Snakes Climb In The Boat

[gardnerjigman]

You do realize that snakes are pretty important, right? I have plenty of fishing buddies that are pretty scared of them, but don't kill them!

Please explain to me their importance. Tell me what they do that cats, dogs, coyotes, birds, insects and many fine products at your local hardware store don't already provide.

[Catch 22]

• Long ago we took a trip to the Albemarle  Sound,Chowan River,NC area.I have never seen so many snakes before or since then. The trees were full of snakes, presumably  cotton mouths.I counted 26 in one tree that were  way  up off the water.As we fished along the trees it would rain snakes as we got near.Everyone carried a 22 cal pistol in the t box.

Never went back there,even though we caught some of the hardest fighting lmb ever.

C22

[RSM789]

Please explain to me their importance. Tell me what they do that cats, dogs, coyotes, birds, insects and many fine products at your local hardware store don't already provide.

 

If I may speak on behalf of Captain Happiness, snakes do a good job of pest control without the harmful side effects of chemicals, they are an effective part of the food chain.  Most importantly, when they are smaller, they are a nice little snack for bass.  Anything on the menu for Mr. & Mrs. Largemouth gets a thumbs up from me.

 

I understand some people really dislike snakes & I would never try to convince a person to feel otherwise.  If a snake encroaches on your personal space & you want to kill them, go ahead.  To not be wasteful, you could always use the dead snake as a jig trailer

[F14A-B]

Oh just skin it out slice & dice it then stir fry some rice w sesame oil.. & bam! Snake fried rice!

[kikstand454]

Please explain to me their importance. Tell me what they do that cats, dogs, coyotes, birds, insects and many fine products at your local hardware store don't already provide.

Please explain the importance of the largemouth bass to me , or ill just start throwing every one I catch up on the bank. .....

( all life and the environment is important. As an outdoorsman, you should be a steward of the natural order of things. )

[kikstand454]

• Long ago we took a trip to the Albemarle Sound,Chowan River,NC area.I have never seen so many snakes before or since then. The trees were full of snakes, presumably cotton mouths.I counted 26 in one tree that were way up off the water.As we fished along the trees it would rain snakes as we got near.Everyone carried a 22 cal pistol in the t box.
• Never went back there,even though we caught some of the hardest fighting lmb ever.
• C22

You presumed wrong. They were almost certainly not cottonmouths.

[gardnerjigman]

Please explain the importance of the largemouth bass to me , or ill just start throwing every one I catch up on the bank. .....

( all life and the environment is important. As an outdoorsman, you should be a steward of the natural order of things. )

 

To each his own my friend. Considering you are a fisherman your comparison is just silly. As an outdoorsman, a father, a human, I have the right to dispose of any snake I come across (as long as they are not legally protected). My daughter will not even go back to a local pond in a PARK because of the amount of snakes there. The second anything gets in my way, or my families way of ENJOYING the great outdoors and I can LEGALLY remove that thing, I will do it every time without a second thought in a fast, humane way.  

[scaleface]

To each his own my friend. Considering you are a fisherman your comparison is just silly. As an outdoorsman, a father, a human, I have the right to dispose of any snake I come across (as long as they are not legally protected). My daughter will not even go back to a local pond in a PARK because of the amount of snakes there. The second anything gets in my way, or my families way of ENJOYING the great outdoors and I can LEGALLY remove that thing, I will do it every time without a second thought in a fast, humane way.  

 

It is illegal to indiscriminately kill snakes In Missouri.  

[gardnerjigman]

It is illegal to indiscriminately kill snakes In Missouri.  

 

With the exception of a venomous snake that could cause harm. 

[Catch 22]

You presumed wrong. They were almost certainly not cottonmouths.

 Thanks.Although they are present in that area,you are most likely correct according to this article. CM`s do not tend to climb. The ones I saw were probably brown water snakes. Either way,not welcome in my boat.

 

http://www.livingalongsidewildlife.com/2011/01/cottonmouth-myths-i-snakes-dropping.html

 

C22

[CDMeyer]

That would be unfortunate, it would definitely get me off my game.  I have personaly never had that happen but I hear of it happening down south alot

[kikstand454]

To each his own my friend. Considering you are a fisherman your comparison is just silly. As an outdoorsman, a father, a human, I have the right to dispose of any snake I come across (as long as they are not legally protected). My daughter will not even go back to a local pond in a PARK because of the amount of snakes there. The second anything gets in my way, or my families way of ENJOYING the great outdoors and I can LEGALLY remove that thing, I will do it every time without a second thought in a fast, humane way.

