Nightmares: Wyo Angler Reminds Public That Rattlesnakes Swim In Lakes, Reservoirs

https://cowboystatedaily.com ^ | July 20, 2022 | By Clair McFarland, Cowboy State Daily

[Red Badger]

I went fishing this morning, but after a short time I ran out of worms. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a cottonmouth with a frog in his mouth. "Frogs are good bass bait" I thought to myself.

Knowing the snake couldn't bite me with the frog in his mouth, I grabbed him right behind the head, took the frog, and put it in my bait bucket.

Just then, I realized I had a problem, how was I going to release the snake without getting bit? So, I grabbed my bottle of Jack Daniels and poured a little whiskey in its mouth. The snake's eyes rolled back and he went limp. I released him into the lake without incident and carried on fishing using the frog. A little later, I felt a nudge at my foot. There was that same snake with two more frogs in his mouth.

Life is good Wishing you Blue Skies and Tight Lines

[Psalm 73]

True story!

[Red Badger]

I have a book or frontier fables and myths of the 1800’s and a version of that story is in there!................

[silent majority rising]

Funny!

[silent majority rising]

Funny!

[SakoL61R]

Haha!
One of my snake encounters....
Gatun Lake, Panama fishing for peacock bass with two Army buddies, 1990’s.
Just about too drunk to fish and a large fer-de-lance slithers over the transom of our john boat.
Killed it with the emergency oar after several minutes of expletives and hilarity.
We still laugh about it.

[Rebelbase]

Somewhere on a NC fishing website is a photo of rattler in the surf on the NC coast.

[Red Badger]

Yeah, fer-de-lances are hilarious!...................

[Romans Nine]

Thanks for the morning laugh!

[Flick Lives]

The snakes are mostly peaceful.

[Red Badger]

With Jack Daniels they are downright friendly!.....................

[Joe 6-pack]

Bass Pro fisherman Bill Dance has some great blooper reels from his show. A number of them involve unexpected encounters with snakes.

[Red Badger]

I’ve seen it!

Like the one where he closes the tailgate on the pickup truck and destroys about a thousand dollars worth of rods..................

[bert]

My dad was fishing with his two brothers in law.

He was in the middle of the boat and a BIL was in the bow and the stern.

A rattlesnake swam up, approaching the boat. Having a presence of mind, my dad grabbed a paddle and in a sweeping blow. struck the rattlesnake with a ferocious blow with the paddle edge.

On raising the paddle for a second blow, the snake slid down the paddle and into the boat. My uncle in the front somehow fell into the water. My uncle in the stern calmly grabbed the pistol and began shooting holes in the bottom of the boat.

I have heard that tale seemingly thousands of times at family gatherings. I don’t know what happened to the rattlesnake

[zeestephen]

Summer lake water in Wyoming is always cool to chilly.

My first instinct - hard to believe that reptiles can survive for more than a few minutes without going into hypothermia.

I checked Google for average rattlesnake body temp...

Ideal comfort - 86-89 F.

Average temp in the wild - 70-74 F.

And, no, I do not know how you take the body temp of a wild rattlesnake!

[Red Badger]

Very carefully..........................

[Flick Lives]

With Jack Daniels they are downright friendly!.....................

—

Just don’t run out!

[Flick Lives]

And, no, I do not know how you take the body temp of a wild rattlesnake!

—

Thermometer on a stick?

[Menes]

Ditto :-)

Even reptiles like a bit of strong drink now and then. When will the first rattlesnakes be seen patronizing a whiskey bar?

;-)

[Savage Beast]

Yes, rattlesnakes can swim in salt water. So can alligators.