Brian_Reeves Posted May 17, 2008 Posted May 17, 2008 Yeah, I ran into a pretty bad problem a few hours ago. I wasn't going to write about it, but then I thought the better of it. I was bankfishing and ran into a problem that sucks for any bank fisherman. An eastern diamondback rattler. It took a hit at me and broke through my jeans and socks, but didn't break skin that bad. I went to the hospital and they ran tests, but no venom was injected. The good news is that snake won't be bothering anyone else. I killed it with my jig rod and brought it to the hospital with me. Just look out while y'all are out there on a lake. Snakes will gravitate towards water because...well it's water for one and there is an abundance of food there. Those suckers will fall out of trees, hide on banks, and post up around rocks. I admire all of nature (except mosquitos) but snakes suck when they ruin a fishing trip. Be careful guys. Getting snakebit really sucks...even when you don't get venom-ized. Quote
jemackinnon83 Posted May 17, 2008 Posted May 17, 2008 Glad to see you're okay. Could have been real ugly. Quote
crazy4bass1 Posted May 17, 2008 Posted May 17, 2008 glad to see ur ok u beat it with a rod? nice Quote
Super User Marty Posted May 17, 2008 Super User Posted May 17, 2008 I feel fortunate that I'm not going to run into any poisonous snakes. But if that were a possibility, I'd wear my 18" rubber boots even more than I do now, which is mainly for wet conditions and very shallow wading. Quote
Brian_Reeves Posted May 17, 2008 Author Posted May 17, 2008 glad to see ur ok u beat it with a rod? nice Yeah, it got the good ole rod butt to the head until it was a pulp treatment. At the time it was out of anger, then I remembered that it's good to kill the snake and bring it in with you for positive ID. No doubt what it was though. It rattled AFTER it bit me. Stupid snake. It didn't have to be that way. Quote
Super User Bassin_Fin@tic Posted May 17, 2008 Super User Posted May 17, 2008 Something about visualizing a snake being beaten by a fishing rod makes me chuckle Glad your okay M8! Quote
ba7ss3in Posted May 17, 2008 Posted May 17, 2008 Glad to hear that you wasn't harmed. At least, you still have dinner. Quote
Brian_Reeves Posted May 17, 2008 Author Posted May 17, 2008 lol. Yeah, I'd go for it. Snake is actually pretty decent. My wife would MURDER me if I brought a snake into or anywhere near the house. Oh my god you should have seen the hospital receptionist at the front desk. I walked in with a 3 to 3.5ft rattlesnake with an imploded head. I'm holding it by the tail and I walk in with a field dressing on my calf. I look at her and say "where do I go for this?" It was the first time I didn't have to wait in line in the emergency room ;D Quote
Simp Posted May 17, 2008 Posted May 17, 2008 I didn't have to wait in line in the emergency room ;D Now thats more rare then getting bit by a snake! ;D Quote
Popeye Posted May 17, 2008 Posted May 17, 2008 Wow, CLOSE call! Super glad to see that you're OK!!! We have them nasty critters ALL over the place out here in San Diego county and especially around the lakes I fish. I'm constantly on guard when I fish from shore (which, thank goodness, won't be happening much anymore:o) Take care and you might want to think about getting a Mongoose for a fishing companion:o) Quote
farmpond1 Posted May 17, 2008 Posted May 17, 2008 I'm so glad Central Illinois doesn't have a ton of venomous snakes. Not saying there aren't any but they are the exception. Hope you didn't harm your rod when you used it as a weapon. Can't say as I blame you, though. Also, obviously, I'm glad to hear it didn't...invenomate(?) you. Quote
Big-O Posted May 17, 2008 Posted May 17, 2008 Hey Brian, Glad you're ok and great story! Used the ole rod butt trick huh? That's one we will remember for a while. Good on Ya! another one bites the dust. Big O Quote
Bass XL Posted May 17, 2008 Posted May 17, 2008 Wow. Glad to hear that you're ok. Like someone else said, it could have been much worse. Quote
atropine Posted May 17, 2008 Posted May 17, 2008 How did you come across the snake? Where you not paying attention and kinda stumbled into it? Did it come at you? A friend and I were fishing a few weeks ago and we spotted a cottonmouth about 15 feet from us. We ran and got somebody we know who lived close by and he brought his shotgun. That snake won't be bothering anybody now. But I am nervous about running into more of them. Quote
guitarkid Posted May 17, 2008 Posted May 17, 2008 What kind of rod was it, now I know who to stick with. BUT I am glad to see you are okay. Some of the ponds I fish are pretty snake-ish looking. -searoach Quote
EastTexasBassin Posted May 17, 2008 Posted May 17, 2008 There are several ponds around here that we don't visit without a gun. I'd hate to damage a fine rod over a stupid snake, thats what the shotgun is for. Quote
Hawg Fan Posted May 17, 2008 Posted May 17, 2008 Wow! Glad to see everything went ok. I know snakes are apart of the food chain and all but I cant stand them. It must have been the mojo that saved ya! Quote
NinjaFishin Posted May 17, 2008 Posted May 17, 2008 Close call I'd say! Do you have any pictures of the snake and/or bite? :-? Quote
Brian_Reeves Posted May 17, 2008 Author Posted May 17, 2008 Yeah, this happened here on Ft. Hood. I didn't take a picture of the stupid thing because the hospital wouldn't let me take it home. Once they got their grimey hands on it, they wouldn't give it back to me As far as how the battle went down...I was making my way back to the truck. This lake is kinda rocky with a bunch of trees, and I wasn't paying attention. Apparently this guy was having a bad day and tried to bite my leg off. I was holding my rod with the rod butt planting down every few steps, ya know? First reaction was to use the rod like a spear and pop him over the head. I only hit him twice, but that was enough. Daiwas are strong. I think that he was pretty much dead (or comatose) after those two hits, but I made absolutely sure with a size 11R combat boot. If I go bank fishing again, I'm going to bring an actual hiking stick that I have at the house. It's made of hickory and is about 6ft long. Normally I let nature go about it's way, but when that is unavoidable, a good ole hickory stick will even the odds. I would bring a gun but the gun laws on a military installation really suck. Quote
wilsonm1 Posted May 17, 2008 Posted May 17, 2008 sorry bought the bite, im just glad ur ok. i see a lot of snakes where i fish but they are IN the water. they see any movement and they are spooked to deeper water. Kinda random...but at my house last summer, my grandma was in town and i saw my neighbors cat in the yard. i looked a little left and there is a huge copperhead. i ran and got my parents and neighbors and they grabbed the cat. and the best part of this is my GRANDMA snuck up behind it and cut off its head with a shovel. . wow grandma... Quote
Super User Micro Posted May 17, 2008 Super User Posted May 17, 2008 Who identified it as an Eastern Diamondback? The medical folks? Quote
Masshole Mike Posted May 17, 2008 Posted May 17, 2008 glad to hear you're ok brian. i absolutely hate snakes. i wouldn't have been able to pick it up to bring it to the hospital, they creep me out way too much. Quote
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