I have a pond that is loaded with nice bass, but is equally loaded with large cottonmouth water moccasins. I've tried all the same snake control measures that cleared our other ponds (increasing activity around the bank, mowing close to the water on a regular basis)and nothing seems to work. I damn near got bit on Sunday morning by a bastard lurking in the four inches of grass remaining at the edge of the bank.

Are there any snake control methods other than shooting them? Do they have any natural predators that I could introduce?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Brent

Maybe hawks and owls would eat them. ??
Other then keeping the grass cut low and killing them when you can I cannot think of anything. I know that my dad use to put out moth balls to keep snakes from getting under the house growing up. Not sure what that would do to your pond, but I would think it would keep the snakes out of a specific grassy area.
As kids we use to get in a small 8ft john and just row around the ponds looking for the suckers. they would not know what to do when approached from the water side a lot of times. then we would just smoke them with a 410.

Good Luck...I hate snakes.

Yep....bang-bang-bang!

Try fish traps, especially those designed for trapping BG. The traps will get a small fish and then the snake will go into the trap to catch the fish and will drown. I removed 11 dead snakes from one pond last year with this method and haven't seen one since. The traps will work when you can't.

Yes, the fish trap method is a great way to get rid of cottonmouths (Water Moccasin). You can also put fish heads. The mesh will have to be small enough that the snakes cannot get through the mesh. Make sure the top of th trap is below the water or you will have to deal with the like snakes. Good luck and let us know if you are successful.

Yea meadowlarks suggestion works really well. Catches the smaller ones, too.

You could always get rid of those green fish they are eating and put some carp in there!

Its about this time of year when they get real aggressive.

The only predator I know of, other than you, is big fish or gators.

I've caught quite a few with traps but I like larger traps. When the fish get in the trap, the snake goes in to get them. They will drown. However, if they are still alive, just toss the trap back in the water and come back in a couple of hours.

.410, 12 gauge, whatever other caliber u may feel like usin. or try a shovel to chop em up.

22 pistol with rat shot works pretty well.

I think people should try to learn to identify between a moccasin/cottonmouth and other harmless water snakes.

I do not think it is a good idea to purge all snakes from a pond. A few snakes are a good thing, as they help keep the pond free of dying or sick fish.

That being said, if I see a moccasin, I will shoot it on site.

Gotta agree. I don't like to kill anything that I'm not going to eat or is not a problem.

Very few snakes are poisonous. My problem is that they can make me hurt myself.

i can get rid of them for ya! 3 dollars a snake.

Post a couple of pics of the snake if possible for ID.

Once you get rid of the BIG snakes the bass will help thin any small ones left. I have been fishing a 12+ac. tank for 5 years and only saw 1 snake. He would NOT spook into the water. This lake had too many bass in it and they would eat anything moving on the suface. I like to throw a big 10" worm no weight and swim in back sometimes about 1/2 way. Big bass love to eat snakes.

Snapping turtles are a cottonmouth snake predator.

.22 long rifle. one shot one kill

plus it is fun and good target practice

If the pond is loaded w/big bass,I will personally come stay at the pond until I kill all the snakes.

I'm telling you, 410 slug, I had one when I was a kid, called a snake charmer and it worked like a champ. You are going to have to work real hard to kill them all and I think killing them all is all but impossible. I don’t even look to see which are cotton mouths and which are just water snakes. To me the only good snake is a dead snake! Of course once you've been bitten you can be on the "kill them all" side. Poisonous or not a snake bite hurts!

Steve

In my experience, the majority of snakes in bass ponds (as opposed to shallow wetlands) are diamoned back water snakes. They look mean and will bite but are not poisoneous. Likely that may be what they are although I realize that most assume the worst and shoot. The one good thing about this snake is they primarily eat mud cats if they are in the lake.

Yep, 22 long rifle loaded with rat shot. Works every time.

Not sure what a cotton mouth or water moccasin is but I'm pretty sure that if a snake doesn't have a rattle it is a cobra and must be dealt with accordingly. From what I learned in the OT, they best practice is to pee on them or blow them up.

Better make sure of your range when peeing...that's a mistake made only once.

Get a few pig's to clean out the snake's, then you will have bacon to eat.

could cats take care of them?

put a bunch of aligators in the pond to get rid of the snakes that way u dont have to worry about snake bites while fishing!

I have read guinea fowl will work. Get two or three.

Try a mongoose.

Get you a hog and turn it loose. They hate snakes! They can smell them and find them and eat them live. In a week or less, you will be snake free.

there are two kinds of snakes rattle snakes and cotton mouths if it is in the water it is a cotton mouth if it is on land it is a rattle snake. if they dont bite you they will make you jump hard enough to make you hurt yourself. better safe than sorry.

i live near rockwall my brother and i love to play with snakes. can we help you please? let me know asap

410 and for the fish traps - are ya'll just talking about those wire mesh fish baskets?

those work - i used to get snakes all in them when i would catch trotline bait as a kid

they will get all up in there, eat a fish, get a knot in the body - and then can't get out

i'm sure you'll get plenty of volunteers to help you if you really wanted to

Step 1 purchase throwing knives online
Syep 2 wait for throwing knives to arrive
Syep 3 practice with thrwoing knives daily until you can hit the center just about every throw
Step 4 go out with throwing knives kill snakes
Stpe 5 shove sharp metal rod threw sanke (threw its mouth to the tail)
Step 6 start fire and roast snake until meat is cooked and enjoy!

.12 gauge, some snake proof boots, and a body bags.

as long as they actually are mocasins
flat wide body, diamond shaped head, small, fast tapered stubby tail.

A 410 loaded with 6's or 7 1/2's and the traps (Academy) are the best weapons for your problem. You'll be surprised how many you can kill in the water at sunup and for about an hour afterward. Be careful in the dark. Sit in the back of your truck if possible or get good snake boots. Leggins are better than nothing, but not as good as quality snake boots. Take a small caliber rifle for long shots.

I doubt very seriously that you have the cotton-mouth infestation that you think you do. You're most likely only seeing various water snakes. Where do you live in Rockwall? Chances are, considering I was born and raised there, that I'll know of the pond you're talking about. I'm not saying that you don't have any CM's in you pond, I'm only saying that most people mis-identify them 99% of the time. If you have beneficial non-poisonous water snakes at your place then you'll be much better served to leave them alone because they compete with non-beneficial poisonous snakes like the ones you're trying to avoid. On a CM look for a wide flat body. Usually in Rockwall County they're practically solid black. They have an arrow shaped head. You usually never see one over 24" long and their tail will taper off sharply. When they swim, their entire body is on the surface as opposed to just their head. Be careful with any snake that you've not identified, but usually you're not going to have any problems.

Nuke them from orbit, its the only way to be sure

Serbu Super Shorty

If they have a big broad head, diamond shaped there a cotton mouth. the water snakes head is about the same size as his body

also it might be illegal to kill snakes, it was in Arkansas

my aunt and uncle lived on a farm out by Cedar Creek Lake as I was growing up. i would go spend a week at a time with them in the summer.. everyday I was given the single shot 12 gauge and a box of shells and told : turtle and snake duty ! I was 8-12 years old I remember aiming, then closing my eyes and pulling the trigger waiting for the kick of a mule! good times!

As a stupid kid, probably 6-7 we would go "snake hunting" at the nearby creek. Armed with BB guns, Arrows(no bow) and sticks, we'd almost always kill at least one cotton mouth, and on more than one occasion, we killed a bunch, like around 20. And yes they were cottonmouths. Broad, short, aggressive and stink like a skunk cottonmouths.

Don't just kill snakes so you can have a bass pond to yourself. If you get rid of every single snake something bad will happen. I'm not sure what exactly but trust me on that. It is the snakes home and you are the guest.

Okay, i big giant is walking around your house but he is not doing anything bad so you don't mind him. All the suddon he see's you and pulls out a shotgun and blows your head off for no reason. Just think that way.

I reside in deep rattle snake country down here on the Brazos River, anytime mmy dogs start barking & generally raising hell, I get my trusty 20 gauge & go investigate, most of the time they have a snake of some kind treed, so I shoot it! That way, it teaches them to always tree it & I will come to them, that works on all snakes, there are no such thing as a good snake in my opinion, to me a good snake is a dead one! I've had too many close calls by them & I've had some of my dogs bitten by a snake & damn near die on me, so I hate all snakes!!!!! As for a cotton mouth, they are a standout as something you know is evil, just by their smell & their agressiveness! The best thing to meet them with is a well placed blast from a close range scattergun with some #4-#8 shot!! If you ain't sure what kind of snake it is, shoot the SOB anyhow, it might be a "bad" snake!!

Shoot first...ask questions later.

guinea fowl, pigs, a good dog, minnow traps.shot gun takes to much time if there not black there probably harmless

The only way to get rid of them is kill them. You can't kill them all, but you can keep the population in check. It sounds like they have got out of control. I would hate for you to get bitten.

Where I grew up there were many more moccasins than non-poisonous watersnakes. Some ponds were infested and others seemed to only have a few. We would catch Kingsnakes and release them around the ponds as well as using .22's and shotguns. A .44 Mag with CCI shot shells is fun too.

i will help you shoot the snakes for some fishing and drinking beer time but the best way that i have heard is that you get some pure sulphur and spread it around your house and around the perimeter of the pond. you will be amazed.

brent.....dude.....take him up on this.....and get video!

When I was a young man, we used to take our 22 rifles down to the tank on Sunday afternoon with a box or two of long rifle hollow points & shoot the turtles & snakes when they'd poke their heads up. That is a load of fun & it'll sure 'nuff hone your shooting skills !!

bring a machete with you and cut them up