Suzuki spotted one of these….

He thought it was a pile of poop…but as we got closer, it turned out to be a almost gray (light black) water snake lying on floating timber…

I had a hard time keeping Suzuki from picking it up…he wanted to see if it was true about there reaction when they are threatened….Glad he stayed on his side of the boat!

It’s was a North American Water Snake…
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Even though it’s not venomous, you probably don’t want to tangle with this snake. If you pick it up it will give off a bad smell, defecate, and maybe even throw up its last meal. It will also bite. Its saliva contains a substance that inhibits its victim’s blood from clotting.

-Info from the MN DNR’s website

You should have let him touch it!!!!

Oh? So you’ve met him Waterfowler.

Unfortunately, I mean fortunately. We don’t get to fish together much now that I’ve moved across the world. If I could convince all my fishing buddies to come put in a long weekend finishing my basement, I would be able to fish a lot more. Then I could take Mike to Red Wing if his jiggin’ muscle holds up.

Those snakes are nasty. I’ve had several come flying right after me while I was on sandbars…in my bare feet with shorts on. You should have seen the fancy foot work!! It took about a dozen handfuls of sand in his face to finally turn him around and into the water.

I get back from a meeting and this is what I find. Personal attacks. That is definitely the pile a poop we saw the other night. Cool.

Yeah….. some people put their hand on the burner after they’re told it’s hot too. (I should be fine in a couple of weeks! )

According to “the experts”, this snake can’t strike in the water. It needs contact with something to accomplish this, like a floating log, perhaps. But if you see one coming for you, it’s not to get nasty on you. It’s similar to rattle snakes getting in your sleeping bag. They usually have something else in mind. Doesn’t mean it can’t turn ugly, but I’d just learn how to be prepared. Take some time to learn how to handle snakes…. it’s good to know!

As for the “stink”, it does wash off and is an easy price to pay for avoiding the bite.

Next time you guys are fishing and encounter one of these guys, take 2 poles and “chopstick” the critter IN THE WATER and see if it can retaliate when underwater. The books say they can’t but I’ve seen books be wrong before. I tried to entice a strike out of one once and in the water, I never got one. I didn’t think to “trap” it at the time to see if being “secured” gave it the means necessary to retaliate. My thought is this…… if it still can’t fight back in the water, you can handle this snake easily IN THE WATER. I do think it just needs an anchor to become defensive but I’m curious.

Also, I don’t see any yellow markings on the pictured snake. The snake I’ve been talking about for weeks has some yellow markings along the sides and mouth. Not true bands or spots, but still patterned.