Yes, that snake was after the frog before I so rudely interrupted it. It was only about three feet away! I was fishing the same creek last year and walked up on a big old water moccasin / cotton mouth! I don't usually see venomous snakes much it's almost always some sort of harmless water snake. Either way I give them the room they need when in their domain but will kill dangerous snakes in mine!

Fun to catch but water snakes never seem to tame down. You can't let go of their head or they'll nail you! Cool snakes though.

purty one for sure

i like seeing them in pictures, not in person

Guys, I hate be a dissenter but I've looked at the Banded Water Snake on a few other sites and I kinda think this one might be a Cottonmouth. The head shape and the markings make me a bit suspicious. Cottonmouths come in a variety of colors and patterns, especially when relatively young and that head, well, it looks a bit pit viperish to me.
Then again, I might just be a bit spooky, LOL!

L6

I admit that the markings are unusual for a banded water snake but this guy is no pit viper. Look at the pupil. Its as round as it can be. He is harmless.

That is one of the pertiest water snakes I've ever seen. The colors are awesome, must be a young snake, the older they get the more the colors fade. Glad he was unharmed.

All you guys who like to kill snakes just because ther're "scary" should try steppin off the concrete every now and then and get out in the woods a little.

Goes good with carp sausage

It's been a long time since I've seen a copperhead up close and personal I Hope it stays that way!

ive seen one of these before, nice to know what they are now.

Def. a Broad Banded Watersnake. Not dangerous in the least. They will bite the "carp" out of you and take a big old poop on you if you pick them up but they're completely harmless. This is what a pitviper's eyes look like:

Notice in the original posters' picture, the pupils are round. All pits have verticle pupils. As far as wacking one for the heck of it, I just don't understand that but thats just me.

Looks like a Diamond-Back Copperheaded Mocassin.

These are a rare breed but are often seen in and around deck type structures chasing frogs.

Can't help it, my job is fraud detection/prevention