Neville Flynn would be proud
Tuesday, September 29, 2009 at 12:05AM Our friend Tim Ridings forwarded us this story and images.
Greetings to everyone from River Run Guide Service.
In 20 years of fishing the Middle/Upper Brazos River, I can honestly say that I have never encountered a venomous snake (pit viper) within the riverbed. However, as I tell my clients, go outside the riverbed and that can be a very different story.
Obviously, just because I have never come across a venomous snake in the river, does not in any way mean they are not there. In fact, I always remain vigilant and on the lookout knowing that I'm simply overdue for my first encounter.
The way I look at it, Texas, venomous snakes and the outdoors will always go hand in hand.
So, I wasn't too surprised when I observed a juvenile rattlesnake headed across the river while I was in my kayak flipping a jig for bass.
I continue fishing. However, I can't help to notice the rattler has changed it's course and is headed straight for my kayak.
At this point, I've pretty much quit fishing and have my attention focused on the intentions of this potentially pesky pit viper.
While tracking the rattler's movement, I couldn't help but think, from a fish's point of view, how enticing the serpentine motion of this snake looked while in the water.
Suddenly, I am jolted back to reality by the fact the rattler is now along side my kayak and is lifting it's head out of the water in an apparent attempt to come aboard.
No way I'm having this ill intentioned reptilian hitchhiker nosing around the kayak. So, with a couple whacks of the paddle, it's now docile as can be.
Now my mind begins to wonder...Hmmmm.
This rattler looks like mighty good big bass bait!!!
I put him in one of the footwells on the kayak and paddle over to a series of submerged river laydowns
Here is my "Superstar" getting warmed up in the bullpen. so I can begin to put my plan into action.
Put me in, Coach!!!
I now cautiously rig the snake by hooking it through the bottom of the jaw and through the top of the head onto a weedless black 3/4 oz. jig.
On my sixth cast into the snag infested laydown my jig n snake combo gets destroyed on the fall as indicated by a telltale "thump" that reverberates all the way down my rod blank. I set the hook hard and immediately feel stiff resistance on the other end from what I know is a solid fish.
What happens next is something I'll likely never forget as I watch my bass come cartwheeling out of the water with the rattler hanging out of it's mouth!
The LMB gave a really good account of itself and I eventually get her alongside the kayak. I cautiously lip the opposite side of the cavernous mouth where the fish is hooked.
I now take a moment to pose with my oversize snake eating river bass before returning her back into the river depths.
I admit, my curiosity might have gotten the best of me on this one. However, I just couldn't help it.
In the end...
It was just another Kayak Fishing Adventure on the Brazos River, Tx..
bass ackwards in Photos, Reports, Species
Reader Comments (30)
wow, what a story and series of pics to go with it. that is sick. nice work!
That's a very ballsy innovation. Looks like it paid off. Nice work. I have heard that being bitten by a juvenile rattler can be more dangerous than taking a bite from an adult, because of the rate the venom is released from their fangs. Shall we wait to see what fly patterns possibly evolve from this?
Great story!...and nice Basstige to boot!
That is the best story I will hear all week, guaranteed. What a ballsy move!
AWESOME !! Looks Like we all need to get in touch with our creative sides on the water. Killer Bass !!
That's awesome, looks like i have something new to try in the summer since the Hooch has moer than its fair share of serpents swimming around...
i hate snakes
Snakes = bait.....I love it. Snakes are scary.
During certain times of the year Coffee Pot Lake (E.Washington) is known to have rattlers "jump on board" for a ride ! Good work with the snake and landing the fish. My fly fishing brother is wishing he thought of this!
i raise my glass to you. thats cool as shit!
i love it
Mucho bueno my amigo!
Dude...YER THE MAN.... that's effin AWESOME!!!
Dude, you killed a perfectly fine snake. That means the next time you go out hiking, it is your turn. Karma is a bitch.
That is too damn funny!
could you have possibly paddled away from the snake and left it alone instead of killing it. Piss poor
effort this place is getting weak.
"We acknowledge that the wild world we love best is disappearing. That is why those of us who work here share a strong commitment to protecting undomesticated lands and waters."
This has been all over any number of bulletin boards, both down here in TX and elsewhere. All I can say is that's a shitty thing to do to that snake. Weak, weak, weak.
Nice bass and very cool story. Predator using a predator to catch a predator. The fisherman lives and the bass lives. 2 out of 3 isn't bad.
Of course, some of you people would probably rather see the snake and bass be the two that live. Yeah, I know he didn’t have to kill the snake. Are rattlesnakes a threatened or species of concern in Texas? Shit eats other shit. Get over it.
How about catch and release fishing, where we make something fight for it’s life for our enjoyment then feel noble for showing it mercy and letting it go. But we revived it, didn’t hold out of the water for our hero shot that long, or hold it too high out of the water, held our breath so we could feel what the fish feels, used barbless hooks to puncture its flesh, wet our hands, and so on and so on. I know that in a short period, the fish won’t even remember or know that it fought for its life, but during that brief, reel-screaming fight; all it knew was that it was fighting for its life. Instinct is funny that way. (Can fish suffer from PTSD?)
How about the den of death called a fly tying desk. All in the name creating the noble fly on that barbless hook (because we’re too enlightened to use bait) so we can make something fight for its life. I have enough animal hide, hair, and feathers that if they were alive, I could have freakin’ zoo. I’m good though, nothing is from an endangered species. How benevolent. Sheeeeet!
CAN’T WE JUST FISH WITHOUT THE SOCIAL COMMENTARY ON EVERYTHING; I am going down to the store now to kill something for dinner.
Hey Jim go eat some shit.
Has the Chum been invaded by antis?
It's best not to look an anti in the eye while they're jerking off.
Antis a Lithuanian postmodernist rock band = duck.
No toolbag some of us have been here since the early days but when the content becomes something less than acceptable which is a hard call here, I'm gunna say so.
Come on wanker.........get a freakin life. Shit if I was in a kayak and a snake wanted to hop in I would hit it over the head with a paddle too. But if EVERYONE in kayaks hit a rattler over the head we wouldn't have any more rattlers swimming in the water. Right wanker?
Save the rattlers!
Love,
The rattlesnake conservation society of TEXAS.
Rattlers are my friend.
I like rattlers.
Be nice to rattlers.
If they want to get in boat.
Pet them a few times.
Give them kiss.
Put them back in water.
Nice poem tuggernuts, poof.
Been in a float tube at Barrett Lake SD,CA when a snake wanted on board. Seen it from a boat also many times there, but when you're in the tube, and they get around you and you spin to see and there's nothing there? that'll get your heart pumping! Did you know you can run on top of the water with force fins on? ;O
I'm kidding of course.
You can't. I died.
Wanker: as for MC content? "this" brought you to the point you needed to comment on MC content getting "weak"? What do you call the level of support you could expect going on a fishing related website and making a comment against someone putting a big worm on a hook and catching a big fish?
Come on, think....starts with a "w"....