How do yall deal with the snakes in summer being so close to the water? I want to fish but just the thought of a snake creeping up on me keeps me out of the water. Any thoughts?

A snake , when it sees you has a decision that it makes:

"Is this a mate or, can I get all of that in my mouth"

If you fit neither category snakes, unless provoked will be curious but keen no harm. Of course it is hard not to change the ph of the water when they get so close. Learn how to identify poisonous snakes and you will have no problems. Tis is from a guy that fished from tubes for more than 25 years .

whack em with your rod if they get too close (which I doubt they will)

Every time I see a snake it seems like he is headed the opposite direction I am goin... just dont corner em, or mess around with em, and you should be fine

Thanks for the input. I will get some fishing in soon. I just wont worry with them.

Only snakes we ever had problems with are cottonmouths,but never in the water just on or near the bank.

Thanks. I have seen some big ones on the bank and they don't bother me. I just didn't want to Tango with them in their element.

Took this pic last time I was out !!!

He was just sun bathing

Is that a water snake or a cotton mouth?
Hate snakes!!!

That's a Banded Water Snake, not venomous, but people say they are aggressive... I have only ever seen em from a distance, besides one lil baby one, and that baby one had an attitude about 10X its size, but my buddy was also poking it with a stick, so I dont blame it for bein pissed off

That snake will not harm you at all it`s just a banded water snake as C T formentioned but if you have an overall fear of snakes ,I have a sure fire remedy for you and you will be able to fish anywhere with confidence.Shoot me a pm and I`ll tell you what it is you should do.

Take that snake run him thorugh a 5/0 with #60 braid and see what bites!

most of the time snakes will run from you. my rule-of-thumb is: i dont mess with them and they dont mess with me!!

Bad idea whacking them with a rod. Once in Arkansas I whacked a big cottonmouth with my rod only to have the lure hook the snake. What a joy it was to have my light action rod bend double and get me danger close to a snapping ticked off cottonmouth.

I threw him to the bank and killed him. Better advise to use a stick or rock.

I used to tube and wade fish a large but somewhat shallow lake in west Texas that was known to harbor cottonmouth water moccasins. My friend and I made the mistake of attaching a fish stringer to the belt loop of our jean cutoffs or suspend the stringer over the tube side when tubing. It was not uncommon to discover a snake clinging to a fish when the stringer was removed. I can still remember my friend running out of the water and up the hill while trying to detach his fish stringer from his belt loop, with a very large cottonmouth still clinging to a fish - screaming all the way.