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Topic: Stay away from swimming snakes . . .  (Read 4705 times)

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Yak C-137

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Moral of this story: If you see a snake in the water, give it a wide berth.

I took the kayak up to Lake Amador this weekend to troll for trout and had a scary run-in with a rattle snake.
I was headed from the main body of the lake into one of the coves and saw a small snake (~14") swimming and thought I'd do a paddle-by to see what kind of snake it was. I was actually hoping I'd get to see a huge largemouth come up and inhale the thing from below, but instead I found out quickly how sensitive a snake's senses are . . . especially when it  still has a long ways to swim & probably a bit panicked.

I got within 10-yards of it and it popped its head up, looked straight towards me & the kayak, took a 90° turn right at me and sped up. As soon as I saw the brown markings,dark tail, and wide head I picked up the pace to outrun it, but not 6 strokes in, I got hung up. I turned away from the snake's direction, loosened the drag, and started to head back to my lure. I immediately started to search for the snake and saw it pop it's head up again and do a 180° turn and head back in my direction. I paddled hard to the snag and gut unstuck pretty quick, but I lost sight of the snake. I was sure I had outrun it but I still spent the next 30-minutes nervously looking into the tank well behind me and under me seat.   :pale:
I'm not sure what I would have done if it had made it on board. I'd jump off, of course, but what do you do then? Swim the kayak to shore from near mid lake? Flag a boat down to tow the kayak in? I had my paddle ready to whack it, but what happens if I miss?

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Eddie

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crash

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Net, lip grippers, or gaff?

14" is a baby, the bite could turn out all sorts of bad.  That's nuts.
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Badger

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 This talk reminds me of water moccasins a.k.a. cottonmouth in Oklahoma with the canoe all bad !good thing Paddle was made of wood and I didn't destroy a Werner-like the one I just bought😳 Once the snakes head reaches the edge of your boat.   it's in


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Sorry but I find that story hilarious... Maybe carry a 357. with snake shot lol


Mojo Jojo

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Sorry but I find that story hilarious... Maybe carry a 357. with snake shot lol
It's always funny..... when it's someone else  :smt044


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  • Cabeza de Martillo
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Glad you are ok but this is my perspective.


Rule Number One: you need to remain calm.

Sounds like you panicked from the start.

You could've flicked him away with your paddle and calmly retrieved your lure or even cut your line. Then paddled away instead of freaking out.

If you really felt threaten you could've clobbered him good with your paddle.

Jumping into the water would've complicated things.

Hopefully you learned a valuable lesson.
« Last Edit: April 23, 2017, 10:17:50 PM by Cabeza de Martillo »
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SlackedTide

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Glad you are ok but this is my perspective.


Rule Number One: you need to remain calm.

Sounds like you panicked from the start.

You could've flicked him away with your paddle and calmly retrieved your lure or even cut your line. Then paddled away instead of freaking out.

If you really felt threaten you could've clobbered him good with your paddle.

Jumping into the water would've complicated things.

Hopefully you learned a valuable lesson.
this was too funny, glad your okay, please paddle wisely...
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Yak C-137

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Glad you are ok but this is my perspective.


Rule Number One: you need to remain calm.

Sounds like you panicked from the start.

You could've flicked him away with your paddle and calmly retrieved your lure or even cut your line. Then paddled away instead of freaking out.

If you really felt threaten you could've clobbered him good with your paddle.

Jumping into the water would've complicated things.

Hopefully you learned a valuable lesson.
Thankfully, I didn't reach panic level. If I had, I would have snapped my line making a beeline outta there. I was concerned, but apparently not enough to lose a lure.
Thinking about it afterwards is when all the scenarios & questions came to me.
I guess if it had got close enough I could have just netted it and wrapped it up (with handle extended) and drowned the damn thing. Not ideal, but a solution to the problem.

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rockfish

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does this apply?
Less Mental than before, Still savage AF tho <3

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mako1

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I heard a snake on the water story in which a guy was in a float tube and a snake crawled in with him while on the water. It was a rattler, which understandably spooked the guy, but it was calm. The guy waited it out and it went back in the water after a bit.
I don't ever want to experience that.
If you don't know where you're headed, any road could get you there.


&

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Quote
I'd jump off, of course

Jump off??  :smt044


Mienboy

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Thanks for the heads up and glad that your ok
My biggest worry is that my wife(when I'm dead)will sell my fishing gear for what I said I paid for it


Eric B

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I've seen Rosylen when a pincher bug crawls out of her seat on the water.  I can't imagine what she'd do with a snake on board.


crazyfisher

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should make a movie called SNAKES ON KAYAK ;) maybe we can get Samuel L Jackson to star in it lol