Snakes on a Boat!!

[2tall79]

I was fishing a lake in E Washington yesterday when a 4' rattlesnake swam by.   I've heard stories of snakes slithering up your outdrive and becoming your new best fishing buddy.  Anybody have any experience with these critters?  I've lived on the left side of Washington for 64 years and this is only my second sighting.

[Darren.]

Just pay them respects, use your rod to nudge them in a 

different direction if they're getting too close, and call it

a rare sighting  

 

I've had to nudge water moccasins out of my way, as they're

probably our most belligerent, aggressive snake. Most others

including rattlers, are not as aggressive...believe it or not.

[38 Super Fan]

The ones I've seen here always keep their distance. I seem to see at least one snake every trip to the lake this time of year.

[visagelaid]

I was trout fishing in SW Virginia a few years ago, and I had one foot up on a rock slightly higher than the water level and one foot down in the fast moving water.  I looked down to see this snake (unk type) just slithering down stream in between my legs.  It didnt pay me any mind, but it was unsettling to say the least.   

[Maggiesmaster]

If you're in a boat, the only snake worry you have is one that falls on the boat from a limb. Good news: most tree. Limbers are banded water snakes, not cottonmouths. Bad news: while not poisonous they're still aggressive & will bite. 

[scaleface]

I wouldnt recognize  a 4 inch baby rattlesnake swimming by .

[geo g]

In our areas snakes are one of the favorite foods of gators.  Over the years I have had to out run one, with the trolling motor, that had its mind made up to seek the shelter of my boat.  I don't see them very often in the glades, during the day time, because of the number of gators.  I do see snakes on the bank, especially in Weston.

[jimf]

Closest snake encounter was wading a local river when a 4 foot Fox Water Snake was just hauling down the water after something.    I was in water a little above my waist, and when I saw him out of the corner of my eye I just reflexively raised my arms so he could swim under.  I also reflexively peed my pants.

 

Never had one in a boat.

 

 

[Team9nine]

This guy let me get the boat right next to him  

 

[NCbassraider]

Had a large black snake try to climb in my boat last summer.  I think they just think it's land and they are vulnerable in the water to fish and birds of prey so they just want to get out.

 

Luckily, here in central NC, we don't have to worry about venomous snakes in the water.  Too far north for mocs and the copperheads don't like to swim.  Mostly just black snakes and northern water snakes posing as mocs here.

[NCbassraider]

4 hours ago, Team9nine said:

This guy let me get the boat right next to him  

 

We have a lot of those here in NC. It's a Northern water snake posing as a copperhead.  At first glance, it's tough to tell though

[Gundog]

At a local state park I was wading in the water fishing and saw a small snake swimming towards me close to the bank. It passed by me without even noticing me. I saw a lady walking toward the bank ahead of the snake so I hollered up to her to tell her there was a snake in the water. Her reply was "Another snake. That's it. I'm leaving. That's the 3rd snake I've seen." Must have been one of those people that thinks the outdoors shouldn't have all the icky things in it. 

[wisconsin heat]

 

[Bankbeater]

I've had those water snakes go after jigs before, but I have never had one in the boat with me. 

[Troy85]

A few years back me and my brother were fishing some golf course ponds one morning.  My brother was working a top water popper right next to a little stick that was just sticking out of the water.  He had a hit on the his popper and set the hook, turns out the little "stick" was the head of a water snake and it bit his popper as it went by....well setting the hook snagged the snake and it came flying out of the water and landed at his feet....I was down the bank about 30 feet laughing to tears and glad it didn't happen to me....I'm terrified of snakes and had that snake came flying out of the water at me, I probably would have had a heart attack.

[frosty]

Those water snakes we have up here aren't poisonous but they are very aggressive! I had one grab a little bluegill I caught and was throwing back from out between my legs. It no more than hit the water and he shot out and grabbed it. This fat boy nearly climbed 10' of steep bank in record time!

