Mannington Meadows, Pennsville, NJ
Image size - 10 " x 15"
Unframed - $75, Framed & double matted - $175

Snapper Trapper History
Working from the bow of his airboat, Bob Thomas is shown retrieving a snapping turtle from his Fyke in Mannington Meadows. Bob started hunting, fishing and trapping at eleven years old. Through his mentor, Charles Kilpatrick, he learned the method of locating snappers by probing in the soft mud with a metal rod equiped with a hook at the end. Once the turtle is located, it's hooked by the edge of the shell and pulled from the mud. They were then placed in burlap bags and sold to John Humphreys for sixteen to eighteen cents a pound.
In 1999, Bill Malusis, Jerry Halter and Bob purchased airboats making the trapping areas much more accessible. The Fykes are wire cage traps placed in likely looking locations amongst the shallows and baited with bunker or carp if available. A section of four inch PVC pipe, closed on both ends serves as a float to keep the top portion of the trap above water just enough so the turtles can breath freely. These wire cage traps are retreived on a regular basis and the snapping turtles are taken to a processor in Middleton, Delaware, where the meat is canned and supplied to local restaurants.
Trapping seasons starts in April and ends May 1st, allowing the females to lay their eggs. Then the season reopens in Mid-June until the following spring. The best season Bob ever had was a total of 4,200 pounds.
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A special thanks to Bob Thomas for the opportunity to step into his world for a brief period to experience and record rural life on the beautiful waterways of Mannington Meadows.