Oh, snap! Youngster reels in a turtle on latest fishing excursion to O'Hara park
Samuel Crosby, 11, of Sharpsburg loves to fish in O’Hara Township Community Park.
“I fish for anything,” the Dorseyville Middle School student said as he reeled in a not-too-happy-to-be-caught snapping turtle during a fishing excursion with his grandmother on Aug. 4.
Samuel used bread as bait and released the snapping turtle back into the pond filled with bass, bluegill, catfish and carp.
“It’s always catch and release here,” he said. “I’ve caught four snapping turtles here.”
A fun fishing memory in the park was the time he caught a 20-pound catfish.
The nearby geese appeared nonplussed by the snapping turtle commotion as a few parkgoers walked over for a closer look as Samuel expertly handled the medium-sized turtle from the back of the shell, avoiding its razor-sharp mouth.
“I’m here fishing just about every morning,” Samuel said.
Joyce Hanz is a native of Charleston, S.C. and is a features reporter covering the Pittsburgh region. She majored in media arts and graduated from the University of South Carolina. She can be reached at jhanz@triblive.com
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