[Hog Basser]

I've had a moccasin come aggressively at my boat, looked like he wanted in with me.  I popped him with my judge and that was the end of that.  I see water snakes almost every trip and generally leave them alone. 

[Bluebasser86]

I've never had one get in the boat, but had a couple try. Usually I have the high pitched screams from @gardnerjigman to repel them from the boat though. 

[Jeff H]

Never dealt with snakes on the water, but I don't like em' nohow.  If I fished in snake country I'd have a machete in the boat and wouldn't give a second thought to dividing one up.

Ain't no snake getting in my boat alive!

[dirvin21]

Had a 6 foot eastern brown snake (2nd deadliest snake worldwide) try and join me in my boat a few years back, a paddle to his head changed his mind but had he got in I was getting out

We also have a non venomous tree snake that has a habit of randomly dropping out of trees to the ground which can lead to a hell of a fright

[scaleface]

Snakes . Its   part of being outdoors . 

[Chaddy]

On 5/24/2017 at 11:11 PM, NCbassraider said:

Had a large black snake try to climb in my boat last summer.  I think they just think it's land and they are vulnerable in the water to fish and birds of prey so they just want to get out.

 

Luckily, here in central NC, we don't have to worry about venomous snakes in the water.  Too far north for mocs and the copperheads don't like to swim.  Mostly just black snakes and northern water snakes posing as mocs here.

I live in Chatham county North Carolina and there's cotton mouth water moccasins here. Got one two years ago out of the pool skimmer. You're lucky if y'all don't have them. I can't stand a snake of any kind. 

[NCbassraider]

Wow, that's pretty far north to find a moc.  Most of the confirmed sightings of mocs in NC are in the SE part of the state.  The rest are mistaken identities.  NC Wildlife has Chatham out of the range of the water Moc on their map which means there has never been a confirmed sighting there.

 

The Northern water snake has evolved over time to take on the colors, patterns and behaviors of mocs and copperheads for defensive purposes.  They will even hold their mouth open and show off an adapted white mouth to mimic the "cottonmouth". They are much more convincing as a water moc than a copperhead.

 

Most experts will tell you that the majority of sightings of mocs in NC are mostly mistaken identity.  Also, pool owners in FL will tell you that a moc will rarely get itself caught in a skimmer.  They are too good in the water and typically push the skimmer lid right off.

[Kyhokie]

On 5/28/2017 at 9:59 AM, dirvin21 said:

Had a 6 foot eastern brown snake (2nd deadliest snake worldwide) try and join me in my boat a few years back, a paddle to his head changed his mind but had he got in I was getting out

We also have a non venomous tree snake that has a habit of randomly dropping out of trees to the ground which can lead to a hell of a fright

Lol, had to look where you were from mate! I know Texas has it's share of venomous serpents, but we don't hold a candle to the land down under lol. Also, what type of fish is that in your background pic? Not the profile picture, the background one. 

[NCbassraider]

7 hours ago, Chaddy said:

I live in Chatham county North Carolina and there's cotton mouth water moccasins here. Got one two years ago out of the pool skimmer. You're lucky if y'all don't have them. I can't stand a snake of any kind. 

Wow, that's pretty far north to find a moc.  Most of the confirmed sightings of mocs in NC are in the SE part of the state.  The rest are mistaken identities.  NC Wildlife has Chatham out of the range of the water Moc on their map which means there has never been a confirmed sighting there.

 

The Northern water snake has evolved over time to take on the colors, patterns and behaviors of mocs and copperheads for defensive purposes.  They will even hold their mouth open and show off an adapted white mouth to mimic the "cottonmouth". They are much more convincing as a water moc than a copperhead.

 

Most experts will tell you that the majority of sightings of mocs in NC are mostly mistaken identity.  Also, pool owners in FL will tell you that a moc will rarely get itself caught in a skimmer.  They are too good in the water and typically push the skimmer lid right off.