Saturday, April 29, 2006

Fishing and snakes

I finally got off my ass and borrowed my dads boat. The family and I went fishing today at a local lake. If you call an hour and a half drive local @ 3.09 a gallon for gas.
The day started off like it was going to be crappy weather to be at the lake. It was cold and cloudy. But no sooner did we launch the boat the sun came out. B-e-a-utiful day! I caught the first fish. Which was a big deal for me as it was the first fish that I caught on my new pole. AND the first fish caught by me in over a year. 30 minutes later the oldest hooks into a fish also. I told Summer and the youngest to reel in so the lines don't get tangled which is easy to do when trolling 4 people in a small boat. Suddenly youngest says I got one! I didn't believe him because I thought that it was just the flashers he had on. Lo and behold when his line gets close enough to see he does have a fish on. So we had a double hook up. Quite fun.

We fished for about another hour then decided that it was time for lunch so we went to shore for a picnic. That's when things really turned lucky for us.

After lunch Oldest and youngest walked about 100 feet from where we ate and started fishing from shore. Oldest got snagged so I went over to unhook him. After that I went back to Summer and sat down. A minute later Youngest said he saw a snake. I ASSumed it was a stick, so I said just come on back it's nothing. That's when he really freaked out and just froze. So Summer walked over and called me over because it WAS a snake, but she couldn't identify it. I walked over and found that it was this-------


If you have never seen one before that was a baby Diamondback rattlesnake. About maybe 1-2 years old. It had shed it's skin at least 2 times because It had 2 rattles on it. It was maybe 18 inches long about. I had it distracted with the stick so that the kids and Summer could go back to the blanket. Here is where we got lucky. I LOVE snakes. So if I see one I have to pick it up. This snake did not scare me when I was as close as I was to it. We were lucky because #1 and most importantly Youngest son IS afraid of snakes so he wont try to pick one up like I would. He froze in his tracks and refused to move. I actually had to carry him away. When he saw it, it was coiled and ready.
#2 lucky because when I walked over to help oldest get untangled I stepped my bare foot with no jeans 2 feet from where the snake was. I didn't even see it. That was literally 2 minutes max before our son saw it. If you don't know about Rattlers the young ones are the most deadly ones. That is because they can not control the venom that comes out from there pockets like an older one will. They just empty their pouches on the bight site. After I was done with the snake the stick was soaked with venom. NO I did not kill the snake. I flung it in the lake to make it swim to a different part of the shore.

After that we decided that it was time to head home.

Below is picture of what I do when I find a nonvennomous snake.

10 comments:

S said...

Hey, you old snake charmer, you! Good job!

That is a picture Im sure you will save forever!

O272 said...

OMG, I would've screamed like a little girl!!!

Great pics, CH!

Cinnamon said...

SNAKE!!!

Look at you being all big and handsome manly-man with the snake all over you! OMG I would have been up on top of the car, sobbing.

THIS is why family outings with me and the Kidlet invariably involve afternoon tea and getting our nails done.

Oh, dear, even reading this post is enough adventure for me. I think I need to lie down with a glass of champagne and an aromatherapy candle.

cinnamon girl said...

Cute pic! I love snakes too, I'd love to see a rattle snake. Glad you didn't kill it. Over here we have most of the world's most deadly snakes so you get used to them.

My word verification is bathn. Bath'n'what?

FTN said...

If I could comment in my Steve Irwin voice, I'd be doing it right now.

Summer Rose said...

O272
the last pic, I did scream and jumped up on a table. We were at a family reunion, the snake came across my path where I was fishing.
S.R.

Confused Husband said...

barefoot_mistressThank you and welcome to my blog!

o Why? Snakes are cool!
Thanks.

cinnamonbig handsome and manly. Now that I like. I was in no danger at all. 1)it was a gopher snake. 2) If you look closely at the pic you will see that the snake is fat between my ear and arm pit. It already ate. It was big though. A little over 4 feet. I wanted to keep it as a family pet.

hasarder I have killed my share of rattle snakes as a kid/teenager. But those were getting to close to our cows, pigs and chickens. This one wasn't posing a threat so I let it go.


Mr. Hus"bland"You really need to just say fuck it and go. Especially now. It will help you get rid of some of the stress and see things clearer.

ftn Be doin what right now?

ArtfulDodger said...

Whoa dude, close one with the rattler. Otherwise sounds like a great day. I was once bitten by a copperhead, luckily he only got me through my jeans and the bite wasn't deep. But I've had a few close calls with rattlers myself.

cinnamon girl said...

Steve Irwin is the embodiment of why Australia has a 'cultural cringe'. Please believe me FTN, we don't really sound like that!

Well, not me anyway. I hope.

cinnamon girl said...

And I've always wondered if Steve uses that voice when he's doing 'it'.
"Crikey, she's getting a bit fiesty now! I'll just grab her round the neck and wrestle her to the ground..."