How was my comparison silly? It was to show that a snakes life is just as important - or not- as a fish's.

Meanwhile, you keep indiscriminately killing snakes because of irrational fear, and ill keep not inviting you over for dinner with the family.

We cool?

Awesome.

[basshole8190]

We have a lot of banded water snakes here. I like their colorations. We also have Mocs and cottonmouths and timber and eastern diamond back rattlers. If any venomous snake is in my yard I kill them. Don't want to risk. Bite to my son myself or my dogs. On the lake I leave them be

[gardnerjigman]

How was my comparison silly? It was to show that a snakes life is just as important - or not- as a fish's.

Meanwhile, you keep indiscriminately killing snakes because of irrational fear, and ill keep not inviting you over for dinner with the family.

We cool?

Awesome.

 

Always cool, it is what it is. That's what makes this forum great. People agree, disagree, and agree to disagree. Sounds like we have hit the latter. I don't go out of my way to kill snakes, but I kill the ones that are in my way and don't lose any sleep over it. 

[Bluebasser86]

Always cool, it is what it is. That's what makes this forum great. People agree, disagree, and agree to disagree. Sounds like we have hit the latter. I don't go out of my way to kill snakes, but I kill the ones that are in my way and don't lose any sleep over it. 

I'm hiding a rubber snake in the empty storage compartment of my boat next time we go fishing 

[SirSnookalot]

[RSM789]

I'm hiding a rubber snake in the empty storage compartment of my boat next time we go fishing 

 

If you do, please post the Go-Pro footage...  

[gardnerjigman]

I'm hiding a rubber snake in the empty storage compartment of my boat next time we go fishing

Lol, go pro it and submit it to AFV. We'd win big time I assure you.

[Pamlico]

Living in Eastern NC all my life and have fished  the Chowan for years, yes there are many snakes, and some are cotton mouths, but I would say 90% of so called cotton mouth  site-ings are brown water snakes, quick views can look like water mocs.

[Last_Cast]

Just reading these stories is freaking me out. I hate snakes.

[RHuff]

On 4/14/2015 at 5:18 PM, Senko lover said:

One sentence: Bill Dance Bloopers.

 

 

 

 

The absolute single funniest video I've ever seen in my life. That sound he makes cannot be made up. Then watching him shiver after from being freaked out is hilarious. Then he thought it was out of the boat and it wasn't and he jumped again when he saw it. 

 

If I were the cameraman I would have dropped the camera from laughing so hard. 

 

[RHuff]

I was fishing in a pair of flip flops dumb I know for smallmouths in the Greenbrier River in West Virginia in water about up to my waste. I felt something wrap around my foot like a piece of seaweed and when I looked down a brown snake was wrapped around my leg. It turned out to be a water snake but I had just seen a copperhead a guy had killed an hour before in some rocks on the shore. I went from Point A to Point B in about 2.4 seconds and let out a scream. I even started splashing. When I jumped the current from the river washed my sandal away so I had to walk about half a mile back to camp with only one sandal. My father stood about 50 yards away bent over in laughter. 

[Ratherbfishing]

If I was given a dollar for every non-venomous snake which was misidentified as a copperhead or water moccasin, I'm pretty sure I'd be a very wealthy man.  I don't much care for snakes either (they give me the eebie jeebies) but they have to eat something and rats and mice are high on their menu so I generally leave them alone.  If, on the other hand, I had a nest of TRUE venomous snakes under my deck, I'd probably do something about it but not otherwise.

[bonzai22]

I have had a snake get into my boat it was just a harmless green snake though. Saw him swimming toward the boat and tried to get away from it with the trolling motor. All of the sudden I couldn't see it anymore so I assumed it had swam off somewhere by shore. We fished the rest of the day left and drove an hour to a cracker barrel. When we get out of the car my friend sees the snakes head poking out of his boat motor and flipped out. The snake had crawled in his motor and coiled around it. It was one of the craziest things I've ever seen but we were able to get it out.

[lo n slo]

I've already posted one snake tale in another thread on here somewhere. Here's another one. Many moons ago, I was pond fishing one summer afternoon, throwing a tiny torpedo paralell to the bank, always lots of fun. All of a sudden this water snake came busting outta the weeds, mouth open, in hot pursuit of my torpedo. First reaction was to reel faster. The snake kept coming. The faster I cranked, the harder he came. So I did what any red-blooded Marine Corps veteran would do. I dropped my stuff and ran! When I finally did return, the enemy was gone. Lucky for him.