Back in the early '80's I had a baby rattler crawl up on the back of my bass boat next to the motor while the boat was beached at McCown Valley Park. I didn't notice him until I was out on the lake. With the help of my 7" spinning rod, I made him striper bait. Not a pleasant experience.

I am not terrified of them either, but I have had cottonmouths scare me really bad. I had one penetrate my waders when I stepped on it in a wetland, and had another one leave scratches on my forearm when it just missed me. I was in high school and I can still see its fangs coming out when it opened its mouth. I have spent thousands of hours in the field and had very few situations like that, but they do get your attention.

That was a cute little rat snake.

Look really close at the branches next to one of my favorite stumps.

Fishing Ray Roberts with customers near Johnson Branch swim beach. Summer with lots of folks in water and a Copperhead swam by. Figured it would be a good thing to dispose of it. Picked up a rod and snagged it. My customers asked what I was going to do now since the snake wasn’t coming into the boat. I just pulled the trolling motor barely out of the water and dropped ol sneaky into it. 36 volt high did a great job.

Two instances, both in Florida as a kid: went night fishing and while going under and old bridge to Cherry Lake had a cottonmouth drop in the boat. The two guys I was with beat the aluminum boat so bad with oars trying to kill it we simply went home when the deed was done. 2nd was was at Church Lake near Leesburg, I was wade fishing and must have got close to a nest because a 3 foot cottonmouth charged and was weaving in and out of my legs as I danced and flailed an kept it off with my rod and net. My uncle saw this and after got out commented he knew what was happening because only people with cottonmouth sickness jerked like that.

You can use a 12' pole or better yet just stay out of the trees. Crappie can be found lots of places other than trees for example dock shooting, brush piles, drop offs......don't let snakes take away your enjoyment of fishing. Best of luck to you!

One night when we were frog gigging a cottonmouth tried to get in the boat with us. He ran his head up on the gunwale and my brother-in-law hit him with a boat paddle. He wrecked the snake’s head but he wrecked the paddle too ! Ever try to paddle with a baseball bat ?