When young kid growing up in Waltham, the rumor always was that there was an old chinese guy the would target snappers, so he could sell them to local chinese restaurants. I dont know if there is truth to this or not, like I said Ive only heard it as a rumor.
When I was a kid and not so much in the know about catch and release, I did a lot of fishing in Canton, MA because my family owned a liquor store there. I pulled a lunker about 24 inches or so out of a little pond and took it to my dad to see if he would get it done up at the taxidermist. It was too expensive and he didn't want to. So I took it next door to Wong's Cafe and traded it to the owner for some General Gau's chicken specials for my little brother and I. We saw him fillet and gut the thing and were so surprised to see what was in its stomach... Pennies, a pencap, all sorts of weird stuff!
I'd say. . .ya know ya got somethin' just NUTZzzz when every "fisherman" gives the Turtle the nod for the PIC of the month...no? AWESOME ma man.my whole family would be proud of that catch.And HELL yes it's GREAT EATS !I've got uncles that'd have made a whole weekend outta that BAD-BOYYou got balls man.
If your not careful we may have to start calling you BangBang 2Fingers! 
I agree with above post, that turtle has a pretty decent strike range and I believe your hands are in it
They can snap their heads back over and to the sides of their shells, half the distance of their body. Just happened to see that on tv the other day, giving demonstrations and all. I caught one many years ago that was huge. It growled at the Kman and I when I brought it up on the land, snapped down real hard, bit the hook in half that was in it's mouth and backed down into the water! NASTY tempers those buggers have!
when i run into Snappers in the Kayak i paddle the other way,things have freaked me out since i was a kid(when i was young there was an old guy that would buy turtles from us when we caught them,$5 for bigguns and he'd give us $5 for 3 or 4 small 1's,dunno if he was eating them or selling them to restaurants)