I hooked a huge turtle on vacation last year and had no idea what to do.  There was no way I could have landed it to get the hook out.  I didn't want to cut the line and take a chance of the turtle getting tangled up in it.  Luckily it somehow knocked the hook out and I didn't have to worry about it.

What is the ideal course of action in this situation to do the least amount of harm to the turtle?


Nevermind.  Apparently this is hot button issue and not to be discussed according to a few locals.  I think some may be wound a little tight.

If anyone is curious I did find the NCDENR recommendations on how to handle it online.



From this site: Link

Cut it loose...

yeah just cut line or make soup....

edit....don't leave too much line dangling..

I don't really feel like going to prison for cooter stew.

The problem I had when I hooked it is that I fishing off a dock and had a 50 yards of line out when he took it.  I didn't stand a chance of getting him close enough to pull the hook out.  He pulled the line whenever he felt like it so I didn't want to cut it and leave that much line hanging for him to get tangled in.  Thankfully he got the hook out himself somehow so it wasn't an issue that time.

I posted this same topic on a fishing forum I sometimes visit and you'd have thought I'd shot and eaten it with the responses I got.  One poster even went as far as to say I had openly admitted committing a criminal act by simply hooking the turtle to which I replied with a link to the page in my original post.  How am I supposed to control what bites my hook when I can't see it?  It was very strange.

The harsh reactions are due to the GD tree hugging bastards that have got regulation after regulation placed on fisherman, commercial and recreational, in NC over the mere threat of endangering a damn sea turtle. I've been on the water for well over 25 years, a lot of which professionally, and you might not get what you go after every time and probably will not see hide nor hair... But one f-ing thing I have yet failed to see is sea turtles..... Endangered my ass.

All charter and commercial boats are now even required to carry a "special" kit for the sole purpose of unhooking sea turtles.

We always just throw a rag over their head and then get the hook out. The rag keeps them from trying to turn and bite you. I've hooked several at Sebastian Inlet, FL with bucktails. That place is loaded with turtles.