it's just dreadful!

I took a little video of the release of Rocky. He started out pretty slowly but picked up speed as he went. I saw him about an hour later for an instant and I put some hot dog pieces and bread over where he was. I hope he finds them and eats. Poor Rocky!

The Great Escape and Rocky Dances

I didn't post yesterday because I was running all over nuts and had to go to Nashville to pick up a banjo. By the time I got back I had no time for anything.

The larger turtle that I caught escaped in the night before I could take him to the lake. He crawled right out of the cooler and off he went. I don't know if he headed back down to the pond or where he went but he's gone! The smaller one I took and released. Unfortunately I caught Rocky. This is the third time I've caught this turtle and this is the turtle I want to stay in my pond. He still has a bit of red paint on his back from where the little girl across the street marked him some time ago. I won't be putting him back right away. Rocky is an especially nice snapping turtle and likes to dance and smiles a lot. I want him to stay in my pond!
Rocky is in my kitchen right now in a cooler as a cold front is moving through right now and I'm not about to leave him outdoors where he'll most certainly get cold. I have liver and hot dogs in the cooler with him but he doesn't appear to be interested. I imagine he has quite the tummy ache as he has a hook inside his innards. I hate that and wonder how long it takes to dissolve or pass or whatever happens. I know he's had a couple previously and lived through it but I don't want him to have any more so I'm keeping him out of the pond until I catch the big catfish creature. Seems I can't catch anything with those livers except for my turtles so I suppose I need to fish up a couple of bluegill tomorrow and sink them to the bottom and hope to get the catfish with them. I really want him caught and I really want to put Rocky back. I don't mind having him around but I'm positive he'd be much happier back in the pond.

You can click on the photos to enlarge them. The pond was clear and beautiful today. When I got there I didn't have a lot of bass or bluegill waiting but many more came gliding up later. I took this photo when I first got there because if I wait the water gets a little muddy from the fish thrashing and jumping for food. Diamond Jim is out there but he's the only one I recognized of the first bunch that were there. The other came after about ten minutes and Meanandlean showed up to run out all the other bass except for one that he did let stay - but only one...

Meanandlean ate well today and didn't give me any problems as he only spit out one bite of hot dog which happens to be a big improvement for him. I'm sure that was just to keep me in line and to show me he was still in charge.

The weather change has made a big difference in the bass who really appear to be trying to eat everything in sight. I was told they are working to get stored up for the winter as they'll go deep and quit coming for food before long. The leaves are falling and when my husband was down at the pond checking the lines this morning he said that just about each time a leaf would hit the water a bass would jump and chomp at the leaf. I'll give them as much as they'll eat - but I always do. I'm thinking I should feed two times a day now until it gets really cold and they quit taking food.

The larger bluegill are still hanging way out - past the deep edge and not coming on in. When I finish feeding the bass I throw in commercial feed for them way out and they'll eat that. I did take a little video of them feeding today and I was hoping the giant creature might come up but I didn't see it . Some of those bluegill are ten inchers and it's time for them to come out.

Well, until tomorrow.

Hotdog has a girlfriend! Mr. Snap & Little Snap

YOU CAN CLICK ON THE PHOTOS TO ENLARGE THEM.


I arrived at the pond today and looked down and what do you know! You turn your back and before you know it the kids have gone and moved their pals and girlfriends and who knows who in!

Neener neener neener Hotdog has a girlfriend!

She's smaller than he is and cute as she can be. She kept sliding around in the mud and after awhile I quit paying attention and then lost sight of her. I don't know if she left or was hiding in the mud. I fed Hotdog two fish today...


We had set out three lines last night with livers wrapped up in pantyhose to catch the creature from the black lagoon that lives down in the depths of the pond and we used 50 lb line. On one line the whole hook and all was gone...

The next line the hook was still there but the pantyhose was shredded (see photo).


While I was at the pond this afternoon I saw the tree that the next line was tied to swinging around. I zipped on over there and pulled on the line and had a snapping turtle on the line :c( . It was the big one that I saw in the pond about a week ago that ran off when he saw me. Unfortunately he had swallowed the liver, pantyhose and even the hook so I cut the line about six inches from his mouth and I put him in a cooler. I'll release him in the reservoir tomorrow where he'll have plenty of room to live his life out and have as many fish and other turtles for company as he can possibly imagine. I always had my doubts about cutting a line and the hook "dissolving" but I have a turtle in my pond I've caught in the past and I cut a line on him a long time ago. He has a paint mark on his back and he's still in there apparently doing fine. I don't see any signs of the line coming from his mouth anymore either so I guess it may be true and some how they make it. I hate that they swallow the hooks though. I wish that big monster in there would go ahead and take the bait so I can take those lines out as I don't want to catch any more turtles...


Here is Mr. Snap - he's pretty big:

We put out more lines and after about an hour my Mother and Stepdad came over on their way home from Dr.'s appointments. We decided to go down to the pond and check the lines while they were here and dang if I didn't catch still another snapping turtle. This is not good but now that I have them I guess I should go ahead and relocate them as you can get too many really quickly in a small pond. It's kinda like the reverse of where the socks go when you put them in the dryer. They disappear one by one but snapping turtles seem to appear out of nowhere - one by one. My mother once told me, with a straight face, they get there through osmosis... As you can see, women who are fruitcakes run in my family...

Here is the second turtle I pulled out. I would have gotten a manicure if I knew I'd have my nails in a photo - I'm past due but the mud and pond scum kinda covers it up so I suppose I shouldn't worry...

He tried to bite me several times but I kept well out of the way of the jaws. He's kinda cute don't you think? Look at his adorable hands - you know they feel.. well.. cute! You kinda want to hold him and squish him up a bit but it's just not a good idea - not with that snapping jaw! I'll probably be sorry I didn't put him back in my pond but I have more.

Well, I hope I get the monster who's eating all my fish by tomorrow and not any more turtles. I don't know how many more I have in there but I don't want to take them all out. I know Rocky is still in there.

Until tomorrow!