James, of the 3 million snakes I've encountered in the tails, only two have been the real deal. One was a face to face encounter with Mr. Whitemouth and he didn't bite me.

The only problem your gonna have is late in the spawn, say late April. That's when you keep your arse in the boat. They get to spawning themselves and they get stupid and aggressive.

If you see a snake coiled on the tails, there's is gonna be a big fat crappie directly underneath.

Daylight savings will help those of us who get off work and allows us more daylight to go after them. The amount of light only changes about 1 minute each day. Does that clear things up?

Well, being as I'm in the woods, and pretty much tubin or wading 100% of the time. I have to say, most of the snakes I've come across on the lake, are fish snakes. In the woods, I've come across um, more than 2. Usually not in the water. But in a sunny spot close to it. I see more in the fall than spring. Of course I get out of the woods in spring. I carry a basket, and if I get harrassed by one, I make so dang much noise, he ain't coming back. If he does, I'll do my best to kill it, and if I can't do that, I move. I've stood belly deep in the water catching fish right underneath the limbs of a tree, and look up and see 7-8 snakes up in the limbs. That was on Lavon, I've seen snakes in those tails, bigger than me, and tons of them at once. The wind blew me right into them. Skeert the willy wonkas out of me. Now I pet 'em. NOT!

Last year one day I decide I was going to carry a cooler. I just tied it to a rope and drug it with half bag of ice in it. It was a lot easier in the water than on land!

they do make some noise in the cooler but shoot I dont think that spooks the fish much anyway!

James007,

Just stay on your pontoon!

I enjoyed our boat ride Saturday.

Cattails,willows and flooded grass.

Don't you guys know that snakes can't bite underwater!

I see very few Cottonmouths anymore on Lavon. 99% are water snakes. They can't kill you but they can make you hurt yourself getting away from them...

If they can't bite underwater then how do they eat your fish?

I chunked that theory when I was 10 and watched a wm swim at me under water with a minnow in its mouth

HMMMMMM!!!! GREAT QUESTION.. I have heard them cotton mouths called "water jobbers" by the cajuns and they know a thing or two in them bayous about moccasins! But I can't say if they can bite under water or not but I'm going with yes! i do however guide for all species and would be happy to do some wade fishing trips. Snakes are scarry but I just met two new friends in a couple of my good wading holes on cedar creek and they are 6-8 ft. long and very toothy!! Yeah you guessed it GATORS!! These two were not man eaters but just up the road about 3 or 4 miles they killed a 10 ft. 400+lb gator across the street from my bowstand last april. Guy kept comming up short on the roll call for his dairy calves and seen a couple of mud slides in his farm pond and low and behold he got his permit and captured this brute. Check the archives for The Cedar creek pilot last april and you should find a photo of this monster.. I'm excited I can add another species to my list of things to fish for on CC LAKE!

Be careful everyone. There were like 25 crappie fishermen in the North Texas area bitten and killed by snakes while spring fishing last year.

I am now very afraid to put my waders on and get out there fishing this early spring......oh my. A good friend just told me there are gators in Lake Hawkins. Between hearing that and reading this thread, I'm pretty dang scared.

Ok how about this. Since I don't have any snakes to make a video yet, I'll make a little safety guide a myth dispel-er and post it in the freshwater forum. Look for it by friday evening.

I think the worst I ever had it was when tubing with Dad, and he swatted a snake with his fishing pole, scared that sucker to my tube...well, as I'm about to swat him good, he ducked under the water

Never did see him surface, but buy then, I was almost walking on water from all the commotion I